A Campaign for Community Giving

Bear Down, and Step Up

Monday, Oct. 28 - Friday, Nov. 22

Our Annual UA Cares Workplace Giving Campaign is an opportunity to enroll in payroll deductions for charity and complete service projects in the community. Our team of UA Cares Ambassadors spend a month each fall engaging in service and inviting colleagues to enroll in deductions to support the 501(c)(3) nonprofits or U of A Foundation accounts of their choice.

Introducing our Honorary Chairs

Lovely Ganthier

Lovely Ganthier is an accountant in the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. Lovely is serving as honorary co-chair for the 2024-2025 year, and was nominated in recognition of her passion for community. She was selected by UA Cares ambassadors to lead this year's efforts due to her service with many local nonprofits such as the YWCA of Southern Arizona, the League of Women Voters, and I Am You 360, which helps vulnerable youth in Southern Arizona.

Tessa Dysart

Tessa Dysart serves as assistant vice provost of Native American Initiatives and is the assistant director of Legal Writing and a clinical professor in the James E. Rogers College of Law. She is serving as honorary co-chair for the 2024-2025 year based on her commitment to giving back. In addition to her work on campus, Tessa serves on the Arizona State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights as well as the Arizona Board of Regents Free Expression Committee and has recently published the children's book The Supreme Court Counting Book to help children learn about this important civic institution.

Bear Down, Step Up

More Information:

How to Give:

Login to UAccess and click on the UA Cares tile in the Employee Home Page. Follow the prompts to schedule your deduction.

Having Trouble enrolling in Payroll deductions? Watch this instructional video about how to enroll through UAccess:

How to enroll in UA Cares payroll deductions

Important 2024 Dates:

United Way Days of Caring

Friday, Nov 1 to Saturday, Nov 2, Join us for Arizona's single largest community volunteer event! Days of Caring brings together thousands of volunteers like you to roll up their sleeves and improve our community one project at a time! Scroll down for a full list of projects that includes:

Vitalant Blood Drive | Friday Nov. 1, 9:30 – 2:30 p.m. Register for Blood Drive
We’re partnering with Vitalant to save lives right here in Arizona.

Bulldog Saturday | Saturday, Nov. 2, 9:00 – 12:00 p.m. Register for Bulldog Saturday
Help beautify their campus alongside students, parents, neighbors, and community members.

Jefferson Park Neighborhood Cleanup | Saturday, Nov. 2, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Register for Park Cleanup
We’ll be removing invasive plants and litter in a park off Grant Road in the Jefferson Park Neighborhood.

Questions and decisions about charitable giving for tax purposes should be directed to your tax professional. No information on UAccess or the UA Cares website is intended to offer tax advice.

Yes! Please utilize our UA Cares Communicators Kit to find the following:

A list of UA Cares Ambassadors
Example language to use for email invites
A flyer to help recruit ambassadors
A list of impact statements from charities that could use your help
A flyer to post in your department about the campaign
A set of slides to use in department meetings

Giving Opportunities Spotlight Check out what a $5-$15 payroll deduction could provide to these charitable recipients
Image A $5 recurring payroll deduction to Sister José Women's Center could provide 3 nights of emergency shelter, meals, and access to a case worker, while a $15 deduction could provide two weeks of survival services for women who are unsheltered. This includes safe spaces, hot showers, access to bathrooms, and healthy meals.
Image A $5 recurring payroll deduction to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona could provide 20 meals for people struggling with food insecurity. A $15 recurring deduction could provide 60 meals.
Image A $5 recurring payroll deduction to the Campus Pantry could provide a student in need with 20 visits to the Campus Pantry, while a $15 recurring payroll deduction could provide a student in need with more than a year’s worth of weekly visits to the Campus Pantry.
Image A $5 recurring payroll deduction to the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona could provide two elementary school students with twelve new books to encourage summer reading and reduce summer learning loss, while a $15 deduction could feed three families with young children experiencing a loss of income or benefits for one month.
Image A $5 payroll deduction to the Employee Emergency Fund could pay the electric bill for a colleague in need, while a $15 deduction could help a struggling colleague pay their mortgage for 1 month.

Days of Caring Service Projects

UA Cares Volunteers during UW Days of Caring

UA Cares Service Projects Overview:

UA Cares Ambassadors will be stepping up for our community through three service projects this year, which have been organized in conjunction with United Way Days of Caring. Join us by signing up for the projects below, which take place on Nov. 1 - 2.

Participate in Arizona's largest community service event!

Vitalant Blood Drive | Friday Nov. 1, 9:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Join us on the UA Mall (between the Mall and Old Main) to donate blood to help patients in our local hospitals. We’re partnering with Vitalant, a nonprofit that provides blood and special services to patients in about 900 hospitals across the U.S. Donating takes approximately one hour of your time, but can literally save multiple lives right here in Arizona.

REGISTER FOR VITALANT BLOOD DRIVE

Bulldog Saturday | Saturday, Nov. 2, 9:00 – 12:00 p.m.
Join us at Mansfeld Middle school for a service project to help beautify their campus alongside students, parents, neighbors, and community members. This local school could use your help and is conveniently located across the street from Campus Health and SouthREC off of 6^th Street. We’ll be preparing classrooms and engaging in various beautification efforts to ensure these future Wildcats have the educational environment they need to succeed long term.

REGISTER FOR BULLDOG SATURDAY

Jefferson Park Neighborhood Cleanup | Saturday, Nov. 2, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Join us at a park cleanup to beautify the neighborhoods around campus. We’ll be removing invasive plants and litter in a park off Grant Road in the Jefferson Park Neighborhood. Meet at the SW corner of Santa Rita Avenue and Grant Road.