History and Growth

Fiscal Years 2010/2011 - Present

Fiscal Year 2017/2018 at a Glance

$7,000

RAISED FROM 2017 STATE AND REGIONAL MEETINGS

$2,766

RAISED FROM FIRST ANNUAL HOLIDAY AUCTION

$22,381

RAISED FROM OUR ANNUAL ONLINE AUCTION

$7,225

RAISED FROM OUR ANNUAL FUND CAMPAIGN
  • Fiscal Year 2017/2018
    • The NACS Foundation board of directors and staff underwent a strategic planning process which included two face-to-face meetings and video conference calls over a period of six months using the same outside facilitator as NACS used for their strategic planning. Approved by the NACS Foundation and NACS boards, the three year plan will begin with fiscal year 2019.  The key results areas include: Programing, Fund Development, Marketing/Branding, Governance and Staffing & Other Resources.
    •  The NACS Foundation awarded a record number of Professional Development grants totaling $14,000 to state and regional associations for conference education provided by the NACS Industry Advancement team.
    • During the fall 2017 state and regional meetings, Foundation volunteers held fundraisers at 10 meetings during which they raised over $7,000.
    • 22 TAC grants, consisting of a $500 travel stipend, were awarded with 17 recipients able to attend. This is up from five the previous year. As a platinum sponsor of the Textbook Affordability Conference, the Foundation received one free registration to the meeting. This was offered to a member of the Georgia Tech’s Student Government Association.
    • The first annual Holiday Auction opened on November 28 as part of the national philanthropic event, Giving Tuesday. Different from our annual Online Auction which is primarily for purchases for resale by stores, this 4-day event featured items for individual purchasers with an emphasis on gift-giving. $2,766 was successfully raised. There were 53 items generously donated by individuals who are friends of the Foundation. This auction had 64 bidders who bid an average of 7 times each.  Our reach was extended as fifteen of those bidders were not NACS members or affiliated with the college store industry.
    • The NACS Foundation’s annual Online Auction was held January 29-February 5, 2018. $22,381 was raised with the help of 72 bidders who bid a total of 953 times during the auction. 171 packages valued at $72,837 were donated by 67 business partners. Of those donors, 14 were new partners to the auction.
    • Through the Bring A Buyer to CAMEX grant program, 54 individual grants were secured from 49 vendors for a total of $32,400.
    • Through the generosity of 38 business partners and three state/regional associations to the Bring A Buyer to CAMEX programs, 94 grants were awarded by the NACS Foundation for CAMEX 2018 in Dallas Due to travel restrictions based on the Texas location and other extenuating circumstances, only 86 grant recipients were actually able to travel to the conference, totaling $79,530.
    • For the fifth consecutive CAMEX, the NACS Foundation sponsored all of the 2018 educational sessions in Dallas.
    • The Student Watch™ study, conducted twice a year was once again funded by the NACS Foundation.  Consisting of fundamental, industry-specific research that offers current insights into the college student consumer and other campus trends in the area of course materials. 
    • Two fundraisers, Flame Pin Money Raffle and Set the Pace: Kick up your Heels, were held at CAMEX 2018. $7,225 was raised for the Annual Fund campaign. The flame pin was donated by Herff Jones for the tenth year.  It was accompanied by five Money Tree raffles for a total value of $5,000 donated by Nebraska Book Company.  For the second year, a Step Challenge fundraiser which helped participants raise $430 as they “Kicked up their Heels” during the trade show while doing business, getting healthier and supporting a great cause!
    • Sadly, the Foundation board lost a valued and beloved friend, colleague and board member, R. Todd Smith, CCR, on February 10.  A memorial fund in his honor was established.
  • Fiscal Year 2016/2017
    • Professional Development grants totaling $12,000 were provided to state and regional associations for conference education.
    • 99 grants for CAMEX/CCRA 2017 in Salt Lake City were awarded by the NACS Foundation through the generosity of 49 business partners. However, with travel restrictions and other extenuating circumstances, only 93 grant recipients were actually able to travel to the conference, totaling $70,493.
    • The annual online auction was held once again raising $35,203 in gross revenue with 172 package donations from 70 companies and/or individuals.  Of those donors, 13 were new partners to the auction.  For the first time, every item in the auction sold!
    • Through the Bring A Buyer to CAMEX grant program, 82 individual grants were secured from 49 vendors for a total of $48,600. 
    • 2017 marked the fourth year that the NACS Foundation sponsored all of the CAMEX educational sessions.
    • The Foundation also sponsored five grants to the first Textbook Affordability Conference entirely organized by NACS with any remaining funds used to support the TAC programming.
