Let’s Give Together!

Since 1984, University of Washington employees and retirees have generously supported the causes they care about most through the UWCFD. Every gift becomes part of a legacy of caring that has sent nearly $60 million out into the world. Whether you’re supporting a local food bank or an international relief effort, YOU are making a difference here and everywhere.

Here’s the best part: giving isn’t one size fits all. You choose the organization. You choose the amount. It’s your giving, your way.

This year we’re excited to spotlight our featured nonprofit, the American Cancer Society (ACS). Their goal is nothing short of ending cancer as we know it, for everyone. With your support, they’ll get a little closer to making that happen.

Fun ways to give this year

• Online Auction. Get a jump on your holiday shopping while supporting a great cause. Bid on some fantastic items and help ACS at the same time. That’s a win-win.
• First Week to Give Promotion. Make a new $5 gift, bump up an existing gift by $5 or more, or log an hour of volunteer time, and you’ll score a $5 Starbucks gift card courtesy of Washington State Employees Credit Union.
• The Evergreen Sale. Bring some holiday cheer home with a wreath or swag, with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society.
• Lunch and Learn series. Keep an eye on the schedule. Our first session lands October 28th with a deep dive into the work ACS is doing right now.

Keep watching our website and the UW Calendar for more events throughout the 2026 campaign season.

Become a UWCFD Campaign Coordinator

Every successful campaign runs on the energy of creative, committed campaign coordinators who bring the drive to life in their own departments. Coordinators are our local champions, sharing campaign messaging and engagement opportunities with their teams. We’ll support you every step of the way and help you craft a campaign that fits your department’s culture.

Interested in representing your department or unit this year? We’d love to have you. Just send us an email to let us know!

The UWCFD is here all year long

You don’t have to wait for next year’s campaign to make a difference. Donate or volunteer your time today through the UWCFD!

Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month 

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the history, diverse cultures, achievements and contributions of Latinos whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. 

This year’s recognition theme, Together, We Are More, pays tribute to community strength, shared values and the collective impact of Hispanic and Latino Americans. 

The first nationally recognized Hispanic heritage observance began in 1968 as a weeklong commemoration. It was expanded in 1988 to a full 30 days, running from September 15 to October 15. 

September 15 holds special meaning because it marks Independence Day for five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16 and Chile on September 18. Many Spanish speaking countries also observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Día de la Raza during this period. 

The word Hispanic is generally a linguistic category, referring to people from the 21 Spanish-speaking countries and territories, including Spain. Latino is more of an ethnic and cultural category, describing people descended from Latin America, including Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and Central and South America. Which term people use to describe themselves is often a personal choice. 

Latino cultural heritage in the Pacific Northwest dates back to 1774, when Spanish and Mexican explorers began a long period of discovery and cartography along the coast. Place names like the San Juan Islands and the Strait of Juan de Fuca carry the legacy of this exploration forward. 

According to 2020 US Census data, about 13 percent of Washington residents identify as Hispanic or Latinx. 

Not everyone whose heritage traces back to Central or Latin America speaks Spanish as a first or even second language. Portuguese is spoken in Brazil, French is an official language in some Caribbean nations, and many indigenous languages are spoken across the region as well. 

Hispanic heritage at UW 

Leadership Without Borders, a program of the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center, is dedicated to building a comprehensive pathway for undocumented students’ access and success at UW and beyond. Learn more about their Undocu Ally Training program and their digital campaign DACA Myth Busters. 

Head over to Kane Hall for a look at Mexican American artist Pablo O’Higgins’ monumental work The Struggle Against Racial Discrimination, painted in 1945 for a Seattle maritime workers’ union hall as a symbol of Mexican and American cooperation. Several murals by Latinx artists are also part of the Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center collection. 

The Burke Museum’s contemporary culture and ethnology collections include textiles and other artwork from Mexico, Central and South America, such as the Fred Hart pottery collection, the largest of its kind in North America. 

The UW Latinx Faculty & Staff Association is an advocacy, leadership development and social network that addresses Latinx issues in higher education, including the educational concerns and advancement of the UW Latinx community 

In Health Sciences, the Latino Center for Health provides leadership for community engaged research through capacity building and authentic partnerships with community stakeholders, promoting impactful improvements in the health and well-being of Latinx communities in Washington state and beyond. 

Save the date for UW Tacoma’s Celebrando Comunidad: Latinx Awards + Celebration on Friday, Oct. 16 

Explore Hispanic history and culture through the College of Arts & Sciences’ collection of art, media, writing, programs and communities by Latinx faculty, students and alumni. 

