We are focused on growth and outcomes in fundraising to advance Michigan Tech through creating, developing, and enhancing quality relationships with donors, alumni and friends, foundations, and other university and academic partners.

Advancement and Gift Planning

  • Assistant Vice President for Advancement and Gift Planning
  • Corporate Secretary, Michigan Tech Fund

People could reach out to me for:

  • Fundraising strategy
  • Charitable giving tax law and policy
  • Michigan Tech Fund policy and procedures
  • Advancement and FSO/MTF policy and procedures
  • Fundraising productivity and campaign progress reports
  • Donor pipeline and engagement
  • Advancement and Gift Planning operations
Joanne Anderson

Joanne Anderson

  • Director for Charitable Giving

Specialties

  • Meet with alumni and established donors to secure major gifts valued at $25,000 or greater
  • Identify and develop key potential alumni/friends/donors as top prospects within portfolio 
  • Meet with prospects to determine their affinity and readiness, introduce strategic opportunities, and discuss gifting options for their consideration
  • Present gift proposals that best represent the donor's intention and capacity
  • Assist in the gift process, follow up, and stewardship of secured gifts
  • Represent College of Business and College of Computing as areas of special concentration
Damon Huotari

Damon Huotari

  • Director for Charitable Giving

Specialties

  • Meet with alumni and established donors to secure major gifts valued at $25,000 or greater
  • Identify and develop key potential alumni, friends, donors as top prospects within portfolio 
  • Meet with prospects to determine their affinity and readiness, introduce strategic opportunities, and discuss gifting options for their consideration
  • Present gift proposals that best represent the donor's intention and capacity
  • Assist in the gift process, follow up, and stewardship of secured gifts
Marney Kloote

Marney Kloote

  • Executive Director for Charitable Giving

Specialties

  • Maintains a portfolio of alumni and donors to secure major gifts valued at $25,000 or greater
  • Collaborate with campus partners to understand initiatives and strive for best donor outcomes
  • Meet with prospective donors to gauge capacity and interest in supporting university initiatives
  • Offer strategic coaching to the frontline fundraising team to accelerate the donor's journey/experience
Alisha Kocjan

Alisha Kocjan

  • Director of Charitable Giving

Specialties

  • Meet with alumni and established donors to secure major gifts valued at $25,000 or greater
  • Identify and develop key potential alumni, friends, donors as top prospects within portfolio
  • Meet with prospects to determine their affinity and readiness, introduce strategic opportunities, and discuss gifting options for their consideration
  • Present gift proposals that best represent the donor's intention and capacity
  • Assist in the gift process, follow up, and stewardship of secured gifts
Debra Linn

Debra Linn

  • Senior Administrative Aide for Gift Administration

Specialties

  • Supports the Advancement and Gift Planning Team
  • Drafts correspondence, maintains scholarship files, and assists with planned giving files.
  • Coordinates planned gift recognition, including delivery of acknowledgement and gift.
  • Assists in processing gifts, biographical updates and donor correspondence.
James Shortt

James Shortt

  • Director for Charitable Giving

Specialties

  • Meet with alumni and established donors to secure major gifts valued at $25,000 or greater
  • Identify and develop key potential alumni, friends, donors as top prospects within portfolio 
  • Meet with prospects to determine their affinity and readiness, introduce strategic opportunities, and discuss gifting options for their consideration
  • Present gift proposals that best represent the donor's intention and capacity
  • Assist in the gift process, follow up, and stewardship of secured gifts
Joan Tapani

Joan Tapani

  • Donor Relations Coordinator

Specialties

  • Manage the day-to-day activities, correspondence, email and calendar management of the AVP for Advancement and Gift Planning
  • Coordinate the Flagship Campaign working committees
  • Liaison between the department and the Provost Office for management of the academic endowed positions
  • Works with Alumni Engagement on the Time and Talent Initiative
  • Works with Alumni Engagement on the alumni award nomination process
  • Assists advancement colleagues with visit preparation materials and follow up after the visits
  • Associate Director for Gift and Estate Administration
  • Lean Facilitator

Specialties

  • Leads the gift administration team, who ensures the correct entry, designation, and acknowledgement of all gifts to the University
  • Leads the gift proposal and documentation process in support of the advancement team, preparing proposals and gift agreements
  • Leads the management of the planned gift registry and related files and oversees the recording, acknowledgment, and realization of planned gifts
  • Leads a personalized and donor-centric advancement multi-channel marketing and outreach program, with special emphasis on education 
Cera Trevino

Cera Trevino

  • Senior Administrative Aide for Gift Administration

Specialties

  • Supports the Advancement and Gift Planning Team
  • Processes monetary gifts, gifts of securities, and gifts-in-kind
  • Submits matching gift forms and verifies and confirms matching gift receipt
  • Manage gift receipts and gift acknowledgement
  • Updates biographical data for all constituents, including merging duplicate IDs
  • Enters contact and receipt preferences and exclusions to donor records
  • Director for Charitable Giving

Specialties

  • Meet with alumni and established donors to secure major gifts valued at $25,000 or greater
  • Identify and develop key potential alumni, friends, donors as top prospects within portfolio
  • Meet with prospects to determine their affinity and readiness, introduce strategic opportunities, and discuss gifting options for their consideration
  • Present gift proposals that best represent the donor's intention and capacity
  • Assist in the gift process, follow up, and stewardship of secured gift
  • Represent College of Sciences and Arts, College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, and Graduate School as areas of special concentration
  • Director for Charitable Gift Planning

People could reach out to me for:

  • A donor situation where they might have a question on how a planned giving vehicle might help them.

Specialties

  • A front-line fundraiser as a certified Specialist in Planned Giving
  • Possesses maintains, and shares expert knowledge in the field of gift planning with a special emphasis on acquiring and staying current with technical expertise in the tax and legal aspects of charitable giving
  • Manage onboarding of new employees to implement best practices for frontline fundraising team
  • Oversees Directors for Charitable Giving as the University's major gift frontline fundraising team
  • Coordinate and approve travel for frontline fundraising team