    • The State and Regional leadership conference, attached to the Textbook Affordability Conference, was underwritten by the NACS Foundation.
    • Almost $10,000 was raised from Foundation fundraisers held by volunteers at 11 State/Regional meetings.
    • 458 NACS members benefited from five free webinars which were provided through NACS Foundation funding.
    • All grants budgeted for online courses were awarded and utilized.
    • Funded by the NACS Foundation, The Student Watch™ study, conducted twice a year, contains vital, industry-specific research that offers new insights into the college student consumer and other campus trends.  
    • NACS Foundation, for the fourth consecutive year, with the support Nebraska Book Company funded the Leadership Institute for 25 emerging collegiate retailing professionals. For the second consecutive year, this program scored a 4.96 (out of 5.00) for overall satisfaction.
    • Colorado State University Bookstore received the Collegiate Retailer of the Year award during CAMEX 2017.  The CSU Bookstore was chosen for the many partnerships and collaborations the store had established with campus departments and organizations, as well as in the community.  Among those is a “School is Cool” program that furnishes school supplies to local K-12 students.  They are also committed to ensure affordability and student access to course materials, taking advantage of dynamic pricing, inclusive access, alternative formats, and a strong buyback program to reduce costs and provide options.  Last year, the store saved CSU students $5 million on their course materials.  This biennial award for collegiate retailing excellence is funded through the Tommye and Keith Miller endowment with a prize of $5,000 awarded to the winner. 
    • The NACS Foundation board of directors presented the NACS Foundation Distinguished Service Award to Brian E. Cartier, CAE during their May board meeting. The award recognizes devotion, service and visionary leadership given to the Foundation.  In addition, the award was renamed the Brian E. Cartier Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his service to NACS and in celebration of his retirement.
    • For the fifth year, the Foundation participated in the Macy’s Shop For A Cause fundraiser. There were several grassroots fundraisers as a result of challenges by volunteer leaders including the World Series when the Cleveland Indians played the Chicago Cubs. Either way, the Foundation was the big winner with all proceeds from these fundraisers benefited the Building A Better Tomorrow Major Gifts Campaign!
    • During CAMEX 2017, two main fundraising activities were conducted which generated $12,615 for the Building A Better Tomorrow campaign. For the ninth year, the flame pin, donated by Herff Jones, was the center of the CAMEX fundraiser. It was once again held with five Money Tree raffles for a total value of $5,000 donated by Nebraska Book Company.  New this year, a Step Challenge fundraiser which helped participants raise $520 as they “Rocked the Salt (Palace)” during the trade show.
    • The Building A Better Tomorrow Major Gifts Campaign, which was announced and the public phase launched at CAMEX 2012, came to a close at CAMEX 2017 and the end of the NACS fiscal year on March 31.  Over the course of the five year campaign, $1,309,115 was raised.
  • Fiscal Year 2015/2016
    • Professional Development grants totaling $12,000 were provided to state and regional associations for conference education.
    • Foundation awarded 138 grants for CAMEX/CCRA 2016 in Houston and with travel restrictions and some attrition, only 134 grant recipients were actually able to travel to the conference, totaling $92,503.
    • The annual online auction was held once again raising $38,302 in gross revenue with 225 package donations from 91 companies and/or individuals.
    • Through the Bring A Buyer to CAMEX grant program, 95 individual grants were secured from 53 vendors and another 3 grants were provided by the 2015 Phonathon team through an independent fundraiser for a total of $58,800.
    • For the third consecutive year, the NACS Foundation sponsored all of CAMEX education with 75 sessions offered.
    • More than 534 NACS members benefited from six free webinars which were provided through NACS Foundation underwriting.
    • Changes were made to the Student Watch program which now fields twice a year (October and February) and the focus and name of the report is Student Watch: Attitudes and Behaviors toward Course Materials. In addition, the Foundation underwrites OnCampus Research’s monthly shopping report which more effectively tracks student purchasing trends through a panel of 14,000 students on 1,100 campuses. The Foundation again funded more than $43,000 to make this valuable information available to NACS members at a discounted rate.
    • NACS Foundation with the support Nebraska Book Company for the third successive year funded the Leadership Institute for 25 emerging collegiate retailing professionals.
    • The Foundation funded research project, Mapping the Digital Course Materials Ecosystem, was finalized. A summary of the significant findings were presented to 2015 fall state and regional conference attendees. The complete white paper, related reports and actions to consider are available to members in an online webhosted format.
