iGive Gundersen Employee Giving Campaign: Success by the numbers

Foundation staff members Nicole Loeffelholz, Foundation program assistant, and Amanda Acklin, associate director of annual support, install the iGive employee donor walls featuring the names of all employee donors—including new donors through the iGive campaign.

The recent iGive Gundersen Employee Giving Campaign 2018 confirmed what we already knew—Gundersen employees are some of the most generous people.

Gundersen Medical Foundation set a goal of 20 percent employee participation for iGive and achieved 22 percent participation (shattering the 15 percent participation in 2017). In addition to the 1,147 employees giving through payroll deductions, there were $34,537 in one-time donations, too.

"Our 22 percent participation is particularly remarkable considering the national average for employee giving is 13 percent according to Advisory Board," reports Amanda Acklin associate director of annual support. "By investing in Gundersen, our employees are making a difference in the work we do, the patients we care for and the communities where we live."

The impact donations make

• Reading Initiative Fund – This fund helps programs like Reach Out and Read. In 2018, nearly $20,000 was needed to support Reach Out and Read in 13 locations across Gundersen. This fund received one-time donations of $735 and about $277 per pay period through payroll deductions.
• Kerckhove Mental Health and Social Services Fund – Created in 2017, this fledgling fund supports Behavioral Health, the Center for Violence Prevention and Intervention, and Social Services for staff education, programs and equipment. Currently the fund has about 60 percent of the funds needed—$272 per pay period from iGive donations will help build up the fund.
• Employee's Helping Employees Fund – Gifts to this new fund help Gundersen co-workers in time of need with grants of up to $1,000. The fund has already awarded six grants totaling in $4,581. The fund received a good boost with more than 120 one-time donations since April and 53 recurring gifts of nearly $434 per pay period.
• Greatest Needs Fund – Provides program support for Gundersen Medical Foundation. This fund receives more than $9,790 per pay period from 431 employees who give through payroll deductions.

Benefits of giving

• Giving makes people see they have an important role to play in relieving suffering and making others happy.
• Donating money in the workplace not only makes people happier, it increases job satisfaction and makes people work better on teams.
• Employees are the key component to successful corporate responsibility when they are motivated and empowered to engage in improving their communities.
• Gratitude and philanthropy are an important part of the healing process.

"If you haven't had a chance to make your donation yet," encourages Amada, "you can still give to the fund of your choice at gundersenhealth.org/iGive."