Mass Comm alumna helps fill MTSU coffers

Meredith Kerr

As associate director of Annual Giving at MTSU, Meredith Kerr plays an influential role on campus that rarely gets recognized. Yet it has a substantial impact on all of us.

Kerr helps raise money for MTSU through fund-raising initiatives and community service and by building meaningful relationships with donors and alumni. Thanks to these efforts by Kerr and the rest of the Development Office professionals, and thanks to the much-appreciated support of generous donors, MTSU continues to thrive and grow.

Ways to Give Back

Kerr is responsible for overseeing several programs through MTSU’s Development Office that help raise money for the university. The Phoneathon Program puts current students on the phone with alumni and friends of the university to ask for their annual gift, as well as educate them about campus happenings.

Through the Direct Mail program, friends and alumni of MTSU receive updates and personalized mailings asking them to invest in the university’s future. By personalizing and segmenting these mailings by colleges, the Direct Mail program has seen a successful 1 percent increase this year from 2011.

Another unique program was designed to educate graduating seniors on the importance of giving back as alumni and to encourage them to be a part of MTSU even after their time as a student is up. The Senior Gift program has been very successful thus far and has seen a high average participation rate of 15 percent.

Living her Dream

As an MTSU graduate with a public relations degree, Kerr is living her dream. During her student years at MTSU, she was involved in the Student Government Association and active in Greek life. Those valuable experiences contributed to her interest in “giving back” and continue to fuel her mission at MTSU today. Interning at the Tennessee Department of Revenue while in school helped her to gain experience and sort out where she wanted to go within her profession.

“When I graduated, I was like the typical student,” Kerr said. She knew where she wanted to be, but she wasn’t quite sure how to get there. Kerr’s work with a local nonprofit after graduating was enjoyable, but she wanted to do something bigger. “I was interested into going back into higher education and had heard about the Development Office here,” she said. Fortunately, she landed the position as MTSU’s associate director of Annual Giving, and it’s what she wanted to do all along.

“I’m really happy here,” Kerr said. “I enjoy being able to help students and connect with alumni and friends and give back.” Working at the Development Office the past five years has helped Kerr grow professionally and expand her interests in fundraising and community service. She hopes to continue to make a difference at MTSU, helping to get students engaged. “There’s always a great opportunity to strengthen that,” Kerr said.

Quote from Development Office website: “Private philanthropic support is a critical resource for our university’s success and we are grateful for your interest, involvement and investment in MTSU.” TLE

By Noel Heath