    • The winner of the Innovation Achievement Award was announced during CAMEX 2016. UC Davis Stores received this prestigious honor for their work on a new “inclusive access” model for course materials. This biennial award is funded through the Martin D. Levine endowment with a prize of $5,000 awarded to the winner.
    • The NACS Foundation Distinguished Service Award was presented to Anthony Martin, Director of Houston Baptist University Bookstore and 2015-2016 NACS Board President. The award recognizes devotion, service and visionary leadership given to the Foundation and was presented to Anthony during CAMEX 2016.
    • In an effort to engage NACS Inc. staff, the Foundation conducted internal fundraisers including Macy’s Shop For A Cause and Lorenzo’s The Beautiful Flame” Pizza event. All proceeds benefited the Building A Better Tomorrow Major Gifts Campaign with $1,170 being raised from these events.
    • Two main fundraising activities were conducted during CAMEX 2016 which generated $12,577 for the Building A Better Tomorrow campaign. These included the annual Flame Pin promotion combined with three Money Tree raffles for a total value of $5,000 donated by vendor partners and a Dine Around Houston event from which five participating restaurants donated a portion of their proceeds from CAMEX attendees to the Foundation.
    • The Building A Better Tomorrow Major Gifts Campaign was announced and the public phase launched at CAMEX 2012. At the close of FY2015-2016, $1,264,577 had been raised.
    • The Foundation launched a new online peer-to-peer fundraising platform in order to solicit donations from industry friends and colleagues. Through this medium, the online annual fund campaign entitled Painting a Brighter Tomorrow was launched using an online format for the very first time. Additionally, three independent fundraisers were also conducted using the new crowfundraising tool. NACS Foundation President, Melanie Sparks, CCR issued a challenge to board members and colleagues, Ben Eisenstein hosted a Pay It Forward fundraiser and a special fundraiser honoring Brian Cartier’s retirement from the industry was also held. Through these combined fundraising efforts, a total of $5,282 was raised for the annual fund.
  • Fiscal Year 2014/2015
    • Professional Development grants totaling $12,000 were provided to state and regional associations for conference education.
    • Foundation awarded 145 grants for CAMEX/CCRA 2015 in Atlanta and with travel restrictions and some attrition, only 128 grant recipients were actually able to travel to the conference, totaling $98,933.
    • The annual online auction was held once again raising $45,381 in gross revenue with 147 package donations from 67 companies.
    • Through the Bring A Buyer to CAMEX grant program, record-breaking106 individual grants were secured from 59 vendors for a total of $63,600.
    • For the second consecutive year, the NACS Foundation sponsored all of CAMEX education with almost 80 sessions offered.
    • More than three hundred NACS members benefited from five free webinars which were provided through NACS Foundation underwriting.
    • Changes were made to the Student Watch program which now fields twice a year (October and February) and the focus and name of the report is Student Watch: Attitudes and Behaviors toward Course Materials. In addition, the Foundation underwrites OnCampus Research’s monthly shopping report which more effectively tracks student purchasing trends through a panel of 14,000 students on 1,100 campuses. The Foundation again funded more than $43,000 to make this valuable information available to NACS members at a discounted rate.
    • NACS Foundation with the support Nebraska Book Company/Neebo for the second successive year funded the Leadership Institute for 26 emerging collegiate retailing professionals.
    • A new initiative, the Digital Content Product Institute was partially underwritten by the NACS Foundation.  Held in Oberlin in the summer of 2014, this educational offering brought together five major publishers to assist college store and course materials managers learn about digital content and learning platform products adopted by faculty and used by students so that the store can provide value to both groups.
    • The Foundation funded a major research project, Mapping the Digital Course Materials Ecosystem.  At the end of the fiscal year, this project was in its final stages as the author, Richard Katz, completed the final deliverables.  His findings to date were featured in a Thought Leader session at CAMEX 2015 and during a recent webinar.        
    • The Foundation through the support of Follett Higher Education Group, helped to fund The HUB, NACS’ social networking platform with almost 175,000 log-ins.
    • The winner of the Collegiate Retailer of the Year Award was announced during CAMEX 2015.  University of Colorado Book Store, UC Boulder received this prestigious honor. This biennial award is funded through the Tommye and Keith Miller endowment with a prize of $5,000 awarded to the winner.
