February 7, 2006 — A record number of University of Virginia employees contributed a record amount of money to help others through the 2005 Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign.

U.Va. employees donated more than $688,000 – a $40,000 increase over the 2004 campaign total. More than 3,600 employees contributed to charities in the areas of health and human services, animal welfare and environmental causes.

Held each fall, the CVC is a workplace-giving program that allows state employees to give to charities of their choice. Statewide, employees gave a record amount of $4.4 million, a substantial increase over the $3.5 million donated in the 2004 campaign.

Approximately 25 percent of the University workforce participated in the campaign.  U.Va. has been one of the leading agencies in the statewide CVC for more than 10 years.

“U.Va. continues to be a strong leader in the CVC. Every year U.Va. employees go above and beyond to lend a helping hand,” said Anne Dinterman, state CVC coordinator.

The money donated during the campaign goes to local, regional, national and international non-profit organizations. An advisory board sets the criteria for acceptance of non-profit organizations into the CVC.

"Employee giving during the 2005 campaign was the highest in University history,” said Ida Lee Wootten, chair of U.Va.’s CVC and director of Community Relations.

Employees may choose from more than 1,300 charities. Organizations receiving the most donations at U.Va. included: Charlottesville Free Clinic, United Way – Thomas Jefferson Area, Hospice of the Piedmont, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville, Thomas Jefferson Area Food Bank, Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, Charlottesville Salvation Army, Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge, Shelter for Help in Emergency and American Red Cross – Central Virginia