Peggy Jennings (left) and Tim McCutcheon (right), partners with EideBailly, present the American Indian College Fund their 2017 Resourcefulness Award to College Fund President Cheryl Crazy Bull. The College Fund was recognized for the multi-year collaboration with Pendleton ® and the impact the partnership has to revenue generation efforts and awareness.
The American Indian College Fund was awarded the $10,000 grand prize in CPA firm Eide Bailly’s Resourcefullness Award 2017 for Colorado. An independent panel of judges from Colorado non-profits chose the College Fund based on its relationship with for-profit Pendleton Woolen Mills in creating Pendleton’s American Indian College Fund collection. The blankets are designed in honor of rich Native arts and cultures and are paired with educational materials for the general public. A portion of the proceeds from the collection provides scholarships. Pendleton also established an endowed scholarship with the College Fund, today valued at nearly $690,000. This relationship has helped more than 1,000 Native students receive scholarships to attend tribal colleges and has created a revenue stream for the College Fund.
The Eide Bailly Resourcefullness Award was created to recognize the creative work that non-profits do to ensure sustainability to serve their communities’ needs. Eide Bailly also created a web site forum for sharing these ideas with the non-profit community to stimulate sustainability by showcasing entries.
Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, “We are delighted to have been recognized for our work in developing a creative opportunity that recognizes Native arts while ensuring sustainable revenue with a respected corporation such as Pendleton. Today, only 13.8% of American Indians age 25 and older have a college degree, less than half the U.S. national average. Our relationship with Pendleton helps us create greater awareness of our mission, increase revenues, and steward existing revenues while helping more American Indians start and complete their college degree through scholarship and program support.”
Photo credit: Shondina Yikasbah Lee
“Pendleton is proud to support the American Indian College Fund’s purpose and mission to bring an opportunity for higher education to Native Americans. The College Fund not only provides scholarships, it also brings awareness of the accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities across the country; offering students access to knowledge and skills as well as cultural values,” said Bob Christnacht, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
About Pendleton – Setting the standard for classic American style, Pendleton is a lifestyle brand recognized as a symbol of American heritage, authenticity and craftsmanship. With six generations of family ownership since 1863, the company recently celebrated 154 years of weaving fabrics in the Pacific Northwest. Known for fabric innovation, Pendleton owns and operates two of America’s remaining woolen mills, constantly updating them with state-of-the-art looms and eco-friendly technology. Inspired by its heritage, the company designs and produces apparel for men and women, blankets, home décor, and gifts. Pendleton is available through select retailers in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea and Australia; Pendleton stores; company catalogs; and direct-to-consumer channels including the Pendleton website, http://www.pendleton-usa.com.
