Message From The Chair of GNC

Dear Campaign Leaders:

As a new member of the Trojan Family and my first year as chair of the Good Neighbors Campaign, I am excited to join the campaign team. I could not be more proud of the commitment our university employees have made to support the Good Neighbors Campaign and the wonderful investments it makes possible in our communities. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with a few Campaign Leaders and am truly impressed by your leadership efforts to ensure the success of the campaign.

This year we are proudly “Celebrating 15 years of helping children live their dreams.” We are all well aware of the current economic crisis and its adverse impact on neighborhoods like those near our campuses. Consequently, now more than ever our continued support and leadership is vital to the well-being of our communities. Last year, we met our fundraising goal of $1.1 million and a university-wide participation rate of 42%, an accomplishment that perfectly demonstrates our collective commitment to the community. Our participation goal this year is to reach 50% and to raise $1.2 million to help meet the growing needs of our neighbors.

You can take personal pride in the success of the USC Good Neighbors Campaign because it couldn’t happen without you. As you know, USC has earned regional, national and worldwide recognition because of your willingness to help raise the money that makes possible dozens of after-school programs in our local schools. Over the past 15 years, Campaign Leaders like you have made possible the distribution of more than $9 million in grants to 365 university-community partnerships. You are directly responsible for encouraging your fellow Trojans to pledge to the USC Good Neighbors Campaign and for helping raise the money to establish music, sports, reading, science, math and a wide range of after-school and neighborhood enrichment programs in our communities.

USC’s mutually beneficial partnerships with neighborhood organizations have truly improved the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Long-time employees and residents often mention the enhancements they’ve noticed in the past decade as the Trojan Family’s engagement with local programs continues to grow.

I commend you for accepting the role of GNC Campaign Leader. During the Campaign, you act as the voice of the community, its families and children. Campaign Leaders are needed to spread the word on what our community members need and how our faculty and staff can make a difference in the lives of neighborhood families as well as how our students benefit from the real world experience and education they receive through community projects. The hard work you put into the USC Good Neighbors Campaign feeds the tremendous investment USC can make in education, sports, arts, health and safety programs which build stronger children, stronger families and stronger communities.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the generosity you have demonstrated in giving of yourself, of your money and, especially, of your time.

Thomas S. Sayles,
Vice President, Government and Community Relations and
Chair, USC Good Neighbors Campaign

Updated September 2009