Learn more 

• There are more than 50 National Park Services sites that have Hispanic connections celebrating more than 500 years of Hispanic heritage. 

• Save the date: The 18th annual Seattle Latino Film Festival of Chicanx and Latinx cinema will feature screenings of films from a variety of countries. The festival runs from October 9-17. 

• Celebrate: the 2026 Mexam NW Festival celebrating Mexican and Mexican-American culture runs from September 10 to October 31 at multiple venues in Seattle. 

There are a variety of engaging events celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month throughout the region. Check them out. 

 Support: Give through the UWCFD 

Consider making a one time gift or setting up a monthly payroll deduction through the UWCFD to one of our member organizations providing services and encouraging social empowerment in Latinx communities across Washington and beyond. 

Your gift makes a difference. 

Did you know Washington just declared its fourth consecutive year of statewide drought? On April 8, the Washington State Department of Ecology issued an emergency drought declaration for the entire state, a record since the drought framework began in 1989. An unusually warm winter left mountain snowpack at roughly half its normal level, leaving rivers and reservoirs across the state running short. Seattle Public Utilities is not asking customers to change their water use this summer thanks to strong reservoir storage in the Cedar and South Fork Tolt watersheds, but seven of the past ten years have brought drought conditions somewhere in Washington, a reminder that water security is not something to take for granted, even here.

A World Away From the Tap

Most of us turn on a faucet a dozen times a day without a second thought. For hundreds of millions of people in developing countries worldwide, most of them women and girls, getting water means walking long distances to a source, waiting in line to fill a jerry can and carrying it home, often strapped to their backs or balanced on their heads. What takes us seconds takes them hours, and the burden of that time falls heavily on their education and income.

The Scale of the Crisis

According to the latest WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme data, 2.1 billion people still lack access to safely managed drinking water, and more than 1,000 children under five die every day from diseases linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation. Yet progress is real. Between 2015 and 2024, 961 million people gained access to safely managed water.

Aucilene’s Story

Meet Aucilene, who lives in a hot, semi-arid part of rural Brazil with her family. Before getting a lasting water solution, her days were shaped by long walks to distant reservoirs and an unreliable water truck. During the dry season, the family’s well often ran dry entirely. “We would go and collect water from other places,” she recalls. “My father, son and I would all collect water with our donkeys.”

Everything changed when Aucilene took out a small, affordable loan to install a cistern that collects and stores rainwater. Her family now has safe water for drinking, cooking, cleaning and caring for their animals. “Everything has improved, it’s much easier now,” she says. For Aucilene, the cistern brought more than convenience. It restored hope. “Water is everything,” she says. “It is the foundation of our lives.”

How You Can Help

Whether it shows up as a shrinking snowpack in our own backyard or a long walk to a distant well, water scarcity touches communities everywhere. To help clean, safe water is available, please consider making a one-time gift or setting up a monthly payroll deduction through the UWCFD to one of our member organizations that supports making water available to all.

Your gift makes a difference.

Think about the last time you dropped a few cans in a food bank bin, cheered on a charity 5K or clicked “donate” after seeing a cause that moved you. Chances are, a nonprofit has touched your life in ways you might not even realize, like a scholarship that helped a family member, a shelter that served a neighbor or a conservation effort that kept a trail you love open and wild. Behind every one of those moments is an organization working quietly and persistently to make something better, in your neighborhood, your city and communities you may never visit but can still reach.

What Is National Nonprofit Day?

Did you know that August 17 is National Nonprofit Day? It’s an annual observance that celebrates the vital contributions of charitable organizations to local communities and the broader economy. The date was chosen to honor the Tariff Act of 1894, which established the first federal tax exemptions for charitable organizations, a milestone that helped make the modern nonprofit sector possible. Every August 17, we recognize the staff, volunteers and donors who show up for causes ranging from education and healthcare to environmental conservation and poverty relief.

Why Nonprofits Matter

Nonprofits are both a backbone and a safety net for our communities. They provide critical services, foster connection and fill gaps left by strained public and private systems – addressing needs that span healthcare, education, social justice and the arts.

Here in Washington state, the numbers are striking. Did you know our state is home to more than 40,000 nonprofit organizations, and that roughly one in ten workers in Washington is employed by one? Nonprofits are a cornerstone of our local and state economy and work hard to keep communities stable and resilient.

The UWCFD Connection

Founded in 1984, the UW Combined Fund Drive (UWCFD) has made charitable giving easy for state employees across Washington. Since then, state employees have donated a combined $176 million to nonprofits through the program. UW employees and retirees have been especially generous, contributing nearly $60 million of that total.

