Page 30 - October 2023

GRANT PROGRAM COMMITTEE MINUTES (DRAFT) (6)
for them. As a private school, Heritage is more expensive than other JSF Endowment institutions. The school requests permission to increase award amounts to $6,000 for students with a GPA between 2.0 and 3.5 and to $8,000 for students with a GPA of 3.5 or greater. The current limits are $4,000 and $6,000. Heritage plans to revisit the guidelines if the number of eligible students increases to the point of outstripping available funds.
The Committee approved a request from Heritage University to increase award amounts for Johnson Scholarship recipients to $6,000 for students with a GPA between 2.0 and 3.5 and to $8,000 for students with a GPA of 3.5 or greater.
e. Incomplete endowment opportunities
The following items had been circulated: a list showing of the status of 10 Entrepreneurship Scholarship Endowment Agreements and a list of all 31 JSF endowment programs. In 2008, JSF had active endowment building agreements with 6 tribal colleges. Five of them (United Tribes Technical College, Turtle Mountain Community College, College of Menominee Nation, Sinte Gleska University and Salish Kootenai College) failed to qualify for the JSF match for one or two years. Recently, each of these institutions has approached JSF in hopes of reconsidering qualifying for the unfulfilled match in their endowment agreements.
Staff requested the Committee’s authorization to pursue discussions with the 5 institutions about completing the original commitments.
The Committee authorized staff to pursue discussions with United Tribes Technical College, Turtle Mountain Community College, College of Menominee Nation, Sinte Gleska University and Salish Kootenai College about completing their JSF endowments.
f. MBA-AIE survey results
A report by Sherry on a recent survey of graduates from the Gonzaga University Master of Business Administration in American Indian Entrepreneurship (MBA-AIE) Program had been circulated. The survey sought to reach all 84 graduates of the program since it began in 2001, and a total of 31 completed the survey. Although the goal was a 50% completion rate, 37% is still considered unusually high. A full evaluation of the program was done in 2013, and the program was the focus of a linkage report in 2022. The MBA-AIE program is expected to reach approximately 100 graduates by its 25th anniversary in 2026. Because most of the respondents were from Fort Peck Community College, those graduates could be the focus of a future study. Another interesting finding was that many respondents said their participation in the program opened up new opportunities that changed the trajectory of their careers. The survey additionally found that many of the graduates have remained in their home communities.
The survey report was well received, and it was noted that the MBA-AIE program is one of JSF’s best investments. Because of internal restructuring in the business school, the program hasn’t had a dedicated person to fill the void left by the retirement of Program Manager Stacey Chatman in 2019. It was suggested that University President Dr. Thayne McCulloh and Professor of Economics Dr. Bud Barnes be invited to an upcoming meeting at Gonzaga with MBA-AIE leadership.
g. Linkage report
A combined linkage report by Sherry on Salish Kootenai College (SKC) and Aaniiih Nakoda College (ANC) had been circulated. Both colleges are in Montana, but the local economies surrounding the 2 schools are vastly different. JSF’s relationship with each school differs as well. While both schools have been in the Entrepreneurship Scholarship program for many years, SKC is an Endowment school. ANC’s small size and remote location make it unlikely it will have the means to raise matching funds for an endowment. ANC’s President, Dr. Sean Chandler, is the son of longtime president Dr. Carole Falcon-Chandler. JSF’s grants to ANC total $500,000 over 20 years. Over the same time period, JSF has invested $1.1 million in SKC, including $600,000 for endowment building. SKC is larger and located in a community that benefits from tourism. The school’s former president, Dr. Joe McDonald, retired in 2010. Since then, 3 other presidents have succeeded him.
The report found both schools are closely linked to JSF’s Theory of Change. ANC in particular has emerged as
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