All University employees who identify as Black (adjunct, faculty, staff, administration, etc.) are invited to contact Olivia Bormann, associate director of development and DIP graduate intern. Bormann has created an informal affinity roup for Black identified employees to meet and greet. The group has an email list so members can all stay in contact, organize more events, and share trainings and resources. Overall, the mission is to gather and provide informal support to each other.
Please email bormann@up.edu to be part of the group at and if you have any questions/concerns or need ADA.
Last week UP joined #GivingTuesdayNow in its global day of giving. Over 395 UP donors gave more than $200,000 and unlocked $25,000 in challenge gifts. We would like to especially thank UP employees for participating—at least 65 took this opportunity to support UP’s mission. Through this outpouring of support, UP can respond to the new and extraordinary needs of students as they prepare for their return in the fall. Thank you who participated in the success of this great day!
Marie Jobes, development, is leaving UP to take on her new role at nonprofit Girls Inc. Marie started in development after graduating from UP and significantly grew student giving. She constantly brought fresh ideas and optimistic energy to Annual Giving Team projects. Even in her last few weeks at UP, Marie has been determined to wrap up projects with strong attention to detail and to always put her best foot forward every step of the way.
In light of growing concerns around Covid-19, development has made the difficult decision to postpone #PilotsGive, originally scheduled for April 1-2 , until a future date.
The Brian Doyle Scholarship for Creative Writing was established in 2018 by University of Portland regent Ralph Bliquez in memory of longtime Portland Magazine editor Brian Doyle, who passed away in May 2017. One aspiring writer will receive a $35,000 scholarship award for the 2020-2021 academic year. Applications are being accepted from now until April 1, 2020. Faculty and staff are encouraged to reach out to current freshmen, sophomores, or juniors to let them know about this exciting creative writing opportunity.
The deadline to submit proposals to the 2020 Ignite Grants program is coming up fast. Submission deadline is midnight on January 20, to be exact. Proposals are encouraged from all corners of campus and should complement the current strategic plan and support your individual school’s strategies and priorities. Be sure to have dean’s approval, then email the competed proposal to 
With the holiday season right around the corner, now is a great time to beat the crowds and get ahead of your holiday shopping at the Columbia Sportswear Employee Store. University of Portland employees are exclusively invited to access the store from December 13 to January 5.
This Advent season, count down to Christmas with UP’s 25 Days ’til Christmas online calendar. Share Advent prayers, cookie recipes, historical winter photos of campus, and more with the rest of the UP community. Be sure to visit the site for a new surprise each day leading up to Christmas. 
This Tuesday, December 3 is #GivingTuesday, a day of global generosity when millions of people around the world give in support of the causes that matter most to them. On the UP campus, we will celebrate the generosity of the donors who have supported our mission of teaching and learning, faith and formation, service and learning.
Each year some 8,000 donors — including more than 300 staff and faculty members — give financially to support UP students and programs. Gifts from faculty and staff, totaling more than $100,000 annually, send a powerful message to alumni, businesses, foundations, and friends of the University, that those closest to UP believe in this community and choose to support it beyond giving of their time and talent.