The UNMC Alumni Association has announced its integration into the University of Nebraska Foundation, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as the philanthropic partner supporting the University of Nebraska and Nebraska Medicine.
The UNMC Alumni Association and the University of Nebraska Foundation have supported UNMC for decades as complementary but separate organizations. The integration brings alumni engagement and philanthropic efforts into closer alignment, strengthening connections between alumni and the university they support.
The UNMC Alumni Association staff will continue to serve all UNMC alumni through a wide range of customized programs, communications and volunteer opportunities, while working in close collaboration with NU Foundation colleagues and UNMC leaders.
“Overall, our goal is to continue to connect UNMC alumni to their alma mater and to their classmates, while working in close concert with our UNF colleagues,” said Catherine Mello, UNMC Alumni Association director. “Separately, both organizations have done excellent work relationship-building with alumni and serving the university. Working together, we can bring this work into a more strategic focus and streamline costs when university resources are tight.”
The UNMC Alumni Association’s integration follows nearly 20 years of partnership with the NU Foundation and mirrors successful alumni association integrations previously completed at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
“This is a logical next step for two institutions who have always been affiliated and working even more closely together through formal agreements for nearly 20 years,” said Foundation President and CEO Brian Hastings. “By continuing to align how we engage alumni and advance philanthropy across the university, we can build even stronger relationships and grow resources that empower UNMC to change lives and save lives for generations to come.”
As part of the transition, all four UNMC Alumni Association staff members will join NU Foundation as employees and will be based at the foundation’s Aksarben Office in Omaha.
“Our alumni have such great pride in their alma mater,” Mello said. “We will continue to channel that pride toward supporting the university through meaningful engagement and philanthropic opportunities.”
The integration reinforces a shared commitment to strengthening relationships with UNMC alumni while advancing the mission and long-term priorities of the university. In addition, integration will support a goal in the University of Nebraska’s strategic plan, Odyssey to Extraordinary, to ensure the University of Nebraska System and its engagement partners have the highest quality and impact.