Employees give back $101,000 to ICC
REID HARMAN | THE HARBINGER
EAST PEORIA — Faculty and staff of Illinois Central College, through the Employee Campaign, have given back $10,000 more than last year. Employees have pledged a little over $101,000 to the Educational Foundation with one time donations and even salary pledges.
The Employee Campaign starts a week before classes begin in August and is part the Celebration of Learning week. The Educational Foundation goes to each department and asks if employees would like to help give back to students.
Megan Byard, development officer of the Foundation, said that in the past years, interest in the program has increased.
“The total amount of pledges has been steadily increasing the last few years,” Byard said. “The ICC employees are extremely committed to the College and our students and believe in the mission so much that they are willing to support it with significant gifts.”
Around 250 employees donated to the campaign this year. 161 of those employees were designated as “%1 Club Members”
When making a pledge, faculty and staff choose where their gifts go. They can make donations to the Student Center at ICC North Campus, scholarship funds or, the most popular option, the ICC Excellence Fund.
“The Excellence Fund is used for whatever the college needs that comes up,” Byard said. “If it didn’t fit within the college’s budget, then the Foundation can step in and help out.”
There is even an Student Emergency Fund, where employees can donate to a fund that goes directly to students in dire need.
The Employee Campaign also helps raise money for the Heart of Illinois United Way. This year, the campaign raised around $8,500 for the non-for profit group. All of those proceeds go straight back into Heart of Illinois counties: Marshall, Peoria, Putnam, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford counties.
Byard believes that this isn’t the end for faculty and staff donations.
“I expect that the [positive] trend will continue in the same path and continue to increase each year,” Byard said.
Employees may still contribute at any time. For more information, contact Megan Byard by phone at 694-5778. Emails can also be sent to megan.byard@icc.edu.