Westfield State Foundation, Inc., inspires donors through a $200,000 gift to the University.
As executive director of the Westfield State Foundation, Inc., Erica Broman’s work is about building a culture of philanthropy, on campus and beyond. She wants alumni to feel so inspired by their educational experience at the University that they’ll decide to support it after graduation. “If someone came here and had an incredible experience, I hope they will look back and want to give a private gift,” she says.
This makes sense. After all, the Foundation is also focused on giving to the University. On Sept. 27, at the Westfield State Foundation’s annual meeting, $200,000 in Foundation funding for the University was announced to support the following campus initiatives: $108,000 toward the Science and Innovation Center; $55,000 toward the Catherine Dower Center for the Performing and Fine Arts; $35,000 to support Ely Library; and $2,000 for the University’s internship program.
Broman says funds for the Science and Innovation Center will go toward purchasing invaluable lab equipment, including microscopes and simulation manikins for use by nursing students. “The University has committed a tremendous amount of resources to bring that facility up and running and to address the need for laboratory resources on campus,” she says. “It is critically important that we have students learn on the equipment that they will be using as they transition to the workforce or into additional studies.”
The funds for the Dower Center came from Catherine Dower’s $1 million gift to the Foundation last spring; $100,000 of that gift is being used for renovation work in the Center that directly impacts music students, as Dr. Dower had requested, and the $55,000 is a partial payment on that cost category. Dr. Dower, Professor Emerita of music history and literature, spent four decades teaching music students, and Broman says, “Announcing her gift has been a real source of pride for alumni.”
The funds that will bolster the internship program are only a small portion of what the Foundation intends to provide over time, according to Broman. “Internships are an incredibly valuable way for a student to get real-world experience in the field they have chosen,” she says.
Broman believes that supporting students is part of the cycle of giving; investing in internship opportunities not only helps students succeed after graduation, it reinforces the critical culture of philanthropy, because students will want to give back to the University.
“The Foundation needs to do an excellent job in conveying how private dollars can transform the campus,” she says. “That process is already underway, but we can and should continue to do more to create awareness of how those private dollars make the difference.”
Anyone inspired to help make the difference can do so by visiting westfieldalumni.org.
