CSB Fall 2017 Informed Newsletter

FALL 2017

Informed AN INSIDE LOOK AT HOW PHILANTHROPY SHAPES SAINT BEN’S

CALLED TO SERVE Message From the President p. 2 > A Bright New Point of Light p. 4 > To Serve – and To Lead p. 6 > Time, Talent and Treasure p. 8 > Big Thanks p. 10

Message From the President

A CALLING TO SERVE Service is central to the Benedictine tradition, incorporating elements of hospitality, respect for all persons, stewardship and community.

While service has always been at our core, we at Saint Ben’s are taking bold steps toward formalizing, making explicit and deepening our commitment to this value. We’re proud to be the first college in the nation to receive the prestigious Service Enterprise designation through the Points of Light Foundation.

The Service Enterprise designation is the culmination of an extended and highly scrutinized application process. As part of our certification, we will establish institution-wide best practices to fully leverage our volunteer resources, enabling us to operate more efficiently and effectively.

While designated Service Enterprises consistently report improvements to their bottom line, this isn’t simply about numbers.

At Saint Ben’s, we have been reflecting on how we serve and, most importantly, whom we serve. We are witnessing an evolution 2

in the women who choose Saint Ben’s.

Increasingly, today’s Bennies are economically, geographically, religiously and racially diverse.

A growing number are the first in their family to attend college. But, as with all Saint Ben’s students, today’s students are bright and ambitious. They arrive on campus with big dreams and, often, unique challenges. As we improve the way we leverage volunteer resources, we create additional opportunities that address barriers to success. The full Saint Ben’s experience means leaving not just with a degree, but with a potent blend of experiences, connections and skills that will open doors for a lifetime.

Service is more than an action. It is a catalyst.

It is a spark that ignites ripple effects.

Our motto at Saint Ben’s is “So let your light shine.” But when we serve others, we do more.

We enable their gifts to shine.

Mary Dana Hinton CSB President

“We’re proud to be the first college in the nation to receive the prestigious Service Enterprise designation through the Points of Light Foundation.”

WELCOME TO INFORMED As the new donor relations officer, I’m enjoying my opportunity to serve this incredible community – our key donors and friends.

Strengthening those connections is my charge, and I look forward to working with you. Feel free to email if there’s ever anything I can do. In the meantime, you’re receiving these issues of Informed to celebrate that connection and to explore the role that philanthropy plays here at the College of Saint Benedict. It’s one small way we say thank you for your support.

Emily Tohal Chaphalkar ’07

Donor Relations Officer echaphalk001@csbsju.edu

Mary Dana Hinton

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Program Spotlight

A BRIGHT NEW POINT OF LIGHT

Saint Ben’s is built on the kindness of those who recognize the value of this incredible space and reach deep within themselves to enhance that value. From donors to volunteers, we rely on this generosity every day.

We’re humbled by the support we already receive from our volunteers. It’s a distinctly Saint Ben’s phenomenon, and it explains why we’re the first college in the nation to receive the Service Enterprise designation from the Points of Light Foundation.

CSB VOLUNTEER SNAPSHOT • 9 of our 11 athletic teams include volunteer coaches

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Admission recruitment engages more than 900 volunteer students, alumnae, faculty and staff every year

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More than 400 alumnae assist with career service programs and events every year

Valerie Jones ’94

Executive Director of Alumnae Relations Valerie Jones ’94 marvels at the number of CSB alumnae who help out with career service programs. “Our peer institutions think we pay our alumnae to assist with career services because these other institutions simply can’t get their alums to come back and serve in these numbers.”

“Organizations that fully leverage volunteers perform better than peers – and at roughly half the cost,” says Valerie. That’s not just because of savings on staffing costs. The Service Enterprise designation requires developing and implementing a comprehensive system of best practices that will touch every department.

The result is institution-wide improvements in processes, documentation, operations and efficiency.

