Every gift counts toward student achievement
State of the Foundation emphasizes importance of employee giving
Left to right, student Britany Forgey and Lisa Gibert, foundation president/CEO at the November Employee Campaign celebration. Photo by Jenny Shadley
The start of National Philanthropy Month was celebrated with a gathering of faculty, staff, volunteers and community members to Clark College Foundation’s State of the Foundation address and reception on November 1.
Clark College’s Concert Choir opened with a moving performance of “There Will Be Rest” by poet Sarah Teasdale. Following the musical piece, student Britany Forgey spoke about her plight as a teenager when she was forced into human trafficking and her struggle to get out. The audience sat motionless and attentive as Forgey described how she found the courage to ask her family for help, her subsequent enrollment at Clark and her quest to become a nurse. Clark College Foundation gave her a chance, she said, when it hired her as a Clark Connect student employee.
Clark Connect callers reconnect alumni, update records and ask for financial support for the college. Since starting at Clark last spring, “I’ve had nothing but good experiences and have had an enormous amount of help from faculty and staff. I feel safe and welcome here,” said Forgey.
Lisa Gibert, president and CEO of the foundation, was visibly touched by Forgey’s story. “You and others like you are why we are here every single day.”
Gibert continued by explaining the foundation’s newly created strategic plan and future fundraising efforts. “It’s not only our job to keep the lights on and the grass trimmed, but we also need to provide new reading materials for the library, update our buildings and technology…and the means to keep our programs relevant.”
Gibert said the foundation will do this by garnering private support, as well as empowering the Clark College team—or Team Clark—to work together to fill the voids. “We can’t do it alone. We need you,” she said adding, “You give of your time and talent and now it’s time to kick off the Employee Giving Campaign. Every gift does count.”
Starting November 13, faculty and staff were asked to participate with a financial contribution of any size during the Employee Giving Campaign and watch for deliveries of apple treats courtesy of Joe’s Place Farms, from Joe Beaudoin ’62, a local farmer and Clark alumnus.
Clark College’s Choir performs “There Will Be Rest” by poet Sarah Teasdale. Photo by Jenny Shadley
The goal is to have more than 10 percent of Clark College employees contribute to the foundation. Every Gift Counts!