Giving through the UWCFD is flexible and convenient. You can make or change a gift at any time. And when you give through workplace giving, your dollars go further. Payroll giving helps nonprofits plan and budget for the year ahead and reduces their overall fundraising costs, which means more of your gift goes directly toward serving the mission of the organization you care about. It truly is a win for everyone.

Spotlight: Causes You Can Support Through UWCFD

Did you know you can give to nearly 5,000 nonprofits through the UWCFD? New organizations are added regularly, so there is truly a cause or organization for everyone. Employees can search the UWCFD charity database by name or cause to find the organization they want to support. Organizations in the UWCFD database represent causes across a wide range of categories and causes. Giving is easy, personal and private. Your gift, your choice.

How to Get Involved

The UWCFD lets you engage with nonprofits in the way that feels most meaningful to you. Here are a few ways to participate:

• Make a payroll gift. Unrestricted gifts give nonprofits the flexibility to direct funds where they are needed most, making it easier to put their mission into action.
• Volunteer. Get involved on your own or coordinate a group volunteering opportunity for your team.
• Spread the word. Giving through the UWCFD is quick and easy. Share it with a colleague or consider signing up as a campaign coordinator for this year’s workplace giving campaign.

Through the UWCFD, you can support local, national and international nonprofits all in one place. Search the charity database by name or cause, then make a one-time gift or set up an ongoing payroll deduction. Don’t see the organization you are looking for? Reach out at uwcfd@uw.edu and the team will work to get them added.

Your gift makes a difference.

Celebrate your canine friends this National Dog Month

The University of Washington is ably represented by our top dog, Dubs. His floof and Husky spirit bring smiles to all he encounters. For many staff, getting their picture with Dubs is a highlight of working at the UW. It was for this author.

Dogs enrich our lives in so many ways. This August, recognize the awesomeness of dogs for National Dog Month. Founded by Milk-Bone brand in 2020, National Dog Month is an opportunity to celebrate all the ways dogs make our lives better. And although October is National Adopt a Dog month, anytime is a good time to adopt if you are looking for a new best friend.

Research demonstrates that living with dogs makes us happier, less stressed and more optimistic. Dogs and other companions animals can help lower blood pressure, ease anxiety and provide social support.

Ways to recognize National Dog Month

• Donate to your local shelter or to a larger dog nonprofit through payroll deduction or a one-time gift with the UWCFD.
• Volunteer! Nearly every local animal shelter and service provider has started accepting volunteers again. Walk and socialize dogs, organize donations, help out in the office, attend events – whatever engages your interests. Not only will the dogs appreciate the support, but so will their future human companions.
• If you’d like to support or volunteer at a safe haven for pets of people experiencing relationship violence, search the Safe Havens Mapping Project.

During National Dog Month we also celebrate International Assistance Dog Week, beginning Monday, August 3. Consider fostering an assistance dog in training.

Companion animals in need/empty bowls

The rising cost of food impacts the whole family – pets included. Pet food prices have grown roughly 24% to 28 % compared to pre-pandemic prices. This has led to growing food insecurity among animals. The increased costs strains the budget of many households and impacts the ability of local shelters to provide food.

In King County, that burden is eased a little by Oogie’s Ohana Pet Food Bank at Seattle Humane. They  collect and distribute pet food donations to pet owners in the community. The program provides nearly 1 million meals each year of donated pet food to families and food banks throughout the region. Oogie’s serves more than 23,000 clients annually through Seattle Humane and about 90 partner organizations. By providing pet food, they help pets stay with their families during hard times and helps reduce the number of animals surrendered to shelters.

The Seattle Animal Shelter served more than 1,200 clients last year and Homeward Pet Adoption Center expects to exceed 155,000 pounds of food distributed to food banks and animal shelters. Seattle Area Feline Rescue hosts the Stay SAFe pet pantry providing food and other supplies for cats and dogs.

Companion animals are an important part of many families. If you or someone you know is struggling to feed your pet, there are a variety of pet food banks and other services available to help keep your pets in your home. Have some food a picky pet won’t eat? Donate it. There is a pet out there who will be happy to have it.

Putting our best paw forward

Through the UWCFD, you can support nonprofit organizations doing impact work by connecting dogs and other animals with people and keeping their bowls full. Make a one-time gift or set up an ongoing payroll deduction by searching for a charity by name or cause. If you don’t see the organization you’re looking for, reach out at uwcfd@uw.edu and we’ll work to get them added.

Your gift makes a difference.