Cal Poly Pomona received over $491,000 in donations this fiscal year from “over 400 current, retired, and/or former faculty & staff,” according to Catherine Quirk-Hanneke, director of leadership annual giving.
The Campus Campaign, held from Jan. 27 to Feb. 7, assisted with the final push in raising donations for the university by encouraging faculty, staff and emeriti to donate back to the campus and help support student success.
There is an endless amount of causes to which donors can contribute, and they are given the option to choose where their gift goes.
“Many choose to donate to the Bronco Fund, which is a fund for unrestricted gifts that can be used for the greatest need on campus,” Quirk-Hanneke said. “Others choose to support the college or program they are closely affiliated with by donating to student scholarships or Excellence Funds.
(Lauren Bruno | The Poly Post)
“This year, we encouraged donations to the Broncos Care Basic Needs Initiative by matching all faculty and staff gifts to this important program and resource.”
According to this year’s Campus Campaign flyer, the Broncos Care Basic Needs program supports “our most vulnerable students by offering food assistance programs, emergency funding and housing, and crisis support. This includes the PolyPantry, which provides food to more than 900 members of the campus community.”
“The Bronco Fund matched a total of $9,182 in gifts from new payroll deductions, increases and gifts to Basic Needs,” Quirk-Hanneke said. Each year, the Bronco Fund also matches donations from the department with the highest participation.
Last year, the Cultural Centers had the highest participation, with 100% of their staff making gifts to the Campus Campaign. They opted for their funds to go toward the Cultural Center programs, according to Tari Hunter, director of the Office of Student Life and Cultural Centers.
This year, the Student Affairs Administration had the highest participation, and their donations will be matched by the Bronco Fund.
Ashley Sofia Gonzalez, a first-year accounting student and member of the Student Philanthropy club, has seen the impact donations make for students across campus.
As someone involved in the Cesar E. Chavez Center for Higher Education, Gonzalez stated that “philanthropy helps the Cultural Centers expand their capabilities and cultivate their mission by allowing access to more resources for students.”
“Students may not realize this too often, but it is thanks to donors that we are able to thrive in our ‘learn-by-doing’ experience,” Gonzalez said.
This year, the Campus Campaign received gifts from 71 donors, benefiting 41 different programs, according to Quirk-Hanneke. For information on ways to give to CPP, visit https://www.cpp.edu/giving/.