2015 - 16 BU Foundation Impact Report

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BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION 2015-16 ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT

THE IMPACT OF YOUR SUPPORT

has given Bloomsburg University students access to more opportunities than ever before to achieve their personal and educational goals. These opportunities have come alive because of your actions and gifts in support of the It’s Personal campaign. Through the creation of scholarships, professional experiences, collaboration with faculty and much more, your generosity is helping to prepare our students for success and enabling them to share that success to impact the lives of others in their local and global communities. THANK YOU!

Duane Greenly Board Chair

Jerome Dvorak Executive Director

Letter from our Foundation Leadership

Sharing the impact our foundation has on Bloomsburg University and its students with each of you, our loyal and committed donors, is one of our highest priorities. Showing you the difference that your support is making is just one of the ways we say thank you for all that you do.

As Bloomsburg University has grown and state support continues to decline, the role of our foundation and the support you provide has become more critical than ever. As the fundraising organization for Bloomsburg University, our dedicated directors and staff, along with nearly 6,000 donors have demonstrated their ongoing commitment in 2015-16 to our mission of supporting the academic and professional success of all Bloomsburg University students.

This past year, Bloomsburg University and the Bloomsburg University Foundation came together to publicly launch our It’s Personal campaign.

Throughout the campus, the impact of this campaign is already evident from our first ever Faculty Fellowships and Distinguished Professorships to our increasing scholarship aid. In this report we will share that impact and how it is making a difference for our students and faculty.

Your generosity will continue to help inspire more personal experiences like the ones you’ll read about in this report. By working together with a continued focus on advancing the university, we, like our students, look forward to an incredible future. Thank you for being part of it.

EVERY GIFT MAKES AN IMPACT All gifts to the It’s Personal campaign support more than just our campaign goals. They also help foster our community’s sense of connection with, and investment in, Bloomsburg University.

Supporting the campaign – at every donation level – inspires others to lend their support and affirms the value and stature of a Bloomsburg education.

So far, more than 16,000 alumni, parents and friends have demonstrated their philanthropic support, enabling us to raise 91 percent of our $50 million It’s Personal campaign goal.

Our donors are impacting every aspect of Bloomsburg University and allowing students to follow their dreams.

Every gift, no matter the size, makes an impact.

IT’S PERSONAL: THE LAUNCH “Tonight we celebrate our opportunity to make an impact on the lives of current and future Bloomsburg University students.”

— David L. Soltz, Ph.D. President Bloomsburg University

On Oct. 16, 2015, Bloomsburg University and the Bloomsburg University Foundation announced the launch of It’s Personal: The Campaign for Bloomsburg University. The theme of the campaign, It’s Personal, was chosen because of its ultimate goal to support Bloomsburg University’s mission of providing students with a personal educational experience and a profound impact they will carry with them far beyond graduation.

During the official launch, inside a transformed Nelson Field House, speakers informed those in attendance of the campaign’s goals and priorities, which include funding areas most beneficial to current and future students and the university’s continued success.

They are: new academic and athletic scholarships; recruitment, support and retention of outstanding faculty; and professional experiences for students.

Roongo, BU’s mascot, and several student-athletes (pictured above) helped announce that $36,437,646 had been raised as the public phase of the campaign began. Since that time, the amount toward the $50 million goal has reached $45.5 million.

The It’s Personal campaign, the largest fundraising initiative in Bloomsburg University’s history, is about impact, Bloomsburg University President David Soltz said, “Impact that is personal to you as a donor or volunteer and personal for the students and faculty members you support.”

INVESTING IN EXPERIENCE Experiential learning opportunities are an important part of the student experience.

Too often, students are offered these opportunities, but can’t take advantage of them due to the cost.

That’s why Michael ’85 and Beth Boguski used their gift to establish a Professional Experience Grant. Their gift supports students with opportunities for internships, study abroad programs, research projects and more.

“Internships help students gain practical experience critical to launching their careers,” Michael Boguski said. “We made this gift to help BU students gain the real-world experience that will give them a competitive advantage without having to worry about the expense.”