    • In an effort to engage NACS Inc. staff, the Foundation conducted several internal fundraisers including Macy’s Shop For A Cause, Lorenzo’s “The Beautiful Flame” Pizza event, Orchid Express, a Silent Auction of donated products, and a Valentine’s social with Oberlin businesses offering gifts cards and products for prizes. All proceeds benefited the Building A Better Tomorrow Major Gifts Campaign with  $2,406 being raised from these events.
    • Several fundraising activities were conducted during CAMEX 2015 which generated almost $23,000 for the Building A Better Tomorrow campaign. These included the annual Flame Pin promotion combined with three Money Tree raffles for a total value of $1200 donated by vendor partners, a Silent Auction held on the trade show floor and a Dine Around Atlanta event from which 17 restaurants donated a portion of their proceeds from CAMEX attendees to the Foundation.
    • The Building A Better Tomorrow Major Gifts Campaign was announced and the public phase launched at CAMEX 2012. At the close of FY2014-2015, $1,213,749 had been raised.
  • Fiscal Year 2013/2014
    • Professional Development grants totaling $11,000 were provided to state and regional associations for conference education.
    • Foundation awarded166 grants for CAMEX/CCRA 2014 in Dallas and with travel restrictions and some attrition, only 146 grant recipients accepted with only 142 grantees actually able to travel to the conference, totaling $104,074.
    •  The annual online auction was held once again raising $52,181 in gross revenue with 209 package donations from 95 companies.
    • Through the Bring A Buyer to CAMEX grant program, 95 individual grants were secured from 49 vendors for a total of $57,000.
    • For the first year, the NACS Foundation sponsored all of CAMEX education with more than 70 sessions offered.
    • More than 470 NACS members benefited from six free webinars which were provided through NACS Foundation underwriting.
    • Changes were made to the Student Watch program which now fields twice a year (October and February) and the focus and name of the report is Student Watch: Student Attitudes and Behaviors toward Course Materials. In addition, the Foundation underwrites OnCampus Research’s monthly shopping report which more effectively tracks student purchasing trends through a panel of 18,000 students on 1,100 campuses. The Foundation again funded more than $34,000 to make this valuable information available to NACS members at a discounted rate. 
    • NACS Foundation with the support Nebraska Book Company/Neebo funded the inaugural Leadership Institute for 25 emerging collegiate retailing professionals.
    • For the third consecutive year, the Foundation through the support of Follett Higher Education Group, helped to fund The HUB, NACS ‘ social networking platform with more than 100,000 log-ins.
    • The winner of the Innovation Achievement Award was announced during CAMEX 2014. UC Davis Storesreceived this prestigious honor for their “Smart Start” program submission. This biennial award is funded through the Martin D. Levine endowment with a prize of $5,000 awarded to the winner.
    • In an effort to engage NACS Inc. staff, the Foundation conducted several internal fundraisers including Macy’s Shop For A Cause, Lorenzo’s “The Beautiful Flame” Pizza event, Ella’s Awesome Mac ‘n Cheese, Weia Teia Wednesday and Tooo Chinoise Tuesday with all proceeds benefitting the Building A Better Tomorrow Major Gifts Campaign. From these efforts, $1,409 was raised.
    • Several fundraising activities were conducted during CAMEX 2014 which generated almost $15,000 for the Building A Better Tomorrow campaign. These included the annual Flame Pin promotion combined with a $500 Money Tree raffle donated by vendor partners, a Silent Auction held on the trade show floor and a Dine Around Dallas event which 10 restaurants donated a portion of their proceeds from CAMEX attendees to the Foundation.
    • The Building A Better Tomorrow Major Gifts Campaign was announced and the public phase launched at CAMEX 2012. At the close of FY2013-2014, $1,175,000 had been raised thus far—representing nearly 79% of goal.
  • Fiscal Year 2012/2013
    • Professional Development grants totaling $12,000 were provided to state and regional associations for conference education. 
    • Foundation provided 143 grants for CAMEX/CCRA 2013 in Kansas City and with travel restrictions and some attrition, only 127 grants awarded.  Due to weather related issues, only 111 grantees were able to travel to the conference, totaling $114,031.57.    
    • The annual online auction was held once again raising $48,000 in gross revenue with 181 package donations from 77 companies. 
    • Through the Bring A Buyer to CAMEX grant program, 78 individual grants were secured from 42 vendors for a total of $46,800.
    • Student Watch 2012 report – Student Watch 2012: Student Attitudes and Perceptions: Linking Course Materials to the Connected College Student was conducted.  The Foundation again funded more than $15,000 to make this valuable information available to NACS members at a discounted rate.  The sale of the report generated $6,577 in total revenue. 
    • The NACS Foundation again supported the 2012/2013 Salary and Benefits Survey/Report. This is a biennial report.
