First of all, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the support the NACS Foundation has received this past year. Individuals, Stores, State and Regional Associations, vendors, partners, volunteers, those behind the scenes and NACS Inc. itself, all made a huge difference in not only what we have been able to accomplish but also for what we hope to achieve in the future. With that being said, I’d like to share with you a little about our efforts and of our plans down the road.
First, we are moving forward with several initiatives to get the College Store of 2015 results and deliverables into the hands of as many college stores as we can. At the NACS Foundation Board's strategic direction meeting in May, a conversation ensued about how to best share this information and engage our corporate members and how best to let them know about the fantastic programs the Foundation offers to the college store industry. As a result, a new Vendor Task Force was created to "Educate, Communicate and Engage."
Chaired by NACS Foundation President-Elect Monika Sinclair (Framing Success), members of the Task Force include Jim Lance (Russell Athletic), Tom Hoffa (Pearson), Lisa Gallivan-Reed (OneCoast Collegiate), Mike Roos (Third Street Sportswear), Anthony Martin (Houston Baptist University Bookstore), and Laurie Bales (Portland Community College). I trust you will agree with me that this is quite a remarkable team! Working in concert with both the NACS Associate Committee and the Foundation Fundraising Committee, they will help give us insight into the needs and desires of our corporate partners, as well as help us engage new companies that are getting involved in the college store industry or that do not currently have a relationship with the Foundation.
Essentially, this Task Force’s goal will be to solicit feedback from companies about their values, what is important to their organizations, what types of programs/initiatives they would like to see the Foundation support, as well as the types of benefits they'd like to receive for their contributions. Equipped with this knowledge, the Foundation will investigate conducting a 2015 Capital Campaign to help grow the Epic Trust Endowment; thus allowing the Foundation to continue providing important tools and resources to our members.
Next, the Annual Fund (which does not launch for individual giving until early September) had a solid first quarter with 35 percent of its overall goal being raised at $8,840. This exceeded the $3,000 goal set for college store donations allocated from membership renewals. Those are some great numbers. But when I place those numbers into context and perspective with the following, I can’t help but continue to marvel at our wonderful, caring and generous industry.
On July 1, the NonProfit Times highlighted the results from the Giving USA special report. Two positive factors stood out to me: 75 percent ($227 billion) of the $303.75 billion in 2009 contributions came from individual donors and education was the second highest type of recipient at 13% ($40 billion). This is good news for the NACS Foundation because people are still giving to organizations that they care about. And please know that I deeply care about the NACS Foundation and the positive impact it is having on the lives of our members through education, research and professional development grants.Many of you have been assisted over the years by a Foundation grant, conference, bonus session, or research. So if you are compelled to make a contribution now to allow your peers have the same opportunity, you can make a secure donation online [link].
Finally, your Foundation team is gearing up for its Annual Phonathon hosted in Oberlin, Ohio at NACS Headquarters on September 28-29. The fundraising goal is $91,000 for the Online Auction and “Bring-A-Buyer” to CAMEX grant program. A particularly proud note that I am to share is that we were able to send, through gracious giving and support, 148 buyers to Orlando this year. We are still looking for a variety of buyers (apparel, general merchandise, soft goods technology, etc.) to participate. This year’s theme is Opportunity Knocks…and Rings. I sat at the phones for a couple of Phonathons before I joined the Foundation Board, and I must say it was tremendous fun and a remarkably rewarding experience! Besides helping the Foundation achieve its goals, it’s an all-expense paid event that flies by and allows its participants to establish some great bonds with some superb industry professionals. Additionally, if you have never seen our own industry headquarters, I am confident that you will be most impressed, given the certain chance to take a tour. But don’t take my word for it. Please read what my friend, Lee Gladden (emblematic buyer at the UCLA Store), had to say:
“I hope that anyone interested in this college industry and has a passion
for the business and the people involved in it, would become involved
in the Phonathon. It was a rewarding experience and I always value time
to share and exchange ideas with other store members. Plus, I love
being able to connect with some of my vendor partners, explaining the
mission of NACS and the importance of the fundraising.”
If you have an interest in participating, please email Kristi Runser at
krunser@nacs.org for more information.
For an update about all of the activities surrounding the College Store of 2015, please read the article in this issue of Torchlight… And thank you again for anything and everything you have done or hope to do in support the NACS Foundation; and in turn, our industry.