The campaign kickoff will take place when Cal's football team competes against Arizona Saturday, Nov. 2, at Memorial Stadium.

"Through the Charitable Campaign, staff and faculty members can donate to a specific non-profit agency, to their favorite cause or to the Community Impact Fund, sponsored by the United Way, which supports a broad cross-section of community programs," said Horace Mitchell, vice chancellor for Business and Administrative Services and one of the campaign co-chairs. "The campus goal of $200,000 will help build safe and healthy communities."

Last year's campaign drew more than $186,000 in contributions to charitable groups, which was nearly $50,000 more than the amount raised in 1994. Campaign organizers are hopeful the upward trend in dollars raised will continue, given that the Berkeley Pledge is once again the centerpiece of the campus campaign.

"We were extraordinarily pleased with last year's response to the Charitable Campaign," said Linda Weimer, assistant vice chancellor for Public Affairs, "especially given the generous response from faculty and staff to the Berkeley Pledge. We are very optimistic about this year's campaign."

Mitchell and Weimer will be leading a team of staff and faculty who will work hard over the next few months to meet the campaign goal.

The United Way, which assists the campus with logistical support for the campaign, has chosen the theme, "Making an Impact Together" for this year's program. Weimer said an anonymous individual gift of $10,000 has already been pledged to start off the campaign.

Employees will soon be getting their campaign materials in the mail. Mitchell said that 88 cents of every donor's dollar goes directly to the charities they identify. In addition to the United Way charities listed on the pledge form, donors may select and write in any non-profit agency they choose.

For questions about the Charitable Campaign, call the Public Affairs office at 642-0702.