Our Crowdfunding Groups
On behalf of the Staff Association Council and the Frisch Fund project team, thank you to everyone who donated, sent an email, shared a link, and advocated for the Award over the past six weeks. We are proud to announce that together the University of Pittsburgh community raised $10, 125! This is a tremendous achievement that will provide staff members increased access to professional development opportunities for years to come.
While the campaign is now officially closed, the Staff Association Council's commitment to the staff experience is emboldened by the incredible show of support this endeavor has received. We look forward to begin offering the Ronald W. Frisch Professional Development Award in Spring 2017, and to continue to serve the University of Pittsburgh staff community everyday.
Finally, the Staff Association Council would like to congratulate Ron Frisch on his upcoming retirement and thank him for his commitment to SAC and dedication to the University over the past 21 years.
Sincerely,
Ronald W. Frisch Professional Development Award Project Team
Over the past six weeks the University community has honored a colleague who committed 21 years to making Pitt a wonderful place to work and grow. We have engaged departments, colleagues, and friends in recognizing the importance of staff to the University. We have raised our goal not once, but twice. Most importantly, together we have sparked a dialogue about the significance of professional development opportunities to the staff experience and enrichment of the entire University community.
We are not finished yet! We have ONE DAY left to reach our goal together and solidify this Award and opportunity for staff for many years to come.
If staff matter to you, if staff make a difference in your world, spread the word! Tell your colleagues! Tell your friends! Tell your departments! Share our link and donate right now! http://engage.pitt.edu/frischfund
Together we can reach our goal and take one step closer towards helping a staff member reach theirs.
Staff. Matter.
The tremendous contributions of the University community, near and far, are sending that message loud and clear: The professional development of Pitt staff members and enrichment of the University community MATTERS.
It's why the Staff Association Council is humbled to again raise its fundraising goal. It's why this Award will be able to be offered as early as next Spring. It's why every donation, small and large, at any time during this campaign, can directly improve the career of a Pitt staff member.
But don't take it from us. Let Teresa Lane, Technology Support Specialist in the School of Education, tell you why staff (and this Award) matter.
Why is a staff scholarship fund important?
Every year more and more staff members are returning to school. Most non-traditional students will tell you that small scholarships are often the difference between having the textbooks you need, being able to pay a babysitter, or having internet at home.
Many non-traditional students (work full-time and attend school part-time) have children at home, are one-salary households, and/or are recent empty-nesters. While the Pitt benefit for tuition is AMAZING, it still doesn’t pay 100% of tuition and you are required to take two courses in a term to get the benefit. That leaves the student with a tuition bill of approximately $600 per term - and that does not include the textbooks!
A lot of staff members at Pitt earn under $40k (gross). Likely, their bring-home pay is under $30k. Getting a degree will most likely improve your earning potential. Besides the most important thing — learning about something you find interesting — there are the added bonuses of meeting lots of other people who have the same interests, attending networking events and joining groups, learning better writing, analytical, and communication skills, and last but not least, increased confidence.
Working full-time while attending school and managing everything else in life — your home, your family, etc. — is tiring and it’s hard work. But it’s worth it if you are the kind of person who loves the academic life.
Donating to a scholarship such as this one not only may provide a staff member with the funds they need to purchase their textbooks or join an official academic organization, it sends a clear message to them that their co-workers are behind them — that they are on the right course and that their Pitt colleagues are willing to invest in them. I hope you will donate to this scholarship fund - even $10.00 will make a difference to improving our great staff and University!
HAIL TO PITT!
Executing a surprise can sometimes be tricky – especially when that surprise involves hundreds of people surprising a single person! Nevertheless, the University community pulled off a big one at the Staff Association Council’s Spring Assembly on May 10th by surprising Ron Frisch with the announcement of the Ronald W. Frisch Staff Professional Development Award. The Award, honoring Ron’s deep commitment to the staff experience over his 21-year career at Pitt, will provide full and part-time staff members from all five campuses the opportunity for financial resources to defray the costs of professional development.
THANK YOU to everyone who has donated thus far! The support from all corners of the University has been tremendous. Now we need your voice to help spread the word and continue the momentum. We cannot reach our goal of initiating this award in Spring 2017 without the support of the entire University community!
Please take a moment to notify your departments, colleagues, and friends about the award and the opportunities it will provide for our valued staff members. Visit http://engage.pitt.edu/frischfund today!
Cheers!
The initial response to our campaign has been overwhelming! As we have reached the $4,000 mark in under a week, we have decided to raise our goal to $8,000. Reaching this extended goal will put us even closer to establishing this Award as an endowed fund.
Thank you to all our donors for your amazing level of support. We appreciate each and every gift so much!
Hail to Pitt!
Admittedly more than your hourly wage, $10 is more than enough to make a difference! Donating $10 will help pay for parking while traveling.
Temporarily get out of Oakland for the day. See what we did there? Donating $25 will help pay for the mileage for traveling to a local conference.
Your boss is always going to workshops - it's your turn! Donating $50 will cover the registration costs for a professional development workshop.
Ready to take the next step? Ready for all the conference dues that come with it? Donating $100 will help cover membership dues to join a professional organization.
Donating $250 will provide a two-night stay in a hotel during business travel, but will not cover the mini-bar. #KeepitProfessionalPeople.
While you may think you can find all the information you'll ever need for free on the Internet, your Professor has other ideas. Donating $500 will help cover the cost of books for a part-time graduate student.
Ron Frisch has been contributing to the University like a boss for 21 years. Now's the time to contribute like the boss you are! Donating $1,000 will help pay for a flight to an overseas conference.
