The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is launching a first of its kind fundraising campaign that will help donors become more intimately involved at UA Little Rock by meeting the specific needs of academic departments.

The UA Little Rock Holiday Wish Campaign will take place as part of the university’s end-of-the-year fundraising campaign from Dec. 1-31.

“For the first time this year, you are going to see a Holiday Wish List campaign that allows academic departments to identify specific items for donor support,” Chancellor Christina Drale said. “This will bring in a lot of new donors and help departments connect with them in a more intimate way.”

UA Little Rock department chairs have identified their department’s most urgent needs and have completed lists of items that will strengthen their academic programs. Donors will be able to choose from any of the projects they would like to help with. Alumni will receive wish lists from their departments through email and social media posts.

“This holiday campaign will help educate our alumni and supporters on how they can best help meet the needs of our students,” said Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement. “We hope this will be the start of an annual tradition in which our alumni and donors bring some holiday cheer to campus as they help us meet our campus community’s needs during the holiday season.”

UA Little Rock donors will have the power to connect with the university and its students in a new, more intimate way by being heavily involved in choosing which great cause to support at UA Little Rock. Donors will have the choice to support academic needs like providing beds for the simulation lab in the School of Nursing, wireless microphone kits for the School of Mass Communication, and stereo microscopes for biology and genetic labs on campus.

“Thank you in advance to the donors who will help to support our academic units through a Wish List gift,” said Dr. Ann Bain, executive vice chancellor and provost. “Your generosity will make a positive difference.”