The sixth annual Red, White & True faculty and staff giving effort kicked off this year with a bang on March 29 during All in for Arkansas, the university's first-ever online giving day. The event was a smashing success, raising more than $168,000 in 1,871 minutes to support colleges, schools, programs and scholarship funds impacting students all across campus.

Not surprisingly, staff and faculty showed that they're All in for Arkansas, each and every day, in a big way. More than 300 current employees participated — nearly a third of all donors — by making a gift to their favorite campus cause during the inaugural event.

What an exciting start for the 2016 Red, White & True campaign, but we're not done yet!

With three weeks left before the May 6 priority deadline, there's plenty of time left to participate by making a gift of any amount to any area of campus that has special meaning to you. Payroll deduction is an easy way to spread your donation out over time, and it's even easier this year with a new online payroll deduction form. You can also contribute via check or credit card by printing a participation packet to send through campus mail or by giving online with a credit card.

Think your gift would be too small to make a difference? Think again! Last year, gifts of $25 or less added up to $36,867! That's the power of participation, and that's what Red, White & True is all about.

Already made a gift during All in for Arkansas or earlier this academic year? It counts—whether you've supported KUAF, the Staff Senate Scholarship, the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Campus Food Pantry or a specific college, department, program or fund.  Thank you!

If not, please participate today and be on the lookout for a friendly reminder in your campus mailbox soon.  Remember, you get to choose how your contribution will be used, so pick your passion and make an impact.

Need ideas?  Here are just a few examples of exciting initiatives that could use your support:

• Help endow the Off-Campus Connections Non-Traditional Scholarship to remove financial barriers and make the future brighter for talented non-traditional students and their families.
• Fight food insecurity on our campus and in our community through the Razorback Food Recovery program, which recovers wholesome food that would otherwise be wasted and donates it to organizations that serve those in need.
• Support a barrier-free campus through the Center for Educational Access that help students—both with visible and non-visible disabilities—be successful.

For questions about your participation status or how to get involved, please contact Merin Macechko, staff liaison for Red, White & True, at 575-2944 or merin@uark.edu.