‘By far our best year ever’: MSUM raises almost $9 million since July
MOORHEAD – It’s been a good fundraising year for Minnesota State University Moorhead – “by far our best year ever,” said President Anne Blackhurst.
Since July 1, MSUM has raised $8.8 million, Blackhurst recently told The Forum Editorial Board. That far surpasses the university’s $2.4 million goal for this fiscal year, as well as the almost $2 million raised last year.
One of the benefits of this is an additional $1 million available for scholarships compared to a year ago, said university spokesman David Wahlberg.
“For prospective students, that’s a real incentive,” he said.
Like many Minnesota colleges, MSUM has seen declining enrollment in recent years. Current enrollment is about 6,000, and Blackhurst’s goal is 7,000 to 7,500, she said.
Of the almost $9 million raised, $1 million was donated in August by Scheels, a Fargo-based sporting goods company, and a gift of more than $1 million will be announced later this month, Wahlberg said.
The biggest piece, $5 million, comes from Rodney Paseka, CEO of Hebron Brick, and his wife, Carolyn. Their gift to the business school was the university’s largest, and Blackhurst said there are more potential donors at that level.
“We haven’t always been very good at (fundraising), so a lot of people who have capacity aren’t feeling particularly connected to the university at this moment,” she said. “So we have fences to mend, bridges to build.”
Fundraising is increasingly important for MSUM, especially with a tuition freeze and decreased state allocation, Blackhurst said.
“One of the only ways to make up the gap, let alone have that margin for excellence we want to have, is fundraising,” she said.
Blackhurst took over as president last summer, and Laura Huth, vice president of the alumni foundation, said she’s partly the reason for this year’s success.
“Her leadership style has been very conducive to alumni and the business community being able to support the vision that she brings us,” Huth said.
The foundation also added two people to its development staff last summer.
Huth said there were no radical new techniques employed this year: just good leadership, a strong staff and, most of all, supportive alumni.
“We wouldn’t be successful if it wasn’t for them, so we don’t want to take credit for anything,” she said. “We just get the wonderful pleasure of being the liaisons to make these gifts happen.”