Giving to Northwest Foundation exceeds $6 million in FY10

MARYVILLE, Mo. – While a struggling economy impacted giving trends to colleges and universities nationwide in 2009, fundraising efforts showed signs of improvement for the 2010 fiscal year, which concluded June 30 – so much improvement for Northwest Missouri State University that the Northwest Foundation recorded the second best year in the organization’s 39-year history.

Orrie Covert, executive director of the Northwest Foundation, announced today that total private support to the University in FY10 topped the $6 million mark. Of that total, $3.1 million was realized in bequests and $1.5 million was received in the form of planned gift expectancies, which climbed to an all-time high of $26.6 million.

“This is the fourth year in the last five years that private support to the Northwest Foundation exceeded $5 million – and we’re elated to top the $6 million mark,” Covert said. “The continued success of the cultivation of private support to benefit Northwest is due to the tremendous support of thousands of alumni and friends as well as Northwest’s dedicated faculty and staff.”

The best year in the Foundation’s history was 2004, during the University’s inaugural capital campaign when more than $14 million in gifts were recorded, which included a $10 million pledge for scholarships from an anonymous donor.

Covert also said the Northwest Annual Fund continues to raise unrestricted dollars for the University – funds that support needs in areas not covered by other fundraising efforts.  In FY10, the Northwest Annual Fund generated $216,000 in unrestricted support.

Lori Steiner, the Northwest Foundation’s finance officer, said the fundraising efforts of the Foundation translate into support for the University in several areas, in particular scholarships. She said during the past year, $4.6 million in gifts to benefit scholarship programs accounted for more than 76 percent of total support. The annual Adopt-a-Bearcat Scholarship is part of this support, and more than 186 these scholarships were awarded in the 2009-2010 academic year. The Adopt-a-Bearcat Scholarships, as well as the Foundation’s other scholarships, brought the total number of awards for FY10 to 852, providing $601,287 in support to students.

Covert said the Northwest Foundation has been cognizant of fundraising challenges and giving trends impacted by the recession, and he’s pleased with the positive response from Bearcat supporters.

“Many alumni and friends give to Northwest based on what they feel passionately about, and donors certainly want their gifts to make a lasting difference,” Covert said. “They don’t want to contribute to Northwest if the institution’s future is unclear. I think we’ve done a good job communicating with our constituents, letting them know about the successes of this institution and the many great things to come.”