The Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management (BCNM) at Robert Morris University is five years old this year. Our board of directors has been stellar in its guidance and support. Founding board chair Bill Meyer of the United Way, his successor, Peter Lucas of Maya Designs, and now Bill Stein, also of Maya Designs, have been invaluable partners in our development. Each of our board members has helped us to define our mission and deliver our services. They have taught stimulating classes, attended countless planning sessions and participated in repeated evaluation of our work. I am personally grateful to each one. Please take a moment to look at our Advisory Board - we feel very blessed in our fine leadership!

Being an integral part of RMU these five years has been a privilege and a pleasure. Recently retired University President Edward A. Nicholson has been BCNM's "Godfather," along with Scott Izzo of the Richard King Mellon Foundation and Jim Denova of the Benedum Foundation. Also, Provost Bill Katip, Dean Derya Jacobs of the School of Business and Dean Darcy Tannehill of the School of Adult and Continuing Education have been unstinting in their support and friendship.

These five years also have brought us enormous luck in regards to the people who have chosen to work for BCNM. My special thanks goes to Director of Consulting Lisa Kuzma. Those of you who have been fortunate enough to have Lisa as your consultant know of her quick mind and creative solutions rooted in your aspirations. Director of Technology Services Jeff Forster has also acquired quite a fan club. Jeff is a techie that our clients say "gets it" and truly helps them. One of the very best things about the BCNM¿ESC merger last year was the addition of Marketing and Development Director Abby Sandel to the Bayer Center staff. Abby has brought intelligence and spark that adds enormously to our mix. Michele Cole, director of the master's in nonprofit management, is building a graduate degree program that equips managers to lead and innovate. Each staff member - Sallie Wormer, Ayana Ledford, Jarrett Lambright, Marcia Clark, Yvonne Van Haitsma - has brought valuable skills and a tremendous willingness to work on behalf of our clients, students and community.

So what have we accomplished because of this abundance of talent? In five years, the Bayer Center has:

• Executed more than 450 contracts for consulting work, mostly intensive and specific;
• Educated 5,500 participants in our continuing education programs;
• Graduated 28 students from RMU's Master of Science in Nonprofit Management degree program;
• Attracted more than 300 smart and generous volunteer coaches, mentors and teachers - including ESC, the United Way's Managing for Excellence Initiative, class instructors and Marketplace mentors;
• Conducted useful and practical research on the region's nonprofit wages and benefits and the technology usage;
• Raised nearly $4 million from essential funding partners; and
• Earned over $2 million from nonprofit clients and students.

With the help of these fine folks and all of you, the next five years look full of promise and opportunities to serve. Our driving question remains: How can BCNM use its resources to help the region's nonprofit leadership build the strongest possible community solutions for a just and humane society? Please help us to continue to get the answer right! What's next?

Sincerely,

Peggy Morrison Outon
Executive Director

August 2005