Focus 7

Knowlton’s Notes: Focus On Developing New Financial Resources
The last “focus” of the seven identified in the new Dakota State University strategic plan is on developing new financial resources. This focus is key if we are to make the kind of progress all of us would like to see here at DSU. To develop new programs, add more students and improve our facilities we will need new sources of revenue and support. To this end the university has identified these five activities as keys to realizing these much needed financial resources.

1.Support the DSU Foundation in its efforts to conduct a successful comprehensive campaign.
The university is at the beginning stages of a campaign to reach out to alumni and friends of the university to gain funds for building projects and for scholarship support. Over the next few years members of our development office (including me) will be on the road and working to connect these individuals to our vision and to the mission of DSU.

2.Expand corporate partnerships to support campus endeavors.
With the increasing number of corporations and businesses looking to hire students from DSU and our tie to industries in the region (financial, health care, etc.) we will initiate a special campaign to reach out to these groups.

3.Increase campus efficiencies by “going green”.
While raising additional revenue is important, it is also important that we are good stewards of this campus. We can find ways to reduce energy costs by becoming more environmentally conscious and by initiating more “green” practices on the campus.

4.Obtain funding to support facilities and campus infrastructure improvements.
Through grants and through legislatively funded projects we hope to make improvements to the campus. For example we are in the first stages of a request to the legislature that would provide funds for renovation our Science Center.

5. Increase financial support from alumni and other benefactors.
Through regular publications, our improved telethon system, and as a part of our foundation’s comprehensive campaign we have increased goals for annual giving and endowment support.

We have set some significant and challenging goals for our fundraising efforts.
By 2012, the DSU Foundation net assets will reach $10 million, the annual phonathon will reach $150,000 in pledges, and the University will have new resources in place to support new academic programs and initiatives. Current assets are approximately 6 million dollars and our telethon raised approximately 75 thousand dollars last year.

This last issue of the Trojan Times for 2007 concludes my series on the new DSU strategic plan. I have posted some of these articles to my blog http://presidentspage.blogspot.com/ and would welcome any comments or additional ideas.
As a part of this effort we will be reaching out to our alumni, the local community, corporations, families, faculty and staff and even students to help us meet these important goals.