NSU Foundation donors, scholarship awards increase

Thanks to the generosity of donors, records were set for number of donations, donors and scholarship funds distributed, Northeastern State University Foundation recently reported.

In 2010, a total of 2,299 donors made 5,938 contributions to the NSU Foundation amounting to $1,606,270. Peggy Glenn-Summitt, director of development and executive director of the Foundation, said the figures for donors and contributions were records and was appreciative of NSU's supporters.

"We definitely want to thank all our donors," she said. "The numbers show that we're actually broadening our base with more donors than ever before. That means that we're reaching more of the people we need to reach. We hope they continue their commitment to the university and share that commitment with other alumni and prospective donors."

Scholarship funds distributed to students also reached an historic high at $502,782 making 2010 the first year NSU distributed more than $500,000 in scholarships.

There was also good news concerning the Foundation's total endowment, which is now just 1.7 percent below its historic high.

"The endowment is nearly at its record 2007 level where it was before the recession," Glenn-Summitt said.

However, totalfunding received was down. Funds donated to the Foundation were less in 2010. After reporting steady rises in donations since 2004 and a record $1,975,045 in 2009, donations for 2010 totaled were off 18.2 percent. Nationally, university foundations have reported reduced contributions in recent years, but in 2010 reported a half-percent increase.

Glenn-Summitt attributed reduced donations to a difficult economic climate in northeast Oklahoma and elsewhere, but said she is "excited" to begin work to increase contributions in future years. She assumed her post with NSU on Feb. 14, 2011.

"As an alumna, I think this is an excellent opportunity to inspire other people to become members of the Alumni Association and supporters of the university," she said. "This is a very exciting time on campus early in NSU's Second Century."