It’s nearly impossible to overstate the value of the Service Enterprise designation and what it means for our students, the broader Saint Ben’s community and beyond. In Valerie’s words, “When you look at the issues facing the world,

it’s clear that Saint Ben’s needs to be here. We do the important work of educating women who will become thought leaders, and we work to make Saint Ben’s accessible to those who need extra support to be here. One of the ways for us to continue to be here in the long term and continue to increase accessibility is to be really good stewards of our resources.Inviting volunteers to be engaged in our work and in our mission in a deeper, more meaningful way, is an act of preservation.”

CSB VOLUNTEERS SERVE AS Trustees Alumnae Board members Class Representatives Career panelists Reunion class ambassadors Admitted student card signers First-year student care package preparers Coaches Internship hosts Practice interviewers Meeting the goal set out in our five-year Dozens more roles!

strategic plan of becoming a mentor-centered community will require (give or take a few hundred) around 2,500 people to serve as mentors to our student body. That’s roughly five times the size of our paid staff. An audacious goal requires an audacious approach!

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Student Spotlight

TO SERVE – AND TO LEAD Maggie Bernetich ’17 isn’t the bragging type. But if she were, she could say that she wrote the book on volunteering.

Literally. Maggie landed an internship as a Service Enterprise Project Manager at Saint Ben’s and was an integral part of the Service Enterprise application process.

Among her many tasks: Drafting the college’s first-ever volunteer handbook, an invaluable resource documenting best practices across the entire institution.

Maggie says the designation formalizes and finesses a culture of service that was already present at Saint Ben’s. “We already knew that we couldn’t survive without our strong Saint Ben’s community,” says Maggie. “In becoming a Service Enterprise, Saint Ben’s will do an even better job of utilizing, recognizing and supporting volunteers.”

A lot of that is thanks to Maggie, who worked assiduously to record, align and

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optimize the previously disparate volunteer practices among various departments at Saint Ben’s. Maggie estimates that she read “at least 100” volunteer handbooks from other organizations to inform her work. She also participated in the highstakes presentation to the organizations responsible for awarding the Service Enterprise designation.

While Maggie graduated in May, the momentum she provided will help carry Saint Ben’s through the three-year designation period and beyond. And Maggie isn’t done leaving an impact.

Following graduation, Maggie joined AmeriCorps and is currently based in Mississippi with the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). Maggie has long known that she wanted to be a full-time volunteer, but her internship at Saint Ben’s elevated her vision for herself.

“Through my work as Service Enterprise Project Manager, I realized that I could not just volunteer, but be a leader in volunteerism. Instead of applying as a team member with AmeriCorps, I decided to go for the team leader role.” She got the job.

Her team of 10 will perform community service projects in areas such as urban development, environmental conservation and natural disaster relief.

After her AmeriCorps commitment concludes next year, Maggie wants to find another full-time volunteer role and eventually work in the nonprofit field. Her parents instilled an “expectation of service,” and Maggie is quick to credit internship supervisor Valerie Jones ’94 with cultivating that passion. “I learned so much from Valerie, who is an example of a lifelong commitment to service, and I know that I want to make a difference.”

“In becoming a Service Enterprise, Saint Ben’s will do an even better job of utilizing, recognizing and supporting volunteers.”

Maggie Bernetich ’17

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Donor Spotlight

TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE

2016-17 CSB Alumnae Board

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Volunteers can give in three primary ways: Time, talent or treasure. When it comes to Saint Ben’s, Tracy Meyer ’87 has all three areas covered. And then some. She is an active member of the alumnae board and is also a donor to the annual giving program.

While Tracy’s generosity is a gift to the entire Saint Ben’s community, she’s quick to deflect praise. “I give because I think it’s the right thing to do,” she says. “But selfishly, giving back and participating as an alumna – doing anything we can to strengthen Saint Ben’s – only adds to the value of our degrees. Saint Ben’s is knocking it out of the park and keeps getting stronger.

And as it does, people increasingly recognize the excellence of the education we receive here. Reinvesting in my degree by investing in Saint Ben’s just makes sense.”

Of course, we don’t think that’s selfish.

We think it’s good business sense. And we also know that Tracy approaches her

investment with an incredibly pure heart. “It’s an exciting time at Saint Ben’s and I want to be part of that so I can help others pursue their dreams and know that they can Tracy Meyer ’87 benefit from being part of this beautiful sisterhood of Bennies,” she says. “It’s a lifelong network, and as the saying goes, Once a Bennie, always a Bennie. It’s not just my degree.

