The UW Combined Fund Drive (CFD) is a workplace giving program supporting charities locally and globally. The Innovative Event Award is presented annually to campaign volunteers who demonstrate exemplary outreach and innovation in planning and executing CFD campaign events. This spring, the UW Combined Fund Drive awarded the Innovative Event Award to Chemistry campaign co-coordinators Cassie Davis and Diana Knight. Knight, who is the advancement and communications manager in the Department of Chemistry, is a veteran campaign coordinator who has volunteered in this capacity since 2013 to promote the Combined Fund Drive in the Department of Chemistry. Davis, who was on staff as the seminar and events coordinator during the time of the Combined Fund Drive campaign, brought fresh ideas to the Chemistry campaign and was instrumental in planning and executing the award-winning event--a prize drawing as a giving incentive.
Davis and Knight recruited Chemistry staff, students, and retirees to donate prize packages that Chemistry personnel would be eligible to win with a gift to the Combined Fund Drive to benefit Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). By advertising this giving opportunity with direct emails, memes, and Teams messages, Davis and Knight encouraged Chemistry personnel to donate $643 to MSF over the seven-day giving incentive event. Throughout the campaign, Davis and Knight helped increase departmental participation 13 percentage points to 31% from where it stood at the start of the campaign. Chemistry personnel pledged nearly $20,000 to charities working locally and globally through the 2022 campaign of the UW Combined Fund Drive.
Read more in UW CFD News about Davis and Knight's nomination and other Combined Fund Drive award winners.