LIFE CHANGING OPPORTUNITY “This opportunity allowed me to experience what it was like to spend a summer working and living on my own in a big city. It prepared me for taking the next step in my life after graduation.”

— Katelyn Caralle ’16 Professional Experience Grant recipient

When communications studies major Katelyn Caralle ’16 (pictured above at right) learned about an opportunity to apply for an internship that would allow her to spend the summer in Washington, D.C., she couldn’t fill out the application fast enough. “The Washington Center internship was the perfect opportunity for me,” Caralle said. “I hadn’t done my internship yet, and I had always wanted to go to a big city and see what it would be like to live in that kind of setting.”

After being accepted for the internship in the journalism track, she was very excited, but was staggered by the cost. Through BU’s Office of Career and Professional Development, Caralle learned she was eligible for a Professional Experience Grant that would cover much of the cost and turn her dream internship into a reality.

Caralle went to Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2015 and benefited from valuable experience that prepared her for a variety of careers related to communications. “I was able to work a full-time job in my field for the entire summer, take courses that helped me with professional development and networking skills and gain academic credits while also learning real-world marketable skills,” Caralle added.

The internship and courses resulted in Caralle receiving 12 credits, which is allowing her to graduate a semester early and get a jump start on transitioning to law school.

DONORS RESPOND WITH IMMEDIATE IMPACT In April 2016, the It’s Personal Scholarship Fund was created to help students facing financial crisis.

Community Government Association President, Sally McAvoy, asked BU alumni for their support to help fellow Huskies who were in danger of not achieving their educational goals.

“These students have worked hard and have done well academically, however, that has not been enough,” McAvoy said. “They will be forced to leave Bloomsburg at the end of the semester unless we do something now to help them.”

Donors took action with the swift and generous response of more than 950 donations to make an immediate impact on the lives of students in need.

KEEPING HUSKY DREAMS ALIVE “I was in danger of not returning to BU for my sophomore year due to financial issues. But thanks to donations to the It’s Personal Scholarship Fund, I am keeping my Husky dreams alive!”

— Lexis Easley ’19 It’s Personal Scholarship Fund support recipient

At the end of her freshman year, Lexis Easley learned that there was a hold placed on her scheduling because she had an outstanding balance. She talked to her parents, and they looked for other options to see if they could find the money she would need to come back to BU. “We filled out several applications and forms, but I didn’t qualify for additional financial aid,” she said.

When that didn’t work, she turned to her advisors and mentors on campus to see if they could help her find any additional opportunities for funding. Through her involvement with Bloomsburg University’s Impact Movement and discussions with Marcei Woods, Coordinator of Cultural Affairs and Student Support Services, she learned of a possible solution; the It’s Personal Scholarship Fund, which was created to help students facing immediate financial need due to unforeseen circumstances.

Easley applied and, because of her solid academic standing, she was selected to receive the funding that ensured she would be able to return for her sophomore year. “Now I know that I am coming back to BU, and it is a great feeling,” she said. “I owe that feeling to the generous donors who gave their support to help students like me.”

“This fellowship has allowed me to pursue my scholarly activities while also providing the opportunity for students to get hands-on experience and connect with professional musicians.”

— Stephen Clickard, Ph.D. Professor and Chair of the Bloomsburg University Music Department

When Stephen Clickard, Ph.D., Chair of the Bloomsburg University Music Department, was named as the recipient of the inaugural Jack and Helen Evans Endowed Fellowship in the College of Liberal Arts, he immediately recognized the opportunity to execute a project that he had been planning for some time.

Dr. Clickard approached two students in the Bachelor of Arts: Audio Visual Recording Track to work with him on recording and producing a professional full-length album in the BU music studio of his little big band, The Clickard Consortium. Rebecca Dressler, a senior from Shamokin, PA, and Reed Lehman, a junior from Bloomsburg, PA, both jumped at the chance to get involved.

“The experience we gained throughout this process gave me a lot of confidence with my major and the choice that I made,” Dressler said. “I can really see myself doing this as a career and learned what it was like to actually work with clients.”

