Name Change for Development Fund

The fundraising branch of Northern Michigan University has changed its name from the NMU Development Fund to the NMU Foundation. The organization’s governing board approved the change at a fall meeting and it began appearing on printed materials with the start of the new calendar year.

The change better reflects the organization’s purpose and mission, according to Martha Van Der Kamp (Alumni and Foundation).

“Our former name, the Development Fund, was quite unique and described only a small part of what we do. We acquire, steward and disburse private gifts for Northern, so NMU Foundation is a more accurate description of our operations. The new name also is in keeping with the industry standard,” said Van Der Kamp.

In addition to the name change, the foundation and the university have entered into a legal agreement that recognizes the foundation as a separate entity, working on NMU’s behalf.

“While operationally little has changed, we have been advised that this type of formal agreement helps to ensure the highest level of privacy for our donors,” Van Der Kamp said.