SECC campaign kicks off Monday; $2.2 million is goal

The excuse, “I give at the office” may be a cliché, but it is not a trivial act – especially when a lot of people join together to do it.

More information For information about the SECC campaign, contact your unit’s SECC coordinator, consult the SECC brochure being distributed this month or visit: http://www.wisc.edu/secc/.

Almost 11,700 state and university employees in Dane County “gave at the office” last year, voluntarily contributing more than $2.1 million to nonprofit organizations that perform vital public services locally, nationally and around the world.

The goal this fall is to raise $2.2 million through the annual State, UW and UW Hospital and Clinics Combined Campaign of Dane County (SECC)

The campaign gets officially under way Monday, Oct. 11.

“Partners in Giving” is this year’s campaign theme, depicted by a multicolored heart mosaic symbolizing the contributors, volunteers, public agencies and private organizations that make SECC a heavy hitter among charity fund-raisers. The drive is the largest annual employee fund-raising campaign in Wisconsin and one of the most successful state campaigns in the country.

Last year’s record-setting 25th anniversary campaign raised 8.6 percent more than the previous year’s total. Thousands of state and university employees give year after year to SECC, and the average contribution has been on the rise. Still, fewer than half of all eligible employees in Dane County participate in the campaign, something its organizers hope to change.

People in need, from the homeless, disabled, and elderly of Dane County to victims of war and natural disaster overseas, rely heavily on nonprofit organizations for help and hope. And many local nonprofits depend on SECC to keep them going.

“It certainly is a very important source of revenue for them,” says Phyllis Fuller, vice chair of the SECC board. “If they didn’t get this money, it would impede their ability to provide services.”

Through SECC, state and university employees can give to any of more than 300 nonprofits, all of which have met rigorous standards for registration, financial auditing, fund-raising methods, nondiscrimination and IRS regulations.

Or employees can give to any of eight “umbrella” organizations. Finally, if they prefer, employees can give a lump sum to be shared by all of the umbrellas and their nonprofit members. In any case, payment can be by cash, check or convenient payroll deduction.

Because SECC is conducted by hundreds of employee volunteers, the administrative costs are remarkably low. Last year, roughly 97 cents of every dollar contributed to SECC went directly to the nonprofits or umbrella organizations.