Centraide at Concordia: 95% of the way to $190,000

It’s not too late to give. The official closing date of Concordia's 41st annual Centraide Campaign is Friday, December 18.

So far, the university community has raised $180,500, 95 per cent of its $190,000 fundraising goal. The money collected is distributed by the umbrella charity, also known as United Way, to more than 349 local agencies that help people overcome poverty and exclusion.

“It’s incredibly heartening to see our community’s collective instinct to give,” says Bram Freedman, vice-president of Advancement and External Relations, whose office heads up the campus initiative. “It’s thanks to the generosity of our students, staff and faculty that we’re able to donate a substantial sum every year to this island-wide effort.”
 

Still time to contribute

There are many ways to contribute to Concordia’s Centraide campaign between now and December 18. For staff and faculty, the easiest way to give is by making a donation via payroll deduction. A contribution of $8 per biweekly pay period actually costs you only $5.35 and generates an annual donation of $208.

You can also make a one-time gift via Concordia’s secure page.
 

Concordia’s Got Talent!

And don’t forget about the special concert. Concordia’s Got Talent will be held on Wednesday, December 16, at 12 p.m. in the D.B. Clarke Theatre. Tickets are $12 at the door. You can also get them by emailing unitedway@concordia.ca.
 

Pasta and samosas make a difference

Highlights of the 2015 campus-wide campaign so far include a samosa sale, which brought in $1,000, and the two pasta lunches, which raised $2,865.

The annual raffle earned $2,160 for Centraide, and the 50/50 draw beat last year’s numbers, reaching $1,280.

A new auction, which invited people to bid on lunch with some of the university's top administrators, did well, bringing in $1,565. 
 

Many thanks

At a special thank-you reception on Thursday, December 3, in the EV lobby, the university’s president Alan Shepard thanked everyone who gave their support, solicited donations, sold raffle tickets and hosted Centraide events.

That includes the volunteers, the Concordia University Part-time Faculty Association (CUPFA), the Concordia University Faculty Association (CUFA), the Association of Concordia University Management and Administrative Employees (ACUMAE), Hospitality Concordia, Food Services, Aramark, Instructional and Information Technology Services (IITS), Facilities Management, Pekarna Bakery and others who donated prizes and/or their services to make the campaign successful.

Prizes awarded at the reception included a 58-inch television, a Nespresso coffee machine and a $500 Best Buy gift card.

“We’d also like to extend a special thank you to the university’s department directors and chairs for letting the Centraide team give a testimonial at staff and faulty meetings,” added Freedman after the closing event. “This had a definite impact on fundraising.”
 

The big picture

Concordia’s effort is part of the larger Centraide of Greater Montreal campaign, which in 2015-16 will invest $42 million in local projects and agencies that help support one resident in seven in the region.

“There’s a compelling and pressing need,” says Freedman. “You can imagine it, at the personal level, and that’s why Concordia is so committed to supporting Centraide every year.”

Learn about the history of Centraide at Concordia or donate now.