Ohio State faculty and staff donated a record-setting $3.9 million to the university as part of Campus Campaign 2010.

This year’s donations surpassed last year’s of $3.6 million. Participation went up in nearly every department at OSU. Overall, participation is at 44 percent, and more than 11,000 faculty and staff donated, said Tina Thome, director of the campaign.

In its 25th year, the Campus Campaign is an annual fundraising effort for current and retired OSU faculty and staff.

Donors can choose to designate their gift to more than 8,000 different university-related funds. The range of choices is vast, from career development to medical research to scholarships. However, all the money is used for OSU initiatives.

The rise in donations is a result of volunteers who visited faculty and staff to educate them on the opportunity to donate, Thome said.

“The more the employees know what’s there, the more they are likely to donate,” Thome said. “Our volunteers worked to help everyone find a fund they could believe in.”

A YouTube video of OSU Newark dean Bill MacDonald playing Carmen Ohio on electric guitar also inspired people to give. The video received more than 1,000 views.

MacDonald received the Campus Campaign Leadership Award for his efforts to increase giving.

“I wanted to reach all the faculty and staff (with the video),” MacDonald said. “We are all in higher education, so it’s putting money into something we all believe in.”

Although every amount helps and is appreciated, Thome said another goal of the campaign is to set an example of giving in the hopes that outside organizations will notice and make large donations. The slogan for this year’s campaign was “I believe in Ohio State.”

“When major donors hear that the faculty and staff believe enough in what we do to support it, they will become more excited to give those larger donations,” she said.

The active phase of the campaign was from March 1 to April 30.

However, gifts may be given at any time of year.

A ceremony was held May 25 to celebrate the success of the campaign. President E. Gordon Gee spoke about what he believes drove the success of the campaign.

“At the root of our giving,” he said, “is the belief that we are doing important things at this university.”