Volunteers and Solicitors Key to Campaign's Success


By Lisa Mastny

     After months of soliciting pledges and contributions from
the Hopkins community, the 1994 Johns Hopkins United Way Campaign
came to a successful close just short of its $556,000 goal.
Coordinators of the campaign were pleased to report that the
$552,749 raised this year represented a more than 4.5 percent
increase from last year's total.
     While reaching the proposed target would have required an
approximate $3,000 in additional contributions, Judy Peregoff,
the Hopkins United Way administrator and director of the Office
of Faculty, Staff and Retiree Programs, was not the least bit
dismayed.
     "The primary objective is not to reach 100 percent of our
goal, but more importantly to make sure that as much of the money
goes back into the community as possible," said Peregoff.  She
attributed this year's increase to the greater number of
individuals soliciting pledges and contributions from the Hopkins
community, as well as to the extra effort taken by Alfred Sommer,
dean of the Hopkins School of Public Health and  chair of this
year's campaign. Dr. Sommer sent personalized letters reminding
contributors to donate both their time and money to the campaign.
     "I'm delighted with and proud of this year's
accomplishments," said Dean Sommers. "Hopkins showed once again
that indeed, 'Hopkins is where the heart is!' The Hopkins
community at large, and particularly the volunteer staff who made
it happen, should take great pride in the success of the 1994
campaign."
     Approximately three times as many faculty and staff
volunteered to be solicitors this year compared to 1993. The
greater effort by campaign coordinators, vice presidents, deans
and department chairs to make personalized solicitations to
highly compensated faculty and staff, followed by direct
communications from President Richardson, led to a significant
increase in the number of donors contributing $1,000 or more.
Over the past four years, the Chairman's Club membership has
risen from 50 to 146 members.
     In a successful effort to offset the possible decline in
contributions due to faculty and staff turnover, the Hopkins
United Way program recently undertook an initiative to inform
every new hiree of the campaign within one month of the hiring. 
This has led to a net loss of less than 3 percent of the
pledges,maintaining a fairly consistent level of giving.
     Peregoff is optimistic about the growing contributions in
the campaign and hopes that this year's results reflect a growing
public confidence in charity campaigns such as the United Way. 
In recent years, allegations of financial mismanagement have
created negative publicity regarding charity giving and resulted
in declining contributions nationwide.
     Although the national average of administrative and overhead
costs for most charity organizations is 25 percent, the United
Way of Central Maryland, which benefits from the Hopkins
campaign, uses only 13 percent of its budget for these needs. The
bulk of the remaining funds goes directly to support health and
human services, to provide financial assistance to approximately
60 community agencies and to support over 130 programs in the
region. These initiatives offer numerous services for the
elderly, disabled, youth and families, as well as providing
community support, emergency assistance, health care, and adult
training and employment programs.
     The United Way of Central Maryland is one of the primary
places to which individuals or families turn in times of crisis.
The money raised locally is used to support needs in Central
Maryland. 
     In the past, contributors' dollars have enabled over 570
adult learners in Baltimore City to receive tutoring in reading,
writing, arithmetic and life skills, and also provided food and
shelter to over 850 single women and families throughout
Baltimore County. With the support of United Way funding,
individuals with mental or physical disabilities in Howard and
Carroll counties were also able to obtain the vocational training
necessary to avoid premature institutionalization.
     United Way of Central Maryland operates a 24-hour,
seven-day-a-week First Call for Help hotline at 685-0525,
providing referrals to subsidiary programs as well as other
background information on the agencies.
     Individuals with questions about either the Hopkins campaign
or past pledges should call Judy Peregoff, at 516-6060.     


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Summary of Contributions and Pledges
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                                                    Current
                                                    Participation
Division                      Total     % of Goal   Rate
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University Administration     $67,083   103.2%      55.8%
Academic Centers and 
     Support Services         $19,825   100.4       39.8
Johns Hopkins Press           $7,518    109.0       75.9
Peabody Institute             $12,730   97.9        36.4
Health Divisions 
Administration                $12,986   79.2        27.8
School of Medicine            $231,272  94.4        18.6
School of Hygiene and 
     Public Health            $76,920   102.6       36.1
School of Nursing             $10,958   115.3       50.0
Homewood Student Affairs      $15,433   140.3       46.6
School of Arts and Sciences   $56,024   109.9       34.0
School of Engineering         $16,960   84.8        34.6
School of Continuing Studies  $14,180   101.3       71.4
Retirees                      $10,861   114.9       12.8

TOTAL                         $552,749  99.4%       27.9%
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[Prepared by the Office of Faculty, Staff & Retiree Programs]