The Ripple Effect of Denny's FUNd: A Little Fun Goes a Long Way
Denny's FUNd continues to put fun to work at the College of Charleston, connecting the campus community in ways that will have positive ripple effects for years to come.
Above: Terry Kennair, program manager for Denny’s FUNd (Photos by Catie Cleveland)
Looking for more fun and meaningful connection at work? Denny’s FUNd is here for you!
Founded in honor of the former maestro of campus fun, longtime Career Center director Denny Ciganovic, this fund was established to create joyful, community‑building opportunities celebrating warmth, humor and kindness.
As the only College of Charleston fund supporting all staff, faculty and students, Denny’s FUNd promotes happiness, wellbeing and a whole lot of fun by unifying and uplifting programs that strengthen connections and community.
To further ensure that Denny’s positive ripple effects continue to flow happily across campus, the College recently hired Terry Kennair, Denny’s FUNd program manager, through a private donation. Kennair will focus solely on continuing Denny’s legacy of positivity.
And, for his part, Kennair couldn’t be more excited to put fun to work at the College of Charleston!
Honoring Legacy Through Fun
Denny’s FUNd was established in 2024 to honor the late Denny Ciganovic, who served as the director of the College of Charleston Career Center from 1992 through 2015.
When he passed away in 2023, his wife Kay was encouraged by all that people shared about his positive impact on their lives, and decided to keep his legacy alive with the Dmitar Denny Ciganovic Endowed Memorial FUNd, affectionately known as Denny’s FUNd.
“Denny found humor with everyone and in the kindest of ways. So many people at the College absolutely adored him,” Kay says. “I want his memory to live on in a way that’s fun and impactful. I want to bring additional support to the campus community to encourage sharing acts of kindness and engaging in fun activities to promote collegial relationships.”
Denny’s legacy remains central to the fund’s direction, particularly his emphasis on humor, connection and accessibility.
That spirit is reflected in the fund’s creative initiatives designed to bring people together in meaningful and often lighthearted ways.
Inspired by his emphasis on humor, connection and appreciation, supporters of Denny’s FUNd (aka funologists) have incorporated symbolic elements like kazoos into programming. The kazoo, tied to a memorable visit the Ciganovics made to a kazoo factory, has become a way to promote engagement and community spirit.
“Kazoos bring this playful, lighthearted energy,” says the fund’s strategic advisor, Erin O’Dea Halford, director of employee relations and professional development for the School of Business Department of Graduate and Executive Programs. “It’s almost impossible to play one with a straight face!”
These efforts are part of a broader goal to foster a sense of belonging across campus while celebrating the values that shaped the fund from the beginning.
The Gift of Gratitude
Denny’s FUNd is known for its emphasis on bringing fun and playful elements to the campus community, but it’s also come to be associated with gratitude: from providing “Denny Mail” materials for gratitude writing to supporting appreciation efforts at events that bring people together in new ways.
“Appreciation doesn’t have to be expensive. It really can be simple,” says Halford, pointing to the Staff Advisory Committee to the President (SAC) drop-in lunch for faculty and staff on CofC Giving Day, where the fund supplied cards and vintage typewriters for people to write notes of gratitude and fresh flowers to make bouquets for others. “The idea around Giving Day is also being able to give recognition, to give thanks and appreciation. Since faculty and staff already give so much, we’re giving to them and giving them opportunities to give to others.”
The CofC Giving Day drop-in activities were designed to create space for connection and reflection while adding a layer of recognition and appreciation – with a collective mural showcasing that sentiment most visibly. This composite of all the canvases faculty, staff and students had painted in Cougar Mall during the Office of Human Resources’ Cougar Coffee event the week before was what Kennair calls a “beautiful little collaboration by everyone at the College.” (Denny’s FUNd sponsored the community mural‑painting activity through a partnership with local artist, Michele Levani.)
As they’ve done at past events, Denny’s FUNd held a drawing for several group experiences that foster connection and offer something “delightfully out of the ordinary.” Past such experiences include a SpiritLine Dinner Cruise and Topgolf. This year, participants can choose from a variety of group experiences, ranging from lunchtime activities like crafting on King Street to after-hours outings such as guided kayaking.
A Culture of Connection
Now Denny’s FUNd is growing beyond its original scope to support a wide range of initiatives aimed at strengthening connection, recognition and community across campus. Expanding to include professional development opportunities and passion-driven projects, the fund’s evolving mission centers on fostering meaningful interactions and enhancing the overall sense of connection on campus.
