Give from within

October is faculty, staff, and retiree giving month at RIT—a month-long initiative in support of RIT and our students. Each and every day, you support students with your time and talents, but with your annual financial support, we can make even more possible. Regardless of what area of RIT you give to or how much you give, it is your participation in this annual giving campaign that matters most.

Together, we can make an impact. Whether student scholarships, college support, diversity initiatives, student life, the performing arts, or athletics, your gift—no matter how big or small—can make an impact. Show your support for RIT students by making a gift through one of the College or Division pages below and know that your gift also counts in Transforming RIT: The Campaign for Greatness. Join us. Let’s give from within to transform RIT.
Transforming RIT The Campaign for Greatness

Faculty/Staff Participation
 
478
          /
4,353
Retiree Participation
 
75
          /
1,540

Every gift counts and your participation in this Faculty, Staff, and Retiree Campaign matters. Make your gift and be sure to check back here regularly for ongoing Campaign updates.

Congratulations to this week’s “Pass the Tiger” award winners for being the top three areas to increase participation in giving over the past week:

Enrollment Management
increased 42.6 points to 51.1% participation

Marketing and Communications
increased 16.9 points to 22.0% participation

Saunders College of Business
increased 10.1 points to 13.9% participation

Tiger trophies were delivered by Faculty and Staff Campaign co-chairs LaVerne McQuiller Williams and Colleen Peters so that the winning units may display them in their area. The trophies will be passed on the next week to another three divisions to recognize their efforts in increasing their participation in giving. Who will be next? Make your gift today to help your college/division win!

Congratulations to the winners of the glass pumpkin auction!

Green Pumpkin
Christine S.

Brown Pumpkin
Laura H.

Light Blue Pumpkin
Danielle P.

Brown and Gold Pumpkin
Barbara L.

Orange and Green Pumpkin
Ali O.

Campaign Events


October 1-8
Show your Tiger pride by wearing orange or your favorite RIT gear, or add a Zoom background to celebrate Spirit Week. Snap a picture and post it with #RITSpiritWeek.

October 11-15
Share your special RIT memory or recognize a colleague who has influenced your RIT experience in a positive way on our Kudoboard.

October 18-22
Redeem your card for a free item at various dining locations across campus (one per day). A limited number of cards remain and can be picked up at the front desk of University Advancement on the 3rd Floor of USC. 

October 18-22
How well do you know RIT? Take our Tiger Trivia quiz to find out!  

October 18-28
Support the Campaign by bidding on one-of-a-kind glass pumpkins, generously provided by RIT Glass and the Women’s Council of RIT.
 
Congratulations to the winners: Christine S., Laura H., Danielle P., Barbara L., and  Ali O.!

October 29, 12 1 p.m.
MAGIC Sound Stage East
Wear a costume and join us from 12 1 p.m. for a celebration and free treats. The winners of the glass pumpkin auction will be announced.
Pam Christopher headshot

I give because I care!

Pam Christopher BS ’93, MS ’02
Employment Advisor
Center on Employment
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
Kean Wu headshot

It is my pleasure to help RIT provide more opportunities to the wonderful community here.

Kean Wu
Associate Professor
Department of Finance and Accounting
Saunders College of Business

Ways to Give

Online Gift  

Make your gift online using a credit card.

Payroll Deduction  

Make a one-time gift or pledge for the year to automatically deduct your gift from your paycheck via Oracle or download a PDF Payroll Deduction Gift Form.

Check  

Download a printable version of our giving form.

Tiger Bucks  

Make your gift using Tiger Bucks.

Consider joining the Sentinel Society by making a five-year commitment to a Sentinel Society eligible fund, in an area of the university you feel most passionate about. Sentinel members receive invitations to exclusive in-person and virtual experiences, early registration to select events, and recognition in our online Sentinel Honor Roll.

Jennifer Hinton headshot

I give for our students. They need us to, and giving to RIT is another way that I can support the RIT student experience.

Jennifer Hinton
Associate Director of RIT MAGIC Center
Carlos Diaz-Acosta headshot

I believe in RIT’s mission. It is a small way to contribute and give back.

