Tudors offer matching gift as Rice United Way Campaign gets underway

Rice Board Chairman Bobby Tudor ’82 and his wife, Phoebe, helped kick off the 2015 Rice United Way Campaign with a generous offer: For a limited time they will match each dollar that employees pledge above their 2013-2014 contribution.

Bobby and Phoebe Tudor

“The annual United Way Campaign is one of the most important ways Rice engages with the Greater Houston community, and the Tudors’ generous matching gift will ensure that the contributions of our faculty and staff can make an even greater difference in the lives of people across the city,” said Director of University Relations Greg Marshall, who is the campaign manager.

Last year, faculty and staff contributed $229,920 to the Rice United Way Campaign. Rice employees’ generosity broke records and placed Rice among the top 100 institutional donors in the city.

This year’s campaign will be “short and sweet,” according to Wade Adams, faculty chair for the campaign and senior faculty fellow in materials science and nanoengineering. The campaign began Sept. 29 and will conclude before the winter break. The campaign goal is $200,000.

Rice supports the United Way of Greater Houston because it invests in services that achieve impact and provide a safety net for people in need, transforming lives and creating systemic change in such key areas as education, family financial stability and quality of life for returning veterans.

Employees may make a pledge payable by payroll deductions spread over all paychecks in calendar (and tax) year 2015 by logging in at esther.rice.edu and clicking the “United Way” link to authorize a direct payroll contribution, or use the pledge form on the Rice United Way website, www.rice.edu/unitedway. That same form may also be used to make a cash, check or credit card gift (for tax year 2014).

For more information on the United Way campaign, visit www.rice.edu/unitedway.

Honorary chairs for this year’s campaign are Tudor and Rice President David Leebron. Lead donors chair is University Representative Y. Ping Sun. Staff chair is Tina Villard, director of the Gibbs Recreation Center.