    • NACS Foundation and NACS hosted a Campus Retailing Futures Think Tank in July 2012.  This invitational event brought together forward-thinking minds with a well-known strategist which identified plausible future scenarios for the industry from 2016-2022 and beyond.  The NACS Strategic Plan was refreshed to reflect the outcomes of this critical exercise.
    • The Foundation through the support of Follett Higher Education Group, helped to launch The HUB, NACS new social networking platform in the Fall of 2012.
    • The winner for the Collegiate Retailer of the Year award was announced during CAMEX 2013.   The Forty-Niner Shops Bookstore at California State University, Long Beach received this prestigious honor. This biennial award is funded through the Tommye and Keith Miller endowment with a prize of $5000 awarded to the winner.  Eighteen other worthy recipients were recognized in the 2013 CROY “Honor Roll”. 
    • In an effort to engage NACS Inc. staff, the Foundation conducted several internal fundraisers including Macy’s Shop For A Cause, Weia Teia Wednesday and Tooo Chinoise Tuesday with all proceeds benefitting the Building A Better Tomorrow Major Gifts Campaign. From these efforts, nearly $650 was raised.
    • Several fundraising activities were conducted at CAMEX 2013 which generated more than $7,400 for the BBT campaign. These included the annual Flame Pin promotion—which for the 30th Anniversary, a $30 donation was suggested—and Pocket Change which was a jar placed at the Opportunity Hub which provided folks an opportunity to donate loose change. Additionally, Board members Steve Bartek and Tom Hoffa presented challenges to their peers to raise funds which resulted in the Bartek “Buzz” and Headstand Hoffa.
    • The Building A Better Tomorrow Major Gifts Campaign was announced and the public phase launched at CAMEX 2012.  At the close of FY2012-2013, $1,113,767 had been raised thus far—representing nearly 75% of goal.
    • New to CAMEX this year were 60 student Trendspotters which were funded by the Foundation.
    • In honor of the Foundation’s thirtieth year of service to the collegiate retailing industry, a special commemorative logo was created which symbolized this important year.  In addition, an anniversary celebration reception was also held during CAMEX in Kansas City to join together past donors, vendor partners, grant recipients and to also install the new Foundation board for fiscal year 2014.
  • Fiscal Year 2011/2012
    • Professional Development grants totaling $9,599.49 were distributed for attendance at NACS education programs and conferences.
    • 143 individuals received grants to attend CAMEX 2012 in Salt Lake City which totaled $123,071. 
    • Foundation supported CCRA 2012 conference with $7,584 in underwriting for educational events and $5,860 in grants to bring individuals to Salt Lake City for the event. 
    • The 23rd annual Silent Auction was held in an online format raising $37,205 in gross revenue with 144 package donations from  61 companies.  The Foundation once again partnered with NACS Marketing/Ad Sales to host an onsite auction in the booth during CAMEX 2012 raising $2,275.
    • Student Watch 2011 report – Retail Edge:  Insights Into Your Core Consumer on Campus was conducted.  The Foundation again funded more than $15,000 to make this valuable information available to NACS members at a discounted rate.  The sale of the report generated $9,429 in total revenue. 
    • For the first time since the awards inception, three winners were selected for the Foundation’s Innovation Achievement Award. The winners: Anne Arundel Community College for their Mobile Technology Initiative, the Campus Bookstore at Queen’s University for their Google eBooks Integration, and the University of British Columbia (UBC) Bookstore for their Student Ambassador program, were all presented their awards and a $2,000 cash prize at CAMEX 2012.
    • The NACS Foundation’s fourth Annual Fund raised $10,095. 
    • Building A Better Tomorrow Major Gifts Campaign launched with the Inner Family/silent phase and completed successfully with 100% participation from all NACS Inc. boards including Partnership, NACS Media Solutions, NACSCORP, NACS Foundation as well as the entire Senior Staff.  The campaign was announced during CAMEX 2012 to kick-off the public phase.  This is the largest fundraising endeavor in recent history with an adjusted goal of $1.5M over five years.  At end of FY2011-2012, $493,476 was raised thus far. 
  • Fiscal Year 2009/2010
    • Professional Development grants totaling $17,775 were distributed for attendance at NACS education programs and conferences with an additional $7,037 to bring NACS education programming to state and regional college store associations.
    • 85 individuals received grants to attend CAMEX 2009 in Anaheim valued at $85,850.
    • The Foundation supported the CCRA 10 conference with $13,030 in funding. 
    • The 21st annual Silent Auction was hosted online again this year raising $26,347 with 224 packages donated from 99 companies. 
    • The NACS Foundation Distinguished Service Award was presented to Jim Haemker, director of the Luther Book Shop and Union Services at Luther College, Decorah, IA.
    • The Collegiate Retailer of the Year Award