“It looked more like a mountain when we were first presented with the project,” Lehman added. “I was excited and nervous at the same time. But to know now that we produced 12 fully mixed tracks that will be released to the public just makes me want to get back in the studio and do more.”

A YEAR OF IMPACT...

University President David Soltz, Ph.D., told students, faculty and staff about the It’s Personal campaign during a campus rally held on Oct. 14, 2015.

Steph Pettit ’89 addressed the crowd during the dedication of the Sully and Bubs Pavilion at Steph Pettit Stadium to honor the memory of Todd “Sully” Sullivan and Dave “Bubs” Pysher.

More than 375 Bloomsburg University spring 2016 graduates supported the It’s Personal campaign by making their senior class gifts. That’s more than 30% of the graduating class!

On Feb. 25, 2016, Nicholas J. Giuffre ’78 contributed the largest donation in the BU Foundation’s history to establish the Nicholas J. Giuffre Center for Supply Chain Management.

Scholarship recipients had the opportunity to make a personal connection with their donors at the Bloomsburg University Foundation’s Annual Scholarship Luncheon.

Students once again benefited from the chance to learn about the radio broadcasting industry from the best in the business during the annual Confer Radio Talent Institute.

2015-16 IMPACT

BY THE NUMBERS Nearly 6,000 donors have helped the Bloomsburg University Foundation in the advancement of Bloomsburg University and preparing students for personal and professional success.

Whether designated as a scholarship, a grant to support professional experiences, a pledge through an estate intention or to support the university’s greatest need through the Henry Carver Fund; below are just some of the ways through which your gifts are making an impact on the lives of BU students and faculty every day.

$1,416,007

Total Dollars Raised Through the Henry Carver Fund

$1,397,174

$3,566,943

Total Dollars Committed Through Estate Intentions



$1,185,549

 Scholarship Dollars Provided to BU

Program Dollars Awarded to BU

 99.6%

of every dollar contributed to the BU Foundation goes to support BU programs and initiatives.

To view Bloomsburg University Foundation’s complete financial review go to ItsPersonal.bloomu.edu/financials

BU FOUNDATION BOARD 2015-16

Officers Duane Greenly ’72, Chair Retired, President & CEO Ames True Temper, Inc.

Michael Gillespie ’95, Treasurer Chief Accounting Officer Hersha Hospitality Trust

Drew Hostetter ’76, Vice Chair Retired, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc.

Victoria L. Mihalik Corresponding Secretary Director, Bloomsburg YMCA Pre-school

Board Members Dr. Harold J. Bailey ’00 (H) Retired, Bloomsburg University Faculty

Patricia Mica ’67 Former Chair

Chris Beadling ’94 Founder, Squak, LLC

John Mulka ’66 Retired, Director of Corporate and Major Gifts Bloomsburg University

Michael Boguski ’85 President, Eastern Alliance Insurance Group Edward Breiner ’77 Retired, President and CEO Schramm, Inc. Maria Cannon ’16 (H) Vice President, Channel Marketing TE Connectivity Craig Diehl ’82 Esquire, CPA, and Managing Partner Law Offices of Craig A. Diehl Susan B. Fetterman ’00/’04M Chief Administrative Officer Geisinger Clinic Sharon Gettel ’78 Retired, Principal/Elementary Educator Northern Lebanon School District Nick Giuffre ’78 President and CEO Bradford White Corporation Sally McAvoy ’16 President, Bloomsburg University Community Government Association

Noble “Bud” Quandel, Jr. ’69 Chairman & CEO Quandel Enterprises, Inc. Chester C. Snavely, Jr. ’70 President, Anchor Organization Realty Phillip N. Stan III ’94 Vice President & Treasurer of Financial Planning & Analysis, alphabroder Harry B. Strickland Professor, La Roche College Nelson A. Swarts ’63 Retired CEO, PASSHE Foundation, Inc. Barbara A. Willders ’83 Alumni Association Representative President & CEO, Bogart Advisors, LLC Terry Zeigler ’76 President/Owner, Datacap Systems, Inc.

ItsPersonal.bloomu.edu/impact2016