UMass Chan Cares, the annual UMass Chan Medical School charitable giving campaign, began today and will run through Tuesday, Nov. 22.
The campaign provides faculty, students and employees the opportunity to donate to a wide range of causes they care about.
“Each year around this time, our community comes together to demonstrate care and compassion for our friends and neighbors. Over the years, our students, faculty and staff have raised millions of dollars to strengthen our communities and make a difference in thousands of lives,” said Chancellor Michael F. Collins. “Your dollars can go a long way to relieve the economic pressures that charitable organizations are under.”
Participants have numerous options to direct their donations via three funding channels, including four funds administered by the UMass Medical School Foundation:
Options for giving
North Quadrant Support Services initiative addresses some of the socioeconomic barriers to academic success faced by many students in the city’s North Quadrant. Annual initiatives include classroom enrichment grants, back packs and school supplies for elementary school students, and funding to support food pantries in the schools.
UMass Chan Medical School Foundation
- The Research Fund supports UMass Chan research that advances treatments and cures for a range of diseases, creating a better future for all of us.
- The Student Financial Aid Fund provides students who are financially disadvantaged with opportunities to pursue education at UMass Chan—opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible.
- The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund supports institution-wide efforts to educate our community about the importance of diversity and inclusion and address bias.
- The UMass Chan Cancer Walk will have its 25th anniversary in 2023. The money raised supports adult and pediatric cancer research and clinical trials of new and potentially lifesaving therapies taking place at UMass Chan.
- The UMass Chan Medical School Fund provides important unrestricted financial support to our world class institution and allows UMass Chan to put the funds to use wherever and whenever the mission-critical need is greatest as situations arise throughout the year.
Contributions can be directed to the United Way of Central Massachusetts, supporting its work in the region, or to any of nearly 1,000 prescreened nonprofit organizations spanning the globe. UMass Chan Cares has added 18 new nonprofit organizations to the list of recipients since 2021.
“It’s a way for us to give back to the community that we are part of. A lot of organizations are still either recovering from the pandemic or trying to address needs that weren't there a couple of years ago, so there's a real need in the community for these organizations,” said John Erwin, vice chancellor of government relations at UMass Chan. “In Worcester, we met with all the school principals in the North Quadrant earlier this year, and we keep hearing about the same needs related to food insecurity.”
Last year, the UMass Chan Cares campaign raised $216,000.
Gifts may be made via payroll deduction, credit card or check. Learn more and donate at the UMass Chan Cares giving site.
In addition to the UMass Chan Cares contributions, employees also have the option of volunteering their time through the UMass Chan Cares Volunteer Initiative. Employees can use up to 16 hours of scheduled work time per year to support their favorite causes and institutions as volunteers. Information about how to participate in the UMass Chan Cares Volunteer Initiative is on the Office of Community and Government Relations intranet site.
Related UMass Chan news stories:
UMass Chan Cares employee charitable giving campaign kicks off Nov. 1
UMass Chan partners with Worcester to outfit elementary students with backpacks and school supplies
