GCCC Campuswide Giving Increases 650% Thanks to “United2Gether” Campaign

GCCC

[Garden City, KS, October 9, 2019–] Garden City Community College employees have pledged over $6,400 in donations from their personal paychecks to the Finney County United Way (FCUW) thanks to an innovative, campus-wide giving campaign.

Through the United2Gether campaign, college faculty, staff, and administration were asked to consider donating at least one month’s worth of a 2% cost-of-living granted by college administration at the start of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Thanks to the internal campaign which started in September, a total of one-third of all GCCC full-time employees – 33% total – are paying forward their September 2% raise (or more) towards the local charity organization that works to advance the common good. That is, money donated to the United Way stays in Finney County and is distributed to partner agencies to improve lives and benefit residents in the Garden City area.

In light of the large-scale fire at the Tyson meat-packing plant outside Holcomb, Kan., earlier this year, and the United Way’s annual needs to fund local social service and community programs that work with underserved communities, GCCC administrators saw an opportunity to increase giving at the college. Prior to United2Gether, less than 10 employees had pledged under $1,000 annually to the FCUW. Thanks to campuswide campaign, participation has risen to at least 68 full-time employees, a 655% percent increase overall.

“United Way is an organization that touches many lives – often those receiving services from agencies are unaware that the agency is supported by United Way,” said Karla Armstrong, GCCC’s Vice President for Administrative Services, who also serves on the local FCUW Board of Directors. “The increase in participation and giving is awesome, and our hope is that this is a beginning to increasing our participation every year.”

Through “United2Gether,” a friendly competition between campus buildings spurred giving, too. The winners of the competition – the Academic Building – will be treated to a tailgate party at an upcoming home Broncbuster football game, courtesy of GCCC’s administrators. Together, staff and faculty in the Academic Building had 79% total building participation and donated a total amount of $2,171 out the college’s total contribution.

For more information about the United2Gether campaign, contact Armstrong at karla.armstrong@gcccks.edu or 620-276-9577. GCCC exists to produce positive contributors to the economic and social well-being of society.