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Faculty and staff from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio will have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people locally, regionally, nationally and even internationally by participating in the State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC).

The campaign will kick off Monday, Aug. 27, and run through Friday, Oct. 5. There are approximately 500 nonprofit organizations to which you can contribute, and you can designate up to six agencies to receive your donations.

Separate listing focuses on South Texas counties
Health and children’s causes, arts and animal agencies, and local and international organizations are represented on the list. In addition, there is a link “Agency Listing by Counties,” that highlights organizations in Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley, where several of the Health Science Center South Texas counties are located.

This year’s SECC campaign goal is $340,000.

Graciela Cigarroa is honorary chair
“The SECC allows us to significantly improve the lives of people, many of whom are our relatives, friends, neighbors and colleagues,” explained Graciela Cigarroa, the honorary chair for the campaign and wife of Health Science Center President Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D. “Without the SECC effort, there would be many people who would go hungry or homeless, do without proper clothing or needlessly struggle without our support.”

Departmental coordinators attended training last week to help facilitate contributions to the State Employee Charitable Campaign.

Improved Web site simplifies online giving
The Health Science Center SECC team has made many improvements to help make giving as easy as possible. “All the information you will need about the campaign, including descriptions of the agencies, interactive and printable tutorials, information about our annual Acadiana luncheon to raise funds for the campaign and a very simple online donation process, are available on our greatly greatly improved SECC Web site,” explained SECC chair Mary Etlinger DeLay. “Paper pledge forms also are available, if you cannot get to a computer to make your pledge.”

Important points to remember
Each employee will be invited to participate by a departmental coordinator. Here are a number of key points to keep in mind during this year’s campaign:

• Contributing to the SECC is voluntary.
  
• Designating your pledge is important, so that the money you donate will go to a cause that you support. Undesignated funds from the San Antonio area will be divided proportionally among agencies who receive designated funds.
  
• Payroll pledges will become effective in January 2008.
  
• If you itemize your contributions on your income tax return, it is important to print a copy of your pledge sheet after you make your pledge. “Please do this while the campaign is underway because the SECC Web site will be deactivated shortly after the campaign,” DeLay said.
  
• The SECC Web site is accessible from the employee portal, where you will find stories about Health Science Center employees who volunteer for various SECC agencies or who have been helped by these organizations. Their stories will give you a personal view of how these agencies make a difference.

“By the nature of our work here at the Health Science Center, we already are geared toward helping others,” Dr. Cigarroa said. “I encourage each of you to carefully consider participating in this year’s campaign.”