This year, the Institute has changed the name of its United Way campaign to "Community Giving at MIT," a name that represents changes made last year to pledge forms that allow donors to give to local non-United Way charities and the MIT Community Service Fund, as well as to the United Way and the agencies it serves.
The 1999 Community Giving at MIT campaign will begin with a kick-off rally in Lobby 7 on Tuesday, Oct. 26 from 11:30am-1:30pm. Professer Emeritus Jay Keyser and the Intermission Trio Plus band, a jazz sextet featuring the great jazz trumpet player Herb Pomeroy, will perform.
Members of the community are invited to stop by for refreshments and information about the United Way and the agencies it serves, and to find out more about the Community Service Fund, which connects MIT donations and volunteers with several Cambridge charitable organizations.
Institute Professor John Deutch, this year's campaign chair, will be on hand during the kick-off, as will co-chair William Wohlfarth of Facilities and other members of MIT's Community Giving steering committee.
Committee members hope to raise $340,000 this year. Last year 1,187 MIT community members made gifts or pledges totaling $333,000; 87 of those were at the Leadership Giving level of $1,000 or more.
Personalized pledge forms will be distributed next week. The steering committee encourages people to fill in and return the pledge forms to their department solicitors as soon as possible.
The pledge forms make it possible to give to United Way agencies, as well as to the Community Service Fund or other local qualified 501(c)(3) agencies of the donor's choice. Donors can opt for the payroll-deduction plan; a one-time gift using a personal check or credit card payment; or gifts of securities, property, stocks or other forms of planned giving.
Anyone who donates will be automatically entered into an end-of-campaign raffle for prizes donated by local merchants.
For the first time, a book fair associated with the campaign will be held on November 2. This year's clothing drive will run from December 6 to 17, and the annual bake sale will be held on December 10. Future articles in MIT Tech Talk will provide more information about these events.
Anyone with questions about the Community Giving at MIT campaign may contact Elizabeth K. Mulcahy, campaign manager, at ekm@mit.edu or Annmarie Cameron in the Office of Special Community Services at acameron@mit.edu or x3-7914.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on October 20, 1999.
