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Northwest Foundation reports successful FY23, continued upgrades to campus facilities and scholarship funding
Northwest Foundation Inc., the fundraising arm of Northwest Missouri State University, achieved one of its most successful fundraising years during the last five decades while supporting continued upgrades to campus facilities and scholarship funding.
The Foundation secured $6.6 million in total giving during Fiscal Year 2023, which ended June 30. The total, which is a 12 percent increase from the previous fiscal year, is the fourth-highest amount raised by the Foundation in the last 20 years and the fifth-highest since the Foundation was established 1972. The Northwest Foundation has raised about $12.5 million in the two years since the completion of its highly successful Forever Green campaign, which ended with $55 million raised.
Scholarship support, which remains a central mission of the Foundation, totaled nearly $1.5 million and funded 1,467 scholarship awards to Northwest students during the last fiscal year. Total scholarship funding through the Foundation increased for the fifth consecutive year, while the average scholarship amount awarded from donor-funded scholarships during FY23 was $1,013.
Furthermore, the Foundation facilitated the creation of 11 endowed scholarships, which are established through gifts totaling a minimum of $25,000.
Mitzi Marchant, the vice president of university advancement at Northwest and executive director of the Northwest Foundation, expressed her thanks to the thousands of donors and volunteers who continue to support Northwest and bolster opportunities for the University’s students.
“The unwavering support of our generous donors has been a cornerstone to Northwest’s continued growth and success,” Marchant said. “On behalf of the University’s students, faculty and staff as well as the Northwest Foundation, I thank our donors for believing in Northwest’s mission and empowering the future of education.”
Additionally, the Foundation provided about $5.5 million to the University as direct and indirect support of various needs in FY23. An example of those needs include the April completion of a $1.3 million remodel of the third floor of Martindale Hall. The renovation project to uplift Northwest’s School of Health Science and Wellness was the first phase in a longer-term goal of enhancing the entire facility.
Donors also contributed significantly to a nearly $2-million renovation of the McKemy Center for Lifelong Learning, which will help Northwest expand its agricultural science program offerings and enhance the workforce for manufacturing and agribusiness industry clusters.
Further illustrating the Foundation’s growth in FY23, The 1905 Society, which recognizes supporters who make an annual unrestricted gift of $1,000 or more, increased to 177 members. Meanwhile, the Foundation’s annual giving program raised about $487,000.
During its third annual Bearcat Day of Green in March, Northwest alumni and friends devoted 1,905 minutes to raising support for the University. The campaign raised $99,825 through 290 gifts dedicated to initiatives within the areas of academics, athletics, campus beautification, diversity and inclusion, and student life as well as KXCV-KRNW, Martindale Hall, the Northwest Fund and scholarships.
Fiscal year 2023 - July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023
The goals Northwest sets for itself continue to be ambitious, inspiring and visionary. The establishment of the Fifth District Normal School in 1905 was the culmination of a 30-year struggle to bring higher education to the region. These donors provided a minimum of $1,000 in unrestricted monetary support, which is vital to achieve the possibilities that pave the way for a brighter future for Northwest and its students.
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These donors contributed at least $25,000 between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.
The Board of Regents serves as the governing body for Northwest Missouri State University. The nine members, including a non-voting student regent, are appointed by the governor and approved by the Missouri Senate. The Board holds the Northwest vision in its highest regard.
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These donors contributed between $10,000 and $24,999 between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.
The Fifth District Normal School opened in 1905, offering two-year programs to educate teachers for the region. The name was changed to Northwest Missouri State Teachers College in 1919 as the curriculum began to focus on four-year programs. As its prominence as a regional institution began to grow and the fields of study continued to expand, the name was changed to Northwest Missouri State College in 1949. Finally, as the breadth of its programs continued to increase, especially graduate studies, the name Northwest Missouri State University was approved in 1972. No matter the formal name, the institution has always been known by its alumni and friends as Northwest.
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These donors contributed between $5,000 and $9,999 between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.
