Apr 22, 2014 | President Updates
Last week NMC President Timothy J. Nelson sent the campus community an e-mail in regard to an issue that would be addressed at last night’s Board of Trustees meeting. As promised here is an update from the president.
Last night the regular April meeting of our Board of Trustees was held at our Parsons-Stulen building, and it was the first meeting to be video recorded. I want to thank Kyle Morrison and Dennis Schultz of our Educational Media Technologies department for their work in creating a very professional and unobtrusive process for recording the meetings. The meeting will soon be posted on the NMC website and that process will be the same for all future regular board meetings.
The college and the Board of Trustees value input from the public, and public input was a key factor in the decision to begin recording the meetings. Transparency is an important factor in keeping the public trust, and we are committed to maintaining that trust.
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Apr 15, 2014 | President Updates
Campus Community,
Here’s an update from NMC President Timothy J. Nelson:
As many of you know, at its March 24th Board meeting NMC Trustees approved a videotaping policy in order to archive and record all special and regular meetings of the NMC Board. Trustees began reviewing the benefits and concerns regarding adopting this policy last fall.
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Feb 28, 2014 | President Updates
State Budget Update
The Governor released the executive budget on February 7, 2014. The process for getting to an approved budget follows this path. First the Governor establishes and releases the executive budget; next, individual departmental budgets are taken up by the appropriate subcommittees in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. The community college budget starts this year in the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Community Colleges. Once they complete a budget through House processes, it moves to the Senate. Assuming the budgets are not the same, they go to a conference committee to resolve the differences. They then return to the House and Senate for votes and finally go to the Governor for his signature. In the past few years, this has been done early enough that we can appropriately plan. Legally, they must have a budget by October 1, 2014, the beginning of the State fiscal year.
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Feb 24, 2014 | Intercom, President Updates
From President Nelson
I am requesting your assistance in honoring your faculty and staff colleagues at Northwestern Michigan College.
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Jan 16, 2014 | President Updates
The trend of enrollment at Northwestern Michigan College in the past five fall and spring semesters mirrors the unemployment rate. When unemployment increases, enrollment at community colleges increases (including NMC) as students seek education to enhance their current skills or pursue different careers. Student enrollment began increasing related to unemployment in SP2009 and then peaked at the height of the recession in 2010-2011. During this time NMC experienced the highest enrollment in our history, with 5,440 students in FA2010 and 5,194 students in SP2011. Since that time enrollment is returning to levels prior to the recession. Current student enrollment is similar to the enrollment during 2007-2008.
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Jan 10, 2014 | President Updates
Resource Development
Where We’re Going – Business plan
- $383,117 was included in the FY14 Foundation budget to pay for operational expenses (i.e. transfer to College general fund).
- The business plan projects sustainable growth in the total dollars raised as a result of program implementation.
|
FY12 |
FY’13 |
FY’13 |
FY’14 |
FY’15 |
|
Actual |
Projected |
Actual |
Projected |
Projected |
| Revenue |
$1,401,510 |
$1,250,000 |
$1,361,879 |
$1,764,335 |
$4,109,944* |
| Bequests |
$4,500 |
|
$761,308 |
|
|
| Total |
$1,406,010 |
$1,250,000 |
$2,123,187 |
$1,764,335 |
$4,109,944* |
| Expenses |
$372,783 |
$469,929 |
$466,706 |
$797,652 |
$1,188,894** |
- The business plan illustrates a comprehensive campaign to begin in FY’15. Based on a $15M campaign goal, $4,109,944 is projected in gifts and commitments in FY’15 and 5,810,000 in FY’ 16. Expenses are also reflective of a campaign.
Where We’re Going – Business Plan
- Business plan adopted
- Metrics in place
- Staff performance on track
- Hiring the Team
- Increased utilization and cleanup of database
- Face to Face Visits with donors, prospects
- Cultivation and Stewardship
- Annual Giving position to be filled early in 2014
- Alumni position delayed proposed for FY15
- Solicitation
- Marketing and Communications
- Clear Priorities
- Development of donor pipeline
Where We’re Going- Case for Support
- Executive Committee reviewed outline
- Beta testing campaign ideas during select donor visits
- Foundation Board retreat to review priorities and look ahead
- Refine needs and opportunities
- Develop funding formulas
- Finalize case
- Test it
- Feedback we’ve heard, that much of the work above will help to overcome:
- Some donors feel as though we have been “ nickel and diming”/too many asks
- Some donors feel that we do not have clear priorities for charitable gifts
- Related to above comments, some donors wonder where to give? Or to what?
- Because of frequent requests, some donors lose track of “how much have I given?”
Where We’re Going – Major Gifts
Major gifts work remains a top priority for our board and staff. This work is where we will see the most gains. We must become more intentional with regard to staff time and donor engagement. As we work with donors, we will set targeted gift level “ asks” and help to define what a major gift is for donors. To be successful, we continue to develop the necessary infrastructure for this work which includes database systems, an annual giving society and appropriate donor recognition, and a dedicated staff and volunteer team!
