The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts and the ASMSA Foundation Fund has been granted full membership on The University of Arkansas Foundation, Inc., Board of Directors.
The UA Foundation is a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to advance higher education by securing private financial support for all units and activities of the University of Arkansas System. It manages and invests assets gained through gifts, donations or grants for each campus or organization in the system.
ASMSA previously held an advisory spot on the foundation board, but the school was granted full membership in December. The foundation board changed its bylaws to give each system member at least one voting seat on the board.
Ed Copeland of Hot Springs, a member of the ASMSA Foundation Fund Board of Ambassadors, has served as ASMSA’s representative to the foundation board since 2013. Copeland will continue to serve in that capacity through December 2017.
Copeland said it is important for several reasons that ASMSA has a full spot on the foundation board. Chief among them is that it provides ASMSA the opportunity to share its vision and accomplishments with members of the board, others who serve on the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees and peer institutions from within the system.
“People on this foundation board are some key people in the university system,” Copeland said. “Some of them are trustees or are former trustees. It’s important for them to be aware that ASMSA is here and what ASMSA is doing. We’re unique and need to get as much presence as possible, particularly with this group of people.
“I think the school really speaks for itself if someone has the opportunity to learn about it.”
In the past three years, the ASMSA Foundation Fund has seen considerable growth in giving in the form of endowments, fellowships and grants. At the end of fiscal year 2012-13, the fund had an ending balance of $92,705. For fiscal year 2014-15, the end balance was $361,919.
Revenue grew to more than $259,000 for fiscal year 2014-15. The jump marks a greater than four-fold increase over gifts made in 2011-12. Much of that growth is thanks to endowments and grants targeting new programs and learning spaces that benefit students.
While the ASMSA Foundation has held an annual golf tournament for years, 2014 marked a new partnership with The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber hosted the inaugural Arkansas Golf Classic in October 2014, raising more than $31,000, which was split between ASMSA and the Chamber.
Grants have helped establish new learning spaces on campus, including a new art studio and a Maker Space. Grants also allowed the school to expand its global language offerings, including the establishment of a Japanese language partnership with the Lakeside School District and expanded outreach programs in Mandarin Chinese through the Confucius Institute.
Endowments honoring former faculty and staff members have been established to provide awards and support for students as well as to offer student summer research and service opportunities.
"Through the efforts of our staff and Ambassadors, The ASMSA Foundation has experienced exceptional growth over the last few years,” said ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice. “Recognition of these efforts through a permanent seat on the University of Arkansas Foundation Board is a testament to those accomplishments and the unique role ASMSA plays among its peers within the University of Arkansas System."
Each institution reports its latest projects and achievements at each University of Arkansas Foundation board meeting. It’s beneficial for ASMSA to gain new perspectives on fundraising techniques and endowments through those reports in order to continue growing its own fundraising efforts, Copeland said.
“We can see how the other [institutions] operate. We’re kind of new to this game, I think. We can learn how other successful development officials operate. We don’t have to reinvent things,” Copeland said.
The Board of Directors includes members from institutions and organizations from across the state. That gives ASMSA a unique opportunity to spread the message about the school to people in various regions of the state.
“[ASMSA] is a statewide institution,” Copeland said. “It is an opportunity to make people more aware that it is a state asset. It gives students from all over the state a chance to get an education that may not be offered where they live.”
Copeland and his wife, Charleen, have served on the ASMSA Foundation Fund Board of Ambassadors since it was created in 2013.
“We are so fortunate to have Ed and Charleen Copeland as advocates for ASMSA,” said Vicki Hinz, ASMSA director of institutional advancement. “They are both perfect examples of everything we are looking for as board members. They continue to invest their time, energy, passion and resources in realizing a vision of exceptional opportunities for many of our state's most promising young minds.”
Serving on the Board of Ambassadors has allowed the Copelands to share the important work ASMSA is doing to benefit the state and its students, he said. It also has allowed him to meet many talented students.
“I’m so impressed with the kids and the leadership qualities they exhibit,” he said. “I just think the quality of the kids and the way they are developing from being here is important to share.”
He pointed to the Student Ambassador program as one example of ASMSA providing students the opportunity to expand their knowledge base and grow socially. Student Ambassadors work with the Office of Institutional Advancement to promote the school with external audiences, including state and federal legislators as well as donors.
“The way [the ambassadors] handle themselves with their peers and adults shows a level of maturity that is remarkable. Obviously they are smart; otherwise they wouldn’t be here. But they are also well-rounded people, and I think they get some of that from being in this environment and the activities they participate in the school,” he said.
The ASMSA Foundation has an opportunity to finish the fiscal year on a record note. The school will host its annual Community of Learning luncheon on Friday, April 1. The theme of this year’s event is “Inspiration Meets Innovation” and will celebrate the life of Dan Fredinburg. Fredinburg, a 1999 alumnus of the school and Google executive, died last April during an avalanche on Mount Everest.
April 7 will mark ArkansasGives, an online day of philanthropy sponsored by The Arkansas Community Foundation that encourages support for nonprofits. More information is available online at http://arkansasgives.org.
Gifts can be made to The ASMSA Foundation online at https://asmsafoundationfund.givezooks.com/.