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WMU finalist for national nonprofit leadership award

Dec. 14, 2009

KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University has been named one of two finalists for the 2008-09 American Humanics Program Excellence Award, a prestigious national honor that goes to institutions dedicated to preparing the next generation of nonprofit sector leaders.

Students and representatives from WMU will travel to the American Humanics Management/Leadership Institute in Phoenix Sunday through Wednesday, Jan. 3-6, where students will compete against the University of Central Florida for the award by making a formal presentation to the Program Excellence Award Review Committee. Each campus was also required to produce a video about its program.

Watch videos now
WMU video
Central Florida video

The winning campus will be announced during the closing ceremony on Jan. 5 and will be recognized by the 1,000 students, faculty, nonprofit and corporate leaders in Phoenix to attend the annual institute.

Founded in 1948, American Humanics is a national alliance of nearly 70 colleges and universities nationwide and more than 60 national nonprofit organizations.

WMU offers an undergraduate minor in nonprofit leadership that can be taken in addition to any major, as well as a graduate certificate in nonprofit leadership and administration. At WMU, American Humanics is housed within and supported by the School of Public Affairs and Administration, while also receiving institutional support from the University.

During the 2008-09 academic year, Campus Compact and the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund granted WMU American Humanics students $15,000 to re-grant to local nonprofits as well as $3,000 for administrative costs. Students studied community needs, set priorities, issued requests for proposals, analyzed 23 proposals, completed site visits and held a Students4Giving Grant Celebration.

The student association also completed an additional four fundraising projects, including an Annual Letter Appeal and Santa's Village, raising a total of $26,695. WMU students also put in a total of 1,190 community-service hours planning and implementing seven community service projects, including Bowling for Kids' Sake and a Head Start Christmas Party.

For more information, contact Janice Maatman, WMU's director of nonprofit education programs in the School of Public Affairs and Administration, at janice.maatman@wmich.edu or (269) 387-8945.

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Media contact: Deanne Puca, (269) 387-8400, deanne.puca@wmich.edu

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