EIU Media Relations

EIU Employees Honored for 'Outstanding' Charitable Giving

Apr-26-2007

Eastern Illinois University has again been honored for its employees’ generosity in a statewide fundraising campaign that benefits charities throughout Illinois.

EIU was one of 40 governmental entities to receive an Outstanding Achievement Award from the State and University Employees Combined Appeal during a recent ceremony at the Executive Mansion in Springfield.

“The award reflects positively on EIU,” said Linda Moore, director of EIU Career Services, who served as EIU’s 2006 SECA campaign coordinator. “It shows that we are good collaborators and that we support efforts to assist others in need, both locally and nationally.”

The state SECA board set EIU’s 2006 fundraising goal at $17,100. EIU employees surpassed that mark, donating $17,773 through payroll direct deposit and one-time checks to a variety of charities. Donations were up $1,642 from last year.

EIU last received the SECA fundraising award in 2004.

“EIU is a giving community, and through education and awareness, we will continue to increase our participation,” said Julie Benedict from EIU’s Human Resources. Benedict oversaw EIU’s SECA efforts from 2003 to 2005, when EIU’s giving increased each year.

Moore said the EIU committee hopes to further increase the scope of SECA donations by continuing to add participants.

“Our giving patterns show that it is very important that an EIU staff person or faculty member be a champion for this effort in their departments,” Moore said. “When just one person becomes involved in SECA, contributions in those departments grow in time and it becomes a culture – a tradition.”