A huge new stride has been made in St. Edward’s journey to become a more sustainable campus: The Faculty and Staff Campaign is now paperless! This campaign is an annual fundraiser in which roughly 80% of St. Edward’s colleagues donate gifts or pledges to support the university’s mission and students.
In previous years, letters included 2 full sheets of paper, 1 return envelope, and a ¼ sheet of paper, all sealed inside another envelope. In order to prepare these appeals, staff and student workers would stuff and seal 1,200+ envelopes over 3-5 days, print mailing labels, and organize the labels according to mailbox number. The Advancement Office would then have to scan and store the giving form in our database for anyone who turned in the form (at least 350 forms), alphabetize them and then put them into a binder. This was a daily activity which took place for at least 3 hours a week for 6 weeks.
By following through on this new paperless initiative, St. Edward’s University will save almost 3000 pieces of paper and labor over three different departments (Copy Center, Post Office, and University Advancement). Soon, St. Edward’s faculty and staff can expect to receive and email from the campaign committee inviting them to contribute online. The email will also provide a downloadable gift form for those who prefer hard copies. Giving to St. Edward’s University also means giving back to the environment.
Blog authored by Jacqueline Danielle Jacot ’15, Environmental Science and Policy.