- Major Gifts Committee:
- Prospect Identification /Review
- Major and Planned Gift strategy work
- Staffing: Director of Development ( as of July 22): Anthony Rupard
- Raiser’s Edge Metrics Implementation: # visits, calls, targeted asks/gift levels
- Portfolio Development ( Jenneman, Nelson, Rupard, Teahen)
- 50-75 prospects in each portfolio
- Gift tables: Placing donors at targeted gift levels to protect major gifts feasibility
- Annual Giving Society/ Presidents Club
- Donor recognition ( Annual giving, Major and Planned Gift donors)
- Reaching Goals! (By June 30)
- Targeted number of face to face solicitations!
- Major Gift Prospect Identification, Qualification
- Major Gift Proposals; Creating and presenting to donors
- Case for support to aid in major gift solicitation
- Small pipeline of major donor prospects
Where We’re Going- Events
Lobdells, NMC Open, Taster’s Guild, Fellows, AF Kickoff, Outstanding Alumni, etc.
- RD has taken ownership of all donor related/ fundraising events
- More planful execution- invite lists, stewardship of guests, etc.
- NMC Scholarship Open – 2013 success and reaching higher for 2014!
- Gift tables: setting event sponsorship goals based on feasibility
- Identified sponsorship potential for Taster’s Guild Auction; using gift table to project revenue:
1 @ 5,000
4 @ 2,500
10 @ 1,000
- Maximize full fund raising potential of events
- Incorporate events into annual giving society rhythm
- Scheduling events
- Board and Community being asked to high volume of
- Commitment of staff time
Where We’re Going- Annual Fund
- Re-engineered and deployed the new structure: From campaign to fund
- Annual Fund committee
- Communicating with donors, leaders to share the message
- Video
- Great progress in # donors and dollars to date!
- Radio and TV promos
- Hiring replacement for Annual Giving position
- Development student phonathon program (Spring 2014).
- Continue to grow the program and pipeline
- Database: who is alum, mail segments
- Annual Giving Position vacant (Sept- Dec 2013)
Where We’re Going- Alumni
- Finding and telling stories!
- Linkedln Alumni group
- Increased awareness of systems needed and potential for growth
Monthly E-news
- Yet to be Done
- Proposal for NorWester to become Alumni Magazine is under consideration.
- Promote alumni successes- online, Record Eagle, etc. TBD
- Database – who is alum & what kind
- Dynamic info
- Current contact info
- Program development proposed in FY15
- Alumni Mining
- Alumni Relating
Where We’re Going- Marketing
- Foundation Newsletter
- Foundation Annual Report 2012 was first in over a decade
- 1:1 story telling
- Refine messages –clear, relevant, compelling
- Twitter, Facebook, Linkedln
- Monthly E-news
- “Grassroots” positioning
- Web site improvements ongoing
- Marketing plan development
- Convene committee
- Increase capacity
- Development strategic marketing plan
- Exploring potential with Village Press
- Back burner while we focus on fundraising priorities
- Lack of internal capacity
Where We’re Going- Infrastructure Database + Policy/ Procedure + Staffing
As mentioned above, the fundraising infrastructure of the organization is under development. Our work in this area must keep pace with the growth model laid out in the business plan. Needs in this area include increased data on alumni, improved capture of information on individuals, and general database clean up along with improved systems to manage the “donor pipeline” and “moves management” process.
Where We’re Going- Infrastructure (Database)
- Effective Raisers Edge training programs
- Improved use of events module
- More effective tracking of appeals
- Assigned solicitors and data entry re: fundraising proposals
- Cross training on gift entry
- Constituent codes
- General clean ups
- Funds/ Campaigns/ Appeals
- Work with RESolutions, Tech
- Evaluate online giving/ Event/ E-news software
- Alumni information/ connection to banner
Limited staff time on these projects to date
Where We’re Going- Infrastructure (Policies & Procedures)
- Letters of Agreement for new endowment funds (in review)
- Letters of Agreement for honor/ memorial gifts
- “Clean audit”
- Process for external grant applications
- Fund allocation process & fund clean up
- Review financial procedures
- Staff training (new staff & new procedures)
- Draft gift acceptance policy
- More fund clean ups
- Process to adopt or accept fundraising goals
- MOU
- Time!
- Ensure all new policies reflect best practices for NMC
Where We’re Going- Infrastructure (Staffing)
- Strong New Team!
- Amanda Gower as Office Assistant and Data Entry Clerk as of June 11, 2013
- Craig Mulder as Database and Research Specialist
- Anthony Rupard as Director of Development as of July 22, 2013
- Carly McCall as Foundation Financial Assistant
- Onboarding Financial Assistant
- Annual Giving specialist coming early 2014
- Alumni position
- Onboarding Annual Giving Specialist
- Not yet up to full staffing levels.
