UW News

October 2, 2003

UW Combined Fund Drive

The UW Combined Fund is an easy and fun way for UW employees to contribute to their favorite charities through either payroll deduction or by check. The state chair is Gov. Gary Locke, who has set a fund-raising goal of $5 million. Last CFD season, almost 5,000 UW employees generously gave nearly $1.4 million.



Employees may choose from 1,900 organizations, including charities that work on environmental issues, food banks, health and human services, education, the arts, and even programs at the UW. Represented are local, national, and international organizations, some of which are “federations” or “umbrella” charities that raise funds for several charities — Earthshare of Washington, for example.


I’m also very happy to report another exciting and unique feature of the CFD — that charities receive 105 percent on the dollar donated. This is because the state CFD office releases monies to the charities after the first quarter with interest accrued. Additionally, a pool of donations that are “unspecified” gifts is also released at this time to charities on a pro-rata basis.


The fund drive officially kicks off on Oct. 8 and runs through Nov. 21. For more information, see http://depts.washington.edu/uwcfd  or e-mail uwcfd@u.washington.edu. You may also contact your local, departmental coordinator or representative. If you don’t know who that is, please visit the Web site or send the CFD office an e-mail. Print charity guides are free and available from the CFD office or from your departmental coordinator/representative. The charity guide is also online.


The UW CFD is a way that UW employees like to use to give back to their communities, and each year we demonstrate just how much we care by our excellent level of giving. Our goal this year is to not only raise the level of dollars donated but also to increase the overall rate of participation.


Please give to your charities through the Combined Fund Drive. It’s safe, effective, and totally worthwhile. Join me in supporting our community and the world-at-large, via the CFD. Thank you in advance.


Dean Speer, a law school staffer, is this year’s volunteer chair of the UW Combined Fund Drive.