It’s everyone’s degrees, and we all need to do our part.”

“It’s a lifelong network, and as the saying goes, Once a Bennie, always a Bennie.”

Tracy walks the walk. Her faithful donations to the annual giving program support student scholarships. As an alumnae board member, Tracy has co-chaired two committees and served as a reunion ambassador. She’s a talented project manager, specifically in areas like event planning, communication and evaluation, and that skill set has served her committees well. She describes her work on the alumnae board as “an incredible opportunity to engage with Saint Ben’s.”

And why engage? “Saint Ben’s provides such a sense of place, community and belonging to all its alumnae,” she says.

“And sometimes we don’t realize how rare that is until we graduate and talk to people who attended other schools and simply don’t have that lifelong home. I value that connection. I value my degree. I value Saint Ben’s. And I want to open doors for current and future Bennies to have that experience.”

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FY17 Thank You

CSB 17 CSB 17

BIG THANKS FOR A BIG YEAR IT WAS IT A RECORD BREAKING YEAR YEAR WAS A RECORD BREAKING

FISCALFISCAL YEAR YEAR

19,771,646 19,771,646 TOTAL GIFTS & PLEDGES

THANK YOU! TOTAL GIFTS & PLEDGES

5,763 5,763

TOTAL TOTAL DONORS

DONORS

BIGGEST DAY DAY BIGGEST OF ONLINE GIVING OF ONLINE GIVING

Give yourself a hand – you’ve had a hand in making something remarkable happen. Our 2016 fiscal year was the biggest ever for annual giving at CSB – but not anymore. Your contributions made 1,078 fiscal year 2017 (July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017) even bigger. It’s a tremendous1,078 thing, really, and a DONORS testament to the faith you have in today’s Bennies. Young women, educated inDONORS the liberal arts, in PARTICIPATED 24 HOURS the Benedictine tradition, can RAISED change theIN world in amazing ways.

Especially when you give them a RAISED IN 24 HOURS PARTICIPATED helping hand. So thank you for your continued support!

2,525,681 422,136 2,525,681422,136

170170

RAISED IN ANNUAL OPERATING & RAISED IN ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIPS STUDENTS MaggieFOR Weber Utsch ’00OPERATING & SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS

Director of Annual Giving

YAPC MEMBERS YAPC 306

AVERAGE GIFT OF

MEMBERS

WITH AN

THANK YOU!

WITH AN

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JULY 1, 2016 JULY 1, 2016 - THRU JUNE 30, 2017 - THRU JUNE 30, 2017

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

AVERAGE GIFT OF

306

, 2016 RU 0, 2017

19,771,646

TOTAL GIFTS & PLEDGES

5,763

TOTAL

DONORS

2,525,681 RAISED IN ANNUAL OPERATING & SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS

THANK YOU!

BIGGEST DAY OF ONLINE GIVING

422,136

RAISED IN 24 HOURS

170

YAPC

MEMBERS

1,078

DONORS

PARTICIPATED

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CSB 1

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IT WAS A RECORD BREAKING YEAR

AVERAGE GIFT OF

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711

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES, MN PERMIT NO. 93723

ANNUAL GIVING 37 South College Avenue St. Joseph, MN 56374 Please direct questions to 800-648-3468, ext. 3 or mutsch@csbsju.edu

LIVE YOUR PHILANTHROPIC VALUES Planned giving offers the best of both worlds: by building a gift into your estate plan, you can live true to your philanthropic values today, while preserving your resources. Diane Starbird Malone ’79 is a CPA and a JD who advocates planned giving for her clients.

“It’s very powerful to know you’re going to leave a legacy – especially to a place as formative as Saint Ben’s,” she says. “You don’t need great wealth to make a planned gift, and you can gain significant tax advantages.”

What’s your legacy?

Contact Gigi Fourré Schumacher ’74 at gschumach001@csbsju.edu or 320-363-5480 and start a conversation that can lead to your own legacy.

Informed

AN INSIDE LOOK AT HOW PHILANTHROPY SHAPES SAINT BEN’S