A MATCH

MADE IN

HEAVEN

BY SCOTT ROARK

NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW they can double their gifts to Cal Poly without spending an additional dime.

Companies such as Bank of America, Verizon, Lockheed Martin, Adobe and many other firms offer a matching-gift benefit to their employees to inspire charitable giving.

During fiscal year 2006-07, approximately 1,100 Cal Poly alumni, parents and friends made personal contributions to the programs of their choice and then took the extra time to apply for their gifts to be “matched.”

These matching contributions added nearly $258,000 to Cal Poly’s programs, putting the university at the top of the 23-campus California State University system for matching-gift options.

Patrick Edwards (CSM ’75) is one alumnus who took full advantage of this opportunity. During his long career as a pharmaceutical salesman, the resident of San Ramon, Calif., has consistently donated thousands of dollars a year – and received a match for each gift from his employer, Pfizer Inc.

According to Edwards, this is the best way of maximizing his contribution to Cal Poly. “I owe my success in my pharmaceutical career to Cal Poly and in particular to biological sciences Emeritus Professor V.L. Holland, who changed the course of my study to bioscience,” he said.

Check with your company’s human resources office or benefits manager to see if your company participates in a matching-gift program.

After that, take a few minutes and go to www.giving.calpoly.edu/matching to complete the matching-gift application form.

E-mail the form to lstark@calpoly.edu or call Linda Stark at 805-756-2713 for more information. Your gift to Cal Poly? A great value. Having that gift matched dollar-for-dollar by your employer? Even better.