A Northwest student creates a poster during Thank a Donor activities last year. Northwest and its Office of University Advancement will celebrate the annual event April 3. (Northwest Missouri State University photo)

March 22, 2018

Northwest students encouraged to extend thanks to alumni, donors

Northwest Missouri State University will celebrate the alumni and friends who contribute generously to the University in support of scholarships, campus facilities and the value of a college degree during the fourth annual “Thank a Donor Day.”

“Thank a Donor Day” activities will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, in the J.W. Jones Student Union, where students may share their gratitude by signing postcards to be sent to donors.

Other activities will include a “Cat Cart,” based on the popular game show “Cash Cab.” Individuals will have an opportunity to ride a cart while answering questions about Northwest giving to win a prize.

Additionally, yard signs placed throughout the campus and bows placed on campus facilities, equipment and other gifts, will raise awareness of the ways donors have impacted Northwest through their giving to the University.

The annual event is designed to educate Northwest students about the importance of private donations from alumni, family and friends, draw attention to the impact that alumni support has throughout the University, and actively engage the students in the stewardship of alumni donors.

“Thank a Donor Day has become a Northwest tradition of thanking donors for their generous support and partnership to Northwest,” Bob Machovsky, Northwest’s director of alumni relations and annual giving, said. “The Thank a Donor Day celebration provides an opportunity for students, staff and faculty to come together to show their gratitude to those who support the University with monetary donations to areas such as scholarships, building projects and renovations, and academic departments.”

This year’s ”Thank a Donor Day” at Northwest also is benefitting a group of students who are gaining profession-based experience by planning, organizing and promoting the day’s activities. The students in Assistant Professor of Mass Media Dr. Jody Strauch’s Public Relations Problems and Cases course are working in collaboration with Northwest’s Office of University Advancement.

“Hands-on learning is one of the best ways for me to learn how to apply the skills I have learned in the classroom to real-life,” Carrie Egnatowski Rawson, a senior public relations major from Willow Springs, Missouri. “We are working in small groups, similar to how task forces would work in a real PR or marketing firm. We have been working with limited resources and with deadlines, which really helps me and my classmates understand how to work in a fast-paced environment. I have enjoyed working on this project, and this was definitely a great experience for my last trimester before graduation.”

The Northwest Foundation, the fundraising arm of Northwest, recorded a historic fiscal year 2017, securing nearly $13 million in donor funding while exceeding its goal for the year by 82 percent. The average gift also increased 20 percent to about $4,700, outdoing peer institutions by 16 percent. Private support for Northwest has averaged nearly $8.5 million during the last three years.

Scholarship support remains a central mission of the Foundation, which awarded nearly $1 million in scholarships to 1,146 students during FY17. The University’s Adopt-a-Bearcat scholarship program awarded nearly 200 scholarships.

For more information about the event, contact Machovsky at rmachov@nwmissouri.edu or 660.562.1248.