The UAB Benevolent Fund Campaign begins the first phase of its annual fundraising Feb. 15 for academic and administrative entities with a goal to raise $2.1 million this year to support the community where employees live, work and play.
The campaign provides employees an opportunity to review charitable-giving opportunities available through the employee-led Benevolent Fund — especially new nonprofits that have been added to the designated list.
“We are grateful to employees who replied to the Benevolent Fund survey in February 2016,” Program Manager Lisa Higginbotham said. She said the responses identified additional nonprofits that are both “meaningful to our employees and reflective of the broad mission of UAB. We are very pleased to add 10 nonprofits to the list our employees may use to designate their gift.”
Employees can review, update or begin a pledge at uab.edu/benevolentfundpledge.
Joining the list for 2017 are these 10 recipients:
Birmingham Education Foundation (Ed) is dedicated to increasing the number of students in the Birmingham City Schools that are on the path to college, career and life-readiness. The foundation cultivates a diverse network of people who demand excellence for the students and inspire others to do the same. It also provides direct programming for students and fun, interactive opportunities for members to build or strengthen relationships.
Freshwater Land Trust is a steward of lands that enhance water quality and preserve open space. Since 1996, it has worked to acquire, conserve and connect lands that are critical to protect rivers and streams and provide recreational opportunities for the community. The trust owns and manages more than 5,000 acres and has helped protect more than 10,000 acres throughout Central Alabama.
The Greater Birmingham Humane Society, founded in 1883, is the largest and oldest humane society in Alabama. It continues its original mission “to promote the humane treatment of people and animals through education, advocacy, and services.” GBHS helps end the needless suffering of pets by providing animal cruelty investigations, humane education, adoptions, pet surrendering, disaster preparation and volunteer opportunities.
Lakeshore Foundation works to enable people with physical disability and chronic health conditions to lead healthy, active and independent lifestyles through physical activity, sport, recreation, advocacy, policy and research. Its vision is to improve the lives of people with physical disability around the world.
Magic City Harvest combats hunger by recovering 1.2 million pounds of excess food from restaurants and grocery stores each year plus warehousing and redistributing it to shelters and feeding agencies. This food provides more than 700,000 meals through the 30 agencies they support. It also works to help the community understand the ways poverty affects food insecurity and health and to create and support collaborative partnerships on these issues.
Priority Veteran provides veterans with intensive one-on-one assistance to locate stable permanent housing and links them with resources to gain the skills and knowledge to help them remain financially stable. With the assistance of case managers, veterans create stable housing plans, access medical or mental health services, enroll in veteran’s benefits and receive job-search assistance and financial coaching.
Railroad Park inspires energy, revitalization and a sense of place by stimulating cultural, economic and social activity within and around the 19-acre green space in the middle of downtown Birmingham. Railroad Park Foundation’s high-impact programs expand economic development, deepen family and community bonds and bolster health and wellness throughout the metropolitan area.
Red Mountain Park was created on land, donated in 2005 by U.S. Steel Corp, on which iron ore mining once propelled Birmingham’s steel industry. Today, the park welcomes more than 12,000 guests monthly and improves the livability of Alabama through a variety of free or affordable outdoor recreational activities. People of all ages, abilities and socio-economic status can benefit from activities and innovative programs related to health, sustainability, land restoration, community and volunteerism.
TechBridge brings affordable technology and business expertise to other nonprofits by connecting organizations with needs to the skills and financial resources of people in the technology community. TechBridge focuses on nonprofits combatting the causes of poverty — lack of access to shelter, food, employment, education, health care and financial literacy — to expand its impact.
The Nature Conservancy in Alabama owns and manages 18 nature preserves across the state and safeguards more than 164,000 acres that protect hundreds of rare and imperiled species of plants and animals. Alabama has the fifth greatest biological diversity of any state but ranks among the lowest of the 50 states for land protected conservation. The conservancy works to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.
The campaign will continue on the academic campus through March 15. The Benevolent Fund campaign within UAB’s health care enterprise will run during the month of April.
Lend your support to fundraising and service events throughout the year; see a calendar of events online.