The 2024-25 fiscal year was a remarkable one for faculty and staff giving at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with 3,677 employee donors contributing a total of more than $2.1 million to areas across campus.
Senior Vice Chancellor for Advancement Brian Broyles expressed his appreciation for how UT employees continue to embody what it means to light the way for students and the state.
“I am grateful for UT faculty and staff and their generosity this year,” Broyles said. “Their double commitment as employees and as donors demonstrates the unmatched value of this university and its purpose: to light the way for our students through UT’s one-of-a-kind Volunteer experience and to make life and lives better in our state and in every community that UT impacts.”
The Center for Basic Needs houses two areas that received some of this year’s largest faculty-staff support: the Big Orange Pantry, which addresses food insecurity on campus, and the Basic Needs Emergency Fund, which provides financial assistance for students in crisis.
When students learn that UT faculty and staff are standing behind them — not just with encouragement but through generous support — they feel seen, valued and supported.”
Blake Weiss
Director of the Center for Basic Needs
“I see every day how even a small contribution can be the difference between a student staying in school or stopping out,” said Blake Weiss, director of the Center for Basic Needs. “The Student Emergency Fund and Big Orange Pantry are more than just financial or food resources. Students often share that the pantry and other resources we provide allow them to ensure their basic needs are met and stay focused on why they’re at UT: to be successful in their courses, engaged on campus and eventually graduate.”
The center’s resources serve more than just students. UT faculty and staff comprise approximately 10% of shoppers at the Big Orange Pantry and Smokey’s Closet — which provides free, gently used professional and business casual clothing — confirming the center’s purpose as a place of support and care for the entire Volunteer family.
Not only does faculty-staff giving to the Center for Basic Needs provide tangible resources for students and employees alike, but it also destigmatizes the sensitive topic of basic needs and affirms students’ standing as valuable members of the Vol community.
“When students learn that UT faculty and staff are standing behind them — not just with encouragement but through generous support — they feel seen, valued and supported,” Weiss said. “It tells them that their experience here matters to all of us, and that sense of belonging can make a lasting difference in their lives.”
