TRAVERSE CITY — The Northwestern Michigan College Foundation will seek to raise $1 million to meet the emergency needs of both students and the college in response to challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
These funds will come from donor support and enable student success by meeting immediate needs in three categories:
- Student support, including scholarships, food pantry access and flexible funding for emergency needs;
- Academic support, increasing capacity of key areas including the Writing & Reading Center and Educational Media Technology;
- Program stabilization, including flexible funds to ensure programs will be able to continue to operate for the benefit of students and the greater community.
Since mid-March, when COVID-19 closed campuses and shifted spring semester classes from face-to-face to online, NMC has received more than 350 requests for emergency support from students. NMC has increased critical academic support and programs that benefit students — from lending computers and Wi-Fi hotspots to stocking the NMC Food Pantry.
“I have seen the incredible fortitude of our NMC community. The faculty and staff have stepped up to provide support to our students in new and unprecedented ways. Yet the need is still great,” said NMC President Nick Nissley. “Emergency funding will ensure the continuity of education for students facing tremendous adversity during these challenging times.”
Northwestern Michigan College has received some emergency funding that will be distributed to students through the federal CARES Act. However, this funding is significantly restricted. For example, CARES Act funding cannot cover tuition expenses.
“NMC has a longstanding history of being supported by the community. This college exists because the community decided that education is important to the well-being of the region,” said Rebecca Teahen, Executive Director of the NMC Foundation. “I am hopeful that our community will once again step up to ensure that an NMC education will remain accessible for all.”
All gifts to this effort will be included as part of the $35 million Be What’s Possible campaign launched publicly by the NMC Foundation in October 2019. To date, over $29 million has been raised.
The NMC Foundation was established in 1981 as the philanthropic arm of Northwestern Michigan College. To help meet the immediate, emergency needs of NMC students and the college, make a gift at nmc.edu/give.
Release date: May 13, 2020
For more information:
Rebecca Teahen
Executive Director, NMC Foundation
rteahen@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1855