The 2019 UNM Gives campaign is in high gear at The University of New Mexico through Oct. 31 giving Staff and Faculty an opportunity to give back to the community that provides so much to the University.

In a partnership with the United Way of Central New Mexico and the UNM Foundation, the campus community can support their community and fellow Lobos through a financial donation or a pledge of volunteered time and talent to programs and nonprofits of their choosing. Throughout the campaign, donors have the opportunity to win a number of prizes through their charitable giving.

Two such donors this year include Julia Church Hoffman from the UNM College of Fine Arts and Sarah Khanlian from UNM Health Sciences Center Office for Community Health, were the first to receive prizes this year for being one of the many across campus to donate to this year's campaign. The pair won dinner with UNM President Garnett S. Stokes and her husband, Jeff, at University House.

Hoffman has been donating to UNM Gives since 2013. Hoffman likes to give because of the reach United Way has in helping out different organizations across the city — especially organizations that can really use the funds.

“I give because I like that United Way gives to a lot of local places that really need the money,” said Hoffman, who is a lecturer in the Department of Music and the director of the UNM Music Prep School, a community school based in the Department of Music in the College of Fine Arts. “My children have gone to schools that are affiliated with organizations that United Way gives to so my donation goes into their general fund.

Khanlian, who works in the Surveillance Program as part of the Emerging Infections Program, enjoys giving to a variety of organizations. ”I give to a lot of organizations individually, causes I believe in, but what I really like in particular about UNM Gives and the United Way is the feeling that not only am I giving, but I’m also helping to grow the institutional culture that values charitable giving and philanthropy,” she said.

Khanlian, who has been donating to UNM Gives for 11 years, believes that everyone should give. “It goes beyond the individual satisfaction,” she said. “Everyone should give; we all have something to give.”  

Faculty and staff are able to donate one of two ways to be eligible for the UNM Gives prize drawings. One way is to donate directly to United Way of Central New Mexico to benefit a variety of charitable programs and organizations within the community. Another way to donate is to the UNM Foundation, where individuals can either donate private financial support to the university itself or to a specific UNM program, scholarship or focus area.

Several prizes have already been drawn but there are still many left including tickets to the president’s seats at a basketball game, a Lobo prize pack and dinner at University House with President Stokes. Chancellor Roth and President Stokes will each make a personal pizza delivery to one department with a noticeable level of monetary donations, both on Main Campus and at the HSC.

Additionally, the department with a significant rate of giving will receive a pizza delivery from the president or chancellor.

Visit the UNM Gives Campaign website to learn more about the campaign and its partners.