You don’t have to work here long to realize that the College of Charleston is more than a job. Sure, this is where you come for work – where you put in your time, your energy, your effort and expertise – but it’s also where you come for community, for fulfillment, for insight and intention. That’s why we get invested in the College – and why so many of us invest more than just our time and talent.
“College of Charleston employees are so generous when it comes to philanthropic giving,” says Lauren Whiteside Mann ’07, assistant director of alumni and campus engagement, noting that during the 2016–2017 fiscal year, over 21 percent of all CofC employees participated in giving a total of almost $250,000 to 137 different funds. “Those kinds of numbers can have a huge impact.”
And – because corporations and foundations consider faculty and staff giving rates when determining their own support for the College – that impact has a domino effect, reverberating across the entire institution.
“I think that participation is what is most important. Although it may be hard for most faculty and staff members to give large sums of money, it shows our College leadership, Board of Trustees, students, alumni, donors and the Charleston community that CofC faculty and staff members are invested in the College and believe in its mission,” says Chris Bailey ’12 (MPA ’15), associate director of strategic initiatives and communications for the Honors College, who gives to the College through small payroll deductions every month.
“It’s so easy to make a big difference because even the smallest gifts really do add up,” says Mann, adding that – even though the Faculty and Staff Drive wrapped up in September – it’s never too late for employees to give to whatever CofC cause, school, department or fund they choose. “Support whatever you’re passionate about, whenever you want, however you want. There are no restrictions when it comes to giving back.”
After all, at the College, it’s easy to get invested.