“We’re working to get a sense of where we really want to take the fund and how we can put that into action,” says Kennair. “How can we support everyone across campus?”
Collaboration remains central to the fund’s work. And a key focus of that work is breaking down silos on campus.
“What we hear again and again is a desire to work more collaboratively and feel more connected across campus – between faculty and staff, across departments and among different areas of the College,” says Kennair. “We’re creating opportunities for people to come together so we can learn from one another and work more collaboratively.”
One example is Cougar Connections, a pilot program launched through the President’s Leadership Institute and sponsored by Denny’s FUNd.
“The PLI seemed like a natural fit for what we’re going for, because they’re bringing together people from different areas of the College,” Kennair says. “We’ve had real success with getting staff and faculty from very different departments together, and people are having some amazing conversations that spark new relationships, shared resources and fresh perspectives that often continue well beyond those initial meetups.”
These small moments of connection lead to broader collaboration and long-term impact across campus.
“There’s a real return on investment in cultivating happiness, kindness and connection,” says Stephanie Visser, director of the Center for Civic Engagement and a member of the Denny’s FUNd Committee. “Small moments can lead to opportunities that strengthen the work of the College.”
Partnering Passion With Purpose
In the spirit of connection and breaking down silos, it only makes sense to work off of and partner with existing campus programs – supporting and enhancing those initiatives by adding intentional elements that promote connection and meaning.
“We’re always looking for ways to add something special that elevates programs and brings greater intention to initiatives that align with our purpose,” says Halford, pointing to Denny’s FUNd’s sponsorship of HR’s Cougar Coffee initiative, which is designed to build community across campus.
By identifying and supporting individuals and teams already engaged in community-building efforts – and aligning with those initiatives – Denny’s FUNd can help amplify their impact and its own.
In addition to fostering connection, Denny’s FUNd is expanding opportunities for professional growth and creative engagement.
Partnerships with SAC, the Office of Human Resources and the School of Education, for example, have been focused on employee satisfaction and overall wellbeing.
“We are hoping to empower staff and faculty to develop personally and professionally through these partnerships and give them the opportunity to find connections in unusual places,” says Halford.
Some of this work is inspired by models that encourage individuals to pursue meaningful ideas.
“We’re exploring how to fund things like professional development, but also passion projects,” Kennair says. “What are you passionate about? What would you love to do that you just haven’t had the resources to do? We want to reward your passion.”
Creating a Ripple Effect for Years to Come
Beyond individual programs and opportunities, Denny’s FUNd is focused on sustaining connection over time.
“We want to find ways to make sure those personal connections and stories keep showing up,” says Visser, noting that even small interactions can lead to meaningful outcomes. “That’s the ripple effect we’re trying to create. There’s a real opportunity to rebuild and reinvigorate that sense of ‘we’ on campus.”
Looking ahead, the Denny’s FUNd Committee plans to continue exploring opportunities for engagement with a goal of creating a culture and tradition built on collaboration, creativity and a shared sense of belonging.
“Get ready for more playful programming, meaningful partnerships, professional growth and responsive initiatives shaped by the evolving interests and needs of this community,” says Halford, noting that some of the creative activities and initiatives that the Denny’s FUNd Committee is considering include:
- bringing newly branded kazoos into campus programming
- creating a “Denny Mail” postcard design contest and continuing to encourage the campus community to send kind notes to one another
- sending members of the Denny’s FUNd Committee to the annual Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor conference, which four members are attending this month
- establishing a pilot for employees to fund their passion projects
- taking time to listen to members of the campus community to truly understand where needs and opportunities exist
“Ultimately, the goal is to shape our campus culture, much the way Denny did, through genuine warmth, unexpected moments of fun and sharing the gift of feeling truly seen and valued,” explains Halford. “And practicing a healthy sense of humor never hurts, either!”
Communicating and Sharing Ideas
Listening to the campus community will be key to continuing that momentum.
“It’s really such a gift to be able to create more of a sense of community and togetherness, so, in order to do that, we need to hear what people what people need and what people want,” says Visser. “This isn’t about telling people what they want. It’s about creating opportunities for community and really hearing what people need.”
The campus community is invited to share ideas and needs for Denny’s FUNd initiatives by emailing Kennair: [email protected].
“We want people to feel empowered to bring their ideas forward,” Kennair says. “Dream and try things out. That’s the goal. And if we can uplift people along the way, then we’ll be doing it right.”
