Dr. Alan Markoff, interim president for the NMC Foundation, stressed yesterday that the move to hire consultant Strategies for Philanthropy was driven by the important and timely need to elevate the fundraising efforts for the Northern Marianas College to the next level.
“Because of limited financial support from government sources, it has become increasingly necessary to expand our financial support by raising money from other sources,” Markoff said in a statement.
A presentation by the college's Office of Institutional Effectiveness earlier noted that local appropriation for NMC per student has been declining from 2008 to 2010. In fact, appropriation per full-time student was less when compared to the average of peer institutions.
In past years, the college has been exclusively focusing on special event fundraising; its signature event is the golf tournament. Other events included concerts and shows.
However, unlike other college foundations across the nation, the NMC Foundation had yet to implement other strategies to help raise funds to support and advance student learning at the college, Markoff said.
“We wanted to look at any and all other strategies, including involving the alumni, local foundations, as well as off-island foundations to increase major gifts,” added Markoff.
The NMC Foundation hired Strategies for Philanthropy because its CEO, Steve West, brings a background of 35 years in fund development in the U.S. mainland. This background includes running annual support programs to special events to multi-million dollar capital campaigns.
He has assisted foundations with reorganization similar to what the NMC Foundation is attempting, and is known for his strategic planning and board development expertise.
Additionally, West has served as a board member and chair of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy. AHP’s 5,000 members represent more than 2,200 health care facilities in the United States and Canada. They embody all aspects of health care fundraising, from executive directors and chief development officers, to major gift officers, annual campaign managers, event coordinators and grant writers. West has also served as an executive director of numerous foundations-all charged with major gift fundraising.
“We believe that Mr. West's background, experience, and proven success in fund development will help us identify ways to build on what has been achieved in the past so it can play a more significant role in the financial stability of the college, a chief accreditation concern,” said Markoff. (NMC)
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