- New Team; transitions
- Not all team members come with a fundraising background. To address this, we have begun to take advantage of internal learning opportunities and will continue to do more: Fundraising 101.
Jan 10, 2014 | Intercom, President Updates
For those of you who may have missed it (or for anyone who wants to watch it over and over), a video of the presentations at Mid-Year Conference from Monday, January 6 is now available on the NMC Intranet (login required.)
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Dec 5, 2013 | President Updates
Thank you all for everything you do in pursuit of “Keeping Learning at the Center.”
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Nov 15, 2013 | President Updates
Thank you all for everything you do in pursuit of “Keeping Learning at the Center.”
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Oct 2, 2013 | Forward Thinking
Timothy J. Nelson, President, Northwestern Michigan College
A fundamental question for any organization, profit or not, is, “What do we do for whom at what value?” The answers to this ultimately define the business model for the enterprise. This then informs the cost structure, the market, and the pricing and revenue practices for the organization. The current trend of students paying more in absolute and proportionate share of the cost to operate the college has limits and may postpone answering this fundamental question (College Board Advocacy & Policy Center, 2012). In community colleges, tuition alone does not generate enough revenue to create a positive net margin. There is a saying, “No margin, no mission.”
The traditional revenue model for community colleges is different among the 50 states. (Education Commission of the States, 2000) In Michigan, the original bargain was said to be one-third each for local, state, and students. Today, state funding is a combination of legacy and a funding distribution formula adopted in 2007. (Jonasson, 2013)
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Oct 2, 2013 | Forward Thinking
Timothy J. Nelson, President, Northwestern Michigan College
When systems are in a transformative state, the underlying assumptions that influence their operations and purposes must be examined and questioned. One way to do this is to look at organizations or industries with similar characteristics and determine what we can learn and/or project from their journey. Thus, as higher education—in fact all of education—is faced with changing demands, changing demographics, technological advances and changing expectations we can look for a similar industry. I have long believed it is health care.
Consider that the federal government in 2010 passed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. Looking at the health care reform component of this act and the sister Patient Protection and Affordability Act, is it worth asking, “What if these changes are applied to education and higher education?”
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Sep 23, 2013 | President Updates
Thank you for everything you do in pursuit of “Keeping Learning at the Center.”
Faculty and Staff Activities of Note:
This section recognizes the good work being done and linkages to the Strategic Agenda,
Strategic Directions and Goals are provided where possible. (more…)
Sep 6, 2013 | President Updates
Thank you all for everything you do in pursuit of “Keeping Learning at the Center.”
Activities of Note: Faculty and Staff
This section recognizes the good work being done and linkages to the Strategic Agenda, Strategic Directions and Goals are provided where possible. (more…)
Jul 22, 2013 | President Updates
Personal Note:
I returned to work full time last week and thank you all for the extra work and attention you absorbed during my month-long absence. It’s hard to believe we are only a little over five weeks away from opening conference. There is a lot going on between now and then that will have significant impact on NMC and our future. Two important events occurring on the same date are our Higher Learning Commission visit for accreditation of NMC’s first baccalaureate degree (Maritime Technologies) on August 5 and 6, and the Grand Traverse County election for NMC operating millage on August 6. It will be a busy two days for a lot of people. Next week is the MCCA annual meeting here in Traverse City. There is a great line-up of national speakers including Jeff Selingo, the Editor-at-Large from the Chronicle for Higher Education, author of the just released book, College (Un)Bound: The Future of Higher Education and What it Means for Students. I know many of you have signed up to attend portions of the conference and I encourage you to participate as much as you can. This is an important year of continued transformation for the Association and all colleges. (more…)
Apr 5, 2013 | President Updates
Thank you all for everything you do in pursuit of “Keeping Learning at the Center.”
Activities of Note: Faculty and Staff
This section recognizes the good work being done and linkages to the Strategic Agenda, Strategic Directions and Goals are provided where possible. (more…)
Feb 18, 2013 | President Updates
Thank you all for everything you do in pursuit of “Keeping Learning at the Center.”
Activities of Note: Faculty and Staff
This section recognizes the good work being done and linkages to the Strategic Agenda, Strategic Directions and Goals are provided where possible. (more…)
Feb 17, 2013 | Intercom, President Updates, Student News
February 21, 6-7:15 p.m. in Milliken Auditorium
National Security and the Politics of Intelligence – Author Joshua Rovner illustrates how politics, not “intelligence failures” led the U.S. into war in Iraq.
See the complete 2012-13 speaker schedule »
All current educators and students are admitted free. The public is invited to attend for $10 at the door. For more information, call NMC Extended Education at(231) 995-1700.
Feb 8, 2013 | President Updates
Thank you all for everything you do in pursuit of “Keeping Learning at the Center.”
Activities of Note: Faculty and Staff
This section recognizes the good work being done and linkages to the Strategic Agenda, Strategic Directions and Goals are provided where possible. (more…)
