Partners in Giving campaign begins Oct. 10

Emergency relief groups have provided vital lifelines in recent weeks to hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents who fell victim, in one way or another, to Hurricane Katrina. In many cases, they were the first on the scene to offer help — and hope.

Their rapid response and continuing assistance at a time of unprecedented need points out the critical role of charitable organizations in today’s world. It’s hard to imagine where we would be without them.

University, UW Hospital and Clinics, and state government employees in Dane County can support any of more than 400 charities by contributing to this fall’s Partners in Giving campaign, which begins Monday, Oct. 10 and ends Wednesday, Nov. 30.

“This year, rather than set a dollar target, our main goal is to boost the number of donors even higher,” says Tom Sinclair, public information manager at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and chair of the annual campaign’s marketing committee. “We’d like to achieve at least a 30 percent participation rate among eligible university and state employees. To do that, we’ll need 2,000 more contributors this year than last.”

Every campaign packet includes a pledge form and a booklet that describes each of the participating charities, explains how to contribute and answers common questions. Employees can select which charity or charities to support and contribute any amount. Contributions can be made by payroll deduction, check or cash, and are tax-deductible, as allowed by law.

For more information, visit the Partners in Giving Web site at http://www.secc.wi.gov or contact a departmental campaign coordinator.