Carlos Diaz-Acosta
Associate Professor
Department of Packaging Science
College of Engineering Technology

Make Your Gift

Unrestricted gifts are among RIT’s highest priorities, providing resources that allow the university to take advantage of unanticipated academic and student life opportunities, make life-changing international experiences accessible, offer powerful career-building and research programs, and react to numerous unforeseen challenges our students face. There are 21 unrestricted funds you can support by selecting your College or Division below, including the RIT Fund (formerly Area of Greatest Need), Scholarships and Financial Aid, and college/unit designations. Make a gift to the area you love most by selecting your choice from the “Direct my gift to” dropdown menu.

David Benitez headshot

When giving back in this world, I refer to a quote by Robert Ingersoll - “We rise by lifting others.”

David Benitez BS ’94
Associate Director Community Initiatives
Multicultural Center for Academic Success
Diversity and Inclusion
Venessa Mitchell headshot

I give because I want to assist the students through my giving in support of the diversity initiatives in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

Venessa Mitchell, Ed.D., MS ’02
Director of ECCO and Student Programs Coordinator
Dean’s Office
Kate Gleason College of Engineering

Campaign Chairs

Faculty Co-Chair

Laverne McQuiller Williams Headshot

Laverne McQuiller Williams, Ph.D., BS ’92

Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs

 
 

LaVerne McQuiller Williams, Ph.D., JD, BS ’92, P ’21

Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs

 
 

Staff Co-Chair

Colleen Peterson Headshot

Colleen Peterson MS ’94, BS ’91, P ’22, ’23

Assistant Vice President Enrollment Systems

 
 

Colleen Peterson BS '91, MS '94, P '22, P '23

Assistant Vice President Enrollment Systems, Analytics, and Financial Aid

 
 

Retiree Chair

Cindee Gray Headshot

Cindee Gray MBA ’07, P ’02

Retired Assistant VP, RIT & RGH Alliance

See a message from the Retiree Campaign Chair 
 

Cindee Gray MBA ’07, P ’02

Retired Assistant Vice President, RIT & RGH Alliance

See a message from the Retiree Campaign Chair 
 

University Advancement Contact

Marisa Psaila Headshot

Marisa Psaila

Executive Director, Annual Giving

Marketing, Annual Giving, and Stewardship
University Advancement

Marisa Psaila

Executive Director, Annual Giving

Marketing, Annual Giving, and Stewardship
University Advancement

John Moore Head shot

RIT is a great university and I want to continue to be a part of its future.

John Moore BS ’88
Associate Vice President for Facilities Management Services
Latasha Graves Wilson headshot

I give because as an AALANA student, someone gave for me. Now as an alumna, it is my turn to pay it forward.

Latasha Graves-Wilson BS ’97, ACT ’11, MS ’13
Marketing Operations Specialist
Marketing, Annual Giving, and Stewardship
University Advancement

FAQs

Yes! The more people who choose to give, the greater the collective impact will be.

Gifts to RIT have a powerful effect on the university’s ability to remain a top tier institution and support our students. It is hard to ask the community to support RIT if we don’t believe in our work enough to invest in it ourselves. Many times, our participation can help leverage larger gifts from foundations and corporations that consider internal support essential.

Endowment spending only covers about four percent of the annual operating budget, but truly unrestricted support provides university leadership the flexibility to prioritize the needs of our students.

Tuition only covers about 75% of the actual cost of an RIT education. Gifts to the university and RIT’s endowment help cover much of the remaining cost.

New this year, ROAR Day will be moving to April 21 and focused on alumni and parent giving. The Give From Within campaign is a specific initiative for faculty, staff and retiree giving.

The United Way campaign supports nonprofits in the Rochester community and is not a gift to RIT. Gifts made during the United Way campaign are not included in the Give From Within totals.

Rochester Institute of Technology is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all gifts are tax-deductible. You will receive a receipt for tax purposes. Official tax receipts are issued to the legal donor when gifts are made for outright gifts and pledge payments. Faculty and staff that participate in the payroll deduction program receive a year-end receipt for payroll deduction.

Have another question? Email us.