FEBRUARY 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 39
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SPOTLIGHT LONG ISLAND
The Nassau Community College
(NCC) Foundation was created
in 1983 and, since then, the
not-for-profit corporation has
been supporting the college
by providing an independent
avenue to receive philanthropic
aid. The road to success for many
college students on Long Island
starts with the NCC Foundation.
We recently interviewed Adrian
V. Kerrigan, who, in his role as
vice president for Institutional
Advancement at NCC, oversees
the external relations for the
college, including the areas
of alumni, development, and
marketing. He discussed the
NCC Foundation’s mission, the
COVID-19 pandemic, and other
challenges.
What is the mission of the
NCC Foundation? As the
philanthropic arm of the college,
the NCC Foundation is strongly
committed to seeing the college
advance, addressing equity
opportunities, and continuing
to provide our students with a
solid foundation for their future
successes. Through continuous
fundraising efforts, the
foundation provides academic
resources, support services,
and scholarships that start
deserving students on the road
to lives of educational success
and professional achievement.
What is your favorite part of
the job? My favorite part of the
job is working with my team and
our NCC community to advance
the college, along with our great
volunteer leadership boards who
contribute their time, talents
and resources to make NCC a
great place. Our alumni, donors
and advocates are a special
community.
What was it that attracted
you to the work you do? As
a first-generation American,
I am especially
appreciative of the
opportunity that
higher education
provides and
find my career in
education to be
a vocation and
personally and
professionally
fulfilling.
What impact has
the pandemic
h a d o n the
Fo u n d a t i o n ?
Unfortunately the
pandemic forced a
lot of businesses
to close, affecting
some o f our
students and
their families
as 85 percent
of our students
work to pay for
their education.
The Foundation started an
emergency fund to raise funds
in support of our students
in need, raising more than
$32,000. Additionally, the
college instituted a loaner laptop
program, expanded Wi-Fi access
to all parking lots, and continued
to provide excellent support
services virtually, so our
students could continue their
education despite any hardships.
From an operations standpoint,
the Foundation transitioned our
2020 Gala from an in-person
to a virtual event. Despite the
changes, we were still able to
produce a spectacular event that
raised more than $50,000, and
included a special message from
one of our alums, Billy Crystal.
What
role does technology
play in the Foundation
and your work? Due to our
department becoming fully
remote within a short period
of time, meetings became
Zoom conferences, events were
virtual, and opportunities that
never before may have occurred
presented themselves. Given this
change, we have implemented
new fundraising goals to provide
laptops and Wi-Fi technology for
students as well.
What other major trends are
you seeing? The future will
consist of more of a hybrid of
virtual and in-person events.
Revenue streams have also
diversified, with monthly giving
becoming forefront compared to
individual fundraising events.
How did you get involved
with philanthropy and
fundraising? It’s fun
and exciting to help
passionate people align
their philanthropy with
their interests. They
often need only
a helping hand. I
truly enjoy meeting
interesting people and
engaging with them
around their passions.
Are there any mottos
that you use in your
work? My motto is
“advance relentlessly.”
Never stop, for any
re a s o n , moving
forward and creating
opportunity. In the
early stages and
throughout my
career, we would
often encounter
periods of economic
downturn, stock market
crashes and corrections, and
natural and manmade disasters
and the question always
was, “Should we pause our
fundraising?” My answer has
always been that those who
support us will understand
our need and our case and will
continue to be there for us, and
they have never let us down.
Custom Computer Specialists
is proud to sponsor Spotlight
LI. Since 1979, Custom has been
dedicated to providing Long
Island’s schools, local government
agencies, healthcare facilities
and businesses with advanced
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To learn more about Custom
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a future Spotlight LI, please email
info@customtech.com.
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