Faculty, Staff, and Retirees Campaign provides needed support for our students

With pivotal generosity, the UM community has demonstrated its commitment to encouraging educational paths forward for students, raising $6.1 million since 2010 through the Faculty, Staff, and Retirees (FSR) Campaign. This year, the Campaign will provide key support for students during the COVID-19 pandemic and allow our students to succeed academically even after in-person classes resume.

Throughout the month of March, the FSR Campaign encourages faculty, staff and retirees to make a philanthropic gift to support the COVID-19 UM Student Technology Fund or an area of their choosing.

Launched last year, the COVID-19 UM Student Technology Fund provides students in need with $500 to help cover the cost of a refurbished laptop, or to subsidize the purchase of a new computer that meets online learning needs. Many students have expressed heartfelt thanks for the impact it has made on their education, allowing them to continue pursuing their studies during the pandemic.

“I would like to thank the donors for the laptop I received,” says a recipient of the COVID-19 Student Technology Fund. “If it had not been for them, it would have been impossible for me to do the courses as I did not have a laptop to use for my remote learning courses. Because of them, I can continue learning and hopefully graduate in 2021. Thank you sincerely, I will forever be grateful.”

Every gift makes a difference, and all support is appreciated, no matter the amount. There are several ways to contribute, including through payroll deduction, with 100 per cent of your donation going to your fund of choice.

Charlotte Enns.

“There are many scholarships, bursaries and access programs available for students because of philanthropy. An important part of philanthropy is that it provides all students the accessibility to quality education and programs,” says Charlotte Enns, 2021 faculty co-chair.

Enns is also director at the Arthur V. Mauro Institute for Peace and Justice and professor in the Faculty of Education, St. Paul’s College, University of Manitoba.

During the pandemic, contributions from the UM community have meant:

• Over 6,000 students received additional bursary support
• Over 450 food hampers delivered from UM Student Food Bank
• Support for more than 600 students through the COVID-19 Technology Fund

Shelley Sweeney. // Photo by Kitty Wong, Winnipeg Free Press

“As a retiree, you are more careful with your money and you want to make sure that the money you do give to charity makes the biggest impact it can. In my opinion, the University of Manitoba makes that impact by making a huge difference in the lives of everybody it touches,” says Shelley Sweeney, 2021 retiree co-chair.

Sweeney is also a senior scholar and retired head of UM archives & special collections.

To make a contribution to enhance students’ education, click here.

UM Today Staff