Rice’s United Way Campaign sets many records
More than $190,000 raised to help community

FROM RICE NEWS STAFF REPORTS

Rice University’s 2010-11 United Way Campaign broke all records by raising more than $190,000 to help Houstonians in need of food, clothing, shelter and other services.

	JEFF FITLOW
	Pictured from left are Bobby Tudor ’82, Y. Ping Sun, Stephen Klineberg, Anna Babin, Reggie Clarkson and Greg Marshall ’86.

“Because of your generosity, we’re able to touch one out of every two lives,” United Way of Greater Houston President Anna Babin said Wednesday at an event on the Central Quad to celebrate the campaign. “You’re making an investment in your community.”

“Your hard-earned dollars are getting to the people in the community who need them most,” said Rice alumnus and trustee Bobby Tudor ’82, who is chairing the United Way of Greater Houston 2010-11 Campaign. He said the need is great: Houston’s unemployment rate is nearly 9 percent, and last year more than 800,000 calls were made to United Way’s 211 help line for basic needs.

“It is literally hundreds of thousands of people who are touched by the United Way every single day,” Tudor said.

He said the Rice community has made “really terrific” progress. “Rice has by far the largest campaign of any other academic institution in Houston,” he said.

The number of first-time donors to this year’s United Way Campaign — 483 – rivaled the total number of donors to last year’s campaign — 487.

The campaign is led and organized by Rice’s Office of Public Affairs.

“We made this one of our community service priorities four years ago as part of our outreach mission and to support President Leebron’s goal of deepening our engagement with our home city of Houston,” said Linda Thrane, vice president for public affairs. “Rice contributes to our home community in many ways, but this is one seminal way we can give back to our home city that gives so much to us.”

Campaign manager Greg Marshall ’86, director of university relations in the Office of Public Affairs, noted that Leebron’s commitment to making the United Way Rice’s primary gift back to the neediest members of its community was a major factor in the growth in giving over the past four years.

For the second year in a row, Rice Board of Trustees Chair Jim Crownover ’65 made a difference to the campaign. For this year’s campaign, he pledged a $25,000 matching gift to first-time campaign donors, which inspired 169 first-time donors to contribute. Crownover was out of town and unable to attend the celebration.

The $190,017 raised this year was more than 146 percent of the $130,000 campaign goal and reflects a participation rate of 30.6 percent — another record for Rice. The total number of donors was 815 — also a record. The total number of lead donors — those who gave $1,000 or more — was 63, a record as well.

Among the 17 division campaigns on campus, the Provost’s Office had the highest total contributions — $28,974. Public Affairs had the highest participation rate — 97.1 percent — and Administration had the highest number of donors — 321. Natural Sciences and the Provost’s Office tied for the highest number of lead donors — 10. Architecture was cited for most-improved participation rate, based on this year’s 51.6 percent compared with last year’s 12 percent. (See chart.)

University Representative Y. Ping Sun chaired the lead donors effort. Sociology Professor Stephen Klineberg chaired the faculty campaign and Telecommunications Manager Reggie Clarkson chaired the staff campaign.

Sun noted that earlier in the day she attended a board meeting of United Way of Greater Houston, where Rice’s campaign results were announced. “Everyone in the room was cheering and clapping for you,” she told the Rice community.

The celebration on the quad concluded with the presentation — and consumption — of a giant cake decorated like a check payable to United Way, courtesy of the Housing and Dining staff.

President David Leebron was out of town and unable to attend the celebration, but sent his thanks.

“Rice and Houston grew together and prosper together,” he said. “Rice benefits from being in Houston in countless ways, and Rice gives back to Houston in countless ways. Our United Way contributions are a very important part of that. I am incredibly proud of the generosity of so many people at Rice.”