The cornerstone of Academic Hall, now the Administration Building, was laid Oct. 12, 1907, amid great celebration, including a parade. Into the cornerstone, a copper box was placed that included many items from the era such as coins, pictures and a copy of the law that created the Fifth District Normal School. After many heartaches and delays, the building was finally completed in 1910.
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These donors contributed between $1,000 and $4,999 between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.
Eleven presidents have served Northwest from its days as the Fifth District Normal School to present day Northwest Missouri State University. Through their guidance and leadership, Northwest has grown into one of the most respected universities in the country.
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These donors contributed between $500 and $999 between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.
Efforts to bring a normal school - a training school for teachers in the public schools - to northwest Missouri began in 1874. After many years of struggle, in 1905, House Bill 311 and Senate Bill 114 were passed and signed into law by Gov. Joseph W. Folk. For 14 years, the institution was known as the Fifth District Normal School and graduated hundreds of teachers who served the region.
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These donors contributed between $250 and $499 between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.
A lake on the campus was created during the tenure of President Uel W. Lamkin. Known as Lamkin Lake, College Pond and now Colden Pond, the area remains a popular place for students to gather and relax. Included in the surrounding geography are the well-known Kissing Bridge, the Northwest Peace Pavilion, and the Joyce and Harvey White International Plaza, making the south entrance to campus a visual masterpiece.
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These donors have contributed $1 million or more in lifetime gifts.
As students in the early 1900s arrived at the Maryville train depot, one of the first sights to the west of the station was the impressive turrets atop the institution’s Academic Hall, later known as the Administration Building. Through destructive tornados and a devastating fire, the Administration Building and its turrets have withstood the test of time, standing tall as an enduring symbol of Northwest.
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These donors have contributed between $500,000 and $999,999 in lifetime gifts.
Born in Staffordshire, England, on April 4, 1830, Thomas W. Gaunt was the son of Thomas Gaunt and Catherine Wooley. He moved to Nodaway County in 1857 and established a plant nursery, cultivating a variety of ornamental, shade and fruit trees. The Thomas Gaunt House was constructed during the 1870s and has been the home of Northwest presidents since its donation by the daughters of Thomas Gaunt in 1905.
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These donors have contributed between $250,000 and $499,999 in lifetime gifts.
The first building erected on campus was Academic Hall, now known as the Administration Building. Its commanding location is situated on the highest point of land between Omaha, Nebraska and St. Louis on the old Wabash Railroad line - 1,163 feet above sea level. Five cut-leaf birches stood at the site like sentinels, prompting faculty and students to describe the Normal School as being located “behind the birches.”
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These donors have contributed between $100,000 and $249,999 in lifetime gifts.
In 1965, Dr. Robert P. Foster announced plans to build a bell tower as a memorial to deceased alumni, former faculty members and members of the University's family who died representing our country. After years of fundraising, ground was finally broken in the fall of 1970 and the sounds of chiming bells greeted students returning for the fall of 1971.
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These donors have contributed between $25,000 and $99,999 in lifetime gifts.
The original architectural plans for the campus, which were modeled after Cambridge University, included a large quadrangle, marked on the most northern point by the Administration Building, with all future campus buildings built facing the quadrangle. While the original plans were never realized, the first sidewalk built from the entrance at Fourth Street and College Avenue led straight to the front door of the Administration Building and became known as the Long Walk.
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The Northwest Foundation is thankful for the lifetime support of all alumni and friends. Although lifetime giving levels now begin at $25,000, these individuals assumed a vital role in the former Tower Society with their lifetime gifts between $10,000 and $24,999.
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These donors have created a planned or deferred gift for Northwest or the Northwest Foundation. No minimum level of gift is required. James H. Lemon, a member of the Missouri House of Representatives, introduced House Bill No. 311, also known at the time as the "Nodaway County Normal Bill." Fighting against strong opposition in the House, Lemon is credited with establishing the Fifth District Normal School, as Northwest was originally known. His efforts culminated 30 years of struggle to bring higher education to the region.
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