University employees have an extra month to make contributions to the annual Charitable Fund Drive after the deadline for gifts was extended a month to Jan. 31.

The university is hoping to boost its annual giving after fundraising began later than usual this year. Because of the late start, donations this year are still well below last year’s final figures.

As of Dec. 12, UO employees made 464 pledges totaling $147,716. Last year the university generated 685 pledges totaling $231,417 by the end of the fund drive.

In this year’s campaign, the Lundquist College of Business and UO Libraries have been pledge leaders at the university.

The UO often is the top contributor to the overall statewide giving campaign, and pledges from university employees help fund a broad range of charitable programs. Donations to the fund drive help more than 800 nonprofit organizations that benefit the arts, children, the environment, health, housing, human services, social justice and other causes.

Nonprofit agencies that receive funding have included United Way, the Black United Fund, Children’s Trust Fund, Community Health Charities, Earth Share, Equity Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, the McKenzie River Gathering Foundation and Work for Art.

UO employees who take part in the effort can go to the university section of the Charitable Fund Drive and follow the instructions to make a donation.

The Charitable Fund Drive, which began in 1989, consolidates charitable solicitation into an annual campaign and allows online submission of pledges and optional payroll deductions for contributions. Participants are able to choose which charities their donations will serve.