Western Nevada College Foundation: WNC employees contribute for scholarships, program support

For more than a decade, the WNC Foundation has recognized employees for their contributions each year to the annual employee giving campaign. Their commitment, dedication and willingness to give back make a difference in the lives of our students.

The 2015 WNC Employee Giving “Together we are the Pillars of WNC” Campaign kicked off with a bang on Aug. 26 and wrapped up last week. In the last six weeks, employees have committed more than $40,000 in new funds to college programs and scholarships.

Generosity is the habit of giving without expecting anything in return. We define the “Generosity Factor” by those who give their time, talent, treasure, and touch to those in need above and beyond the standard requirements of their positions.

The response to this fundraising effort has been overwhelmingly positive and I wanted to share a couple of testimonials we received from employees regarding the campaign.

“This year’s Employee Giving recognition has enhanced my appreciation for our college, and made me feel great about my decision to contribute.”

“I am proud to be an employee donor at WNC. The Employee Giving Campaign has not only acknowledged my investments, they have also made me feel really proud of the initiatives that I support.”

“I understand the value of a strong education in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. I believe it is an important field for our country as a whole. For this reason, I am proud to give and support WNC’s STEM Program Development and Scholarships fund!”

This fall the campaign welcomed more than 10 new employee givers, bringing the number of employee givers to more than 100, more than 50 percent of our total staff. New employee giving contributed $10,000 to the overall pledges.

The WNC community has always been generous and giving but this year we are witnessing a shift in the way employees are looking at investing in WNC. There’s a deliberate process involved in each pledge, whether it’s to support an existing program or scholarship, or to create a new program the Carson community gets behind and supports as well.

Without each employee who gives, this college would not be able to support students with additional funds each year for scholarships and academic program support.

The college is grateful for their contributions. Our employees are the heart of the college, managing day-to-day operations, and they are the reason WNC is successful in reaching our goals. On behalf of the administration, students and community, we extend our thanks to all of our employees for their generosity.

Katie Leao is director of development at Western Nevada College.