Northwest Foundation reports successful FY25 with increases in scholarships, total giving

Northwest Foundation reports successful FY25 with increases in scholarships, total giving

Northwest Foundation Inc., the fundraising arm of Northwest Missouri State University, maintained its focus on scholarship funding during Fiscal Year 2025 while raising awareness about the importance of supporting the University and its students.

The Foundation secured $6.4 million in total giving during FY25, which ended June 30. The total represents a 12 percent increase in giving from the prior year.

"Through the Northwest Foundation, philanthropy fuels progress, opening doors for students and strengthening the future of our communities," said Mike Johnson, the vice president of university advancement at Northwest and executive director of the Northwest Foundation. "We thank all our donors who believe and give to Northwest Missouri State University in the spirit of advancing our students' success."

Scholarship support, which remains a central mission of the Foundation, totaled more than $1.54 million, a 10.3 percent increase from FY24, and funded 1,577 scholarship awards to Northwest students, an increase of 9.7. The average scholarship amount awarded from donor-funded scholarships during FY25 was $979.

Furthermore, the Foundation facilitated the creation of 16 endowed scholarships, established through gifts totaling a minimum of $25,000.

The Foundation's successful fiscal year also included its fifth annual Bearcat Day of Green last March, which attracted a record-breaking 821 donors providing gifts totaling $188,389 for University initiatives. As Northwest alumni and friends devoted 1,905 minutes to raising support for the University, the campaign's fundraising total increased by nearly 70 percent from the 2024 Bearcat Day of Green. Donors supported initiatives centered on academics, Bearcat athletics, Bearcats Helping Bearcats, KXCV-KRNW radio, the Northwest Fund, scholarships and student life.

Additionally, the Foundation provided nearly $2 million to the University as direct and indirect support for various needs in FY25. An example of those needs includes the remodel and expansion of Martindale Hall, for which the Foundation met its fundraising goal.

Membership in The 1905 Society, which recognizes supporters who make an annual unrestricted gift of $1,000 or more, totals 169 donors. Meanwhile, the Foundation's annual giving program raised more than $580,000, an increase of 32.4 percent, during the fiscal year.

Sixty-one percent of the total funds raised by the Foundation during FY25 were cash gifts, while a total of 3,792 donors contributed to Northwest initiatives. In all, the Foundation's total assets under management amount to about $55.5 million, while its endowment stands at about $45.2 million.

Separately, the Northwest Alumni Association recorded about 2,488 attendees at 79 association-sponsored engagement activities throughout the country during FY25, including the Bearcat Coaches Caravan, which took the head coaches of Bearcat athletics teams to stops last summer in Council Bluffs, Iowa; Kansas City, Missouri; and Des Moines, Iowa. The University counts about 80,000 alumni and friends as members of the Northwest Alumni Association.

For the 11th consecutive year, Northwest students dedicated a day last spring to celebrating alumni and friends who contribute generously to the University in support of scholarships, campus facilities and the value of a college degree during "Thank a Donor Day."

The Northwest Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, develops and stewards philanthropic resources for the benefit of Northwest Missouri State University and its students. It is governed by a 32-member volunteer board and staffed by members of Northwest's Office of University Advancement.

To make a gift to support Northwest, contact the Office of University Advancement at 660.562.1248 or visit https://www.nwmissouri.edu/GiveOnline.