The University of Northern Iowa Veterans Association (UNIVA) is helping pilot a new form of funding for student organizations called crowd funding. 

They produced video and a website to help raise money for various events on campus.

UNIVA is one of the first groups on campus to try out crowd funding. 

This is a fundraiser that targets a large number of people by requesting them to each donate a small amount of money toward a cause. 

A common example is a website known as Kickstarter, which has had many successful projects. 

“This has the potential to really help out students,” said Jeremy Rosel, senior history major. 

Rosel is also a co-chair of UNIVA.

Crowd funding opens up a whole new group of people to help out fundraising for campus events or various costs of a student organization.

UNIVA members explain what they do in a video that can be found on their crowd funding website. 

Anyone can watch and choose to donate a small or large amount of money to the group. 

The fundraiser started on Aug 28 and ends on Sept 25. 

UNIVA aims to raise money so that they can open an account with the UNI Foundation Office. 

This would allow them to support their various events on campus.

These events include Veteran’s Week, the Veteran’s ball and volunteer opportunities in the community. UNIVA also seeks to create a scholarship for veterans. 

Through their crowd funding project, they hope to better support these events as well as spread awareness of their group.

Julia Heuer, the Veteran Student Services Coordinator and advisor for the group, says the goal of the UNIVA is to, “create a cultural awareness on campus about military culture.” 

The group also helps veterans transition to student life and the classroom.

“It’s a good place to come hang out and hear about experiences from people who have been around the world,” said Molly Skovronski, senior real estate and personal finance major. 

Skovronski is also a member of UNIVA.

The meetings are a place where military members can be involved and connected as well as find common ground with other students. 

The group enjoys meeting for social events and going out on the town. They are like any other student organization and want to help give UNI students opportunities to become connected. 

UNIVA is always looking for other veterans on campus who may not know about the group, but anyone can join. UNIVA meetings are held at 5 p.m. Tuesdays in the Veterans Student Services office.