Introducing Concordia’s Community Campaign

Concordia’s faculty, staff, retirees, and board will recognize the phrase, the Community Campaign, previously used to describe the campaign among the university’s internal community.

“Moving forward, we’ll be referring to our annual campaign as the Community Campaign across the board — to reinforce the sense of community among Concordia’s supporters and to better recognize the cumulative impact of their gifts,” says Brad Skog, director, Annual Giving.

Another reason for the name change is the evolving behavior of Concordia’s donors, with more and more people choosing to give through recurring monthly gifts or make multiple individual gifts through the year, rather than a single annual gift.

Community Campaign contributions provide the university with the flexibility to respond to opportunities and financial challenges that arise throughout the academic year. Private support is becoming increasingly important, as Concordia further distinguishes itself as an open and engaged university that serves its 46,000 students.

Advancement and Alumni Relations’ Annual Giving unit is responsible for the university’s mass fundraising appeals to alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends of Concordia.

During the 2014-15 fiscal year, annual gifts from 9,000 Concordians totaled more than $1.9 million.

Skog notes that Concordia’s philanthropic support extends beyond annual gifts, with benefactors also making transformative major and planned gifts. He hopes to bring more attention to the collective impact of Community Campaign contributions.

“Community Campaign gifts have an immediate, tangible impact on the lives of Concordia students. Whether it is an entrance bursary to help a needy student, a faculty in need of new equipment or a department wishing to send its students to a competition, these donations help us bridge the gap to excellence,” says Skog. “The next time you hear from us — by phone, mail, email, or even in person — please continue to show your support for the Community Campaign.”

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