September 21, 2001 UNT Inhouse publication: SECC: State employees' gift to other Texans

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SECC: State employees' gift to other Texans

For seven years UNT employees have participated in a program dedicated to improving the lives of Texans.

The State Employee Charitable Campaign is a workplace charity campaign that provides state employees with a convenient way to make voluntary, tax-deductible contributions to charities. The program allows state employees to choose which charitable causes they would like to support. Every year, the SECC supports as many as 350 different charitable organizations.

During the month of October, UNT faculty and staff members may contribute to the campaign by authorizing monthly payroll deductions, or by cash, check or bank draft donations.

Last year, UNT faculty and staff beat the goal for total giving set by the SECC committee by almost 30 percent. Jean Bush, UNT budget director and co-chair of the SECC committee both last year and this year, says the campaign pulled in $128,893.62 — exceeding the goal by more than $25,000.

This year, the committee hopes to exceed last year's total.

"All retirement-eligible employees should receive a pledge/gift form and brochure listing the organizations eligible to receive support by the end of September or the beginning of October," Bush says.

More information on the SECC-eligible charities is available on the UNT web site at web2.unt.edu/secc/index.cfm or by calling the local SECC hotline at 369-7322.

Completed pledge forms should be returned to the director of the employee's unit or directly to Bush in the Administration Building, Room 102. Bush says employees should try to return their pledge cards by the Oct. 31 deadline, but SECC will continue to accept pledges through November.

Again this year, departments who achieve 50, 75 and 100 percent employee participation in the campaign will be recognized with signs displayed on their office's main door. But contributions don't have to stop with employees making personal donations. Bush says several departments have had tremendous success with various events to raise funds. Last year Student Accounting and University Cashiering Services raised more than $500 with a bake sale. The Registrar's Office raised more than $1,500 with its annual craft sale and another $100 with a Halloween contest. The Admissions Office's penny drive netted more than $400.

"Departments are becoming more and more creative each year," Bush says.

She says there are two points regarding the SECC campaign that need to be clarified.

"The SECC is a separate campaign from the United Way campaign," she says. "While the United Way is one of the eligible charitable federations to receive designated contributions, the SECC includes a much broader range of charities. The United Way administers the SECC on behalf of the state of Texas, but this is a contractual service separate from the fund-raising initiative."

The second point deals with donor confidentiality.

"The identity of UNT donors remains strictly confidential," Bush stresses. "No internal list of donors is compiled. Information is aggregated only at a departmental or unit level to track participation rates in order to recognize those units achieving exemplary levels of participation."