The university’s Staff and Faculty Donation Campaign officials announced their expected donations from faculty members for the year, which total up to $2 million. This goal is three times the amount that was received last year and they also hope to double participation from staff members to 50 percent. 

Campaign officials are suggesting that those staff members who do participate in the donations do so in the form of a payroll deduction. While those advocating it may see this as adding convenience, in many ways it just adds pressure to staffers to contribute. 

This pressure is also compounded by the fact that there are now committees within each college that encourage their colleagues to donate. These committees will obviously be aware of who does and who does not donate, and this can certainly lead to the formation of a gap between donors and non-donors, causing tension in the work place. Not to mention the fact that those who donate over $1,000 dollars get a place in the Delaware Diamonds Society, just another incentive created by the university for further contributions.  

Also, many companies encourage employees to donate to charitable organizations and say they will match their money, but university officials are telling employees to donate back to the university instead. Donators can choose where to allocate their money within the university, but they still are not giving donators much freedom. Instead of branching out and helping others, they are expecting them to give back a portion of their paycheck.

While there is not much harm in suggesting or asking for a donation from your workers, putting this much emphasis on it can have negative effects. The emphasis on donations may lead to gaps between those who do and those who do not donate and general unhappiness with university officials. Asking for a donation from those who wish to do so is one thing, but suggesting to deduct it from their paycheck is too much.