Johnson & Johnson extends partnership with Rutgers through gifts
The Johnson & Johnson gift to Rutgers was unveiled at last week's 250th anniversary celebration kickoff. Under the giant tarp was a monument of giant block letters spelling out "RevolUtionary."
But in addition to this extravagant gift, Johnson & Johnson is also giving Rutgers something that has greater potential to impact students: scholarships in health care-related fields.
Johnson & Johnson is pledging up to $50,000 for student scholarships in health care-related fields, according to a press release.
As the University celebrates centuries of service, University President Robert L. Barchi told onlookers at the 250th anniversary kickoff it is fitting that the first gift to mark the University's birthday will directly benefit students.
“Johnson & Johnson’s generosity will help Rutgers students complete their degrees and pursue careers in health care that will enable them to serve the public for years to come," Barchi said. "This gift comes on top of decades of support from Johnson & Johnson for programs and initiatives that support members of the Rutgers community.”
In order to raise money for the pot of scholarship money, students can download an app called Donate A Photo, which is an initiative led by Johnson & Johnson that allows participants to submit a photo and donate $1 to a cause of their choice.
Rutgers students can submit photos through the app developed by Johnson & Johnson, which is free to download. After downloading the app, the student creates an account and chooses a nonprofit organization from a list of Johnson & Johnson's nonprofit partners. Rutgers University will be a featured nonprofit from now until Jan. 30, 2016.
Once a day, students can submit a photo, and in turn, Johnson & Johnson will donate $1 to Rutgers for student scholarships.
According to the press release, Rutgers will receive a minimum of $30,000 and a maximum of $50,000 from Johnson & Johnson. With $50,000, Rutgers would be able to create 50 new $1,000 need-based scholarships for students pursuing health care-related degrees.
Since Johnson & Johnson launched Donate a Photo, more than 750,000 photos have been submitted to more than 30 nonprofit partners, including Save the Children, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the United Nations Foundation, according to the press release.
Reflecting on the relationship between Johnson & Johnson and Rutgers University, Sarah Colamarino, Johnson & Johnson vice president of corporate equity and partnership, said the 120-year alliance is bonded by "common geography, relevant academic disciplines and a shared commitment to addressing needs within the New Brunswick community."
“Our organizations have a wide range of mutual interests and partnerships in education and health care benefiting thousands of New Jersey residents each year," Colamarino said. "We are proud to support Rutgers’ outstanding students as part of the University’s 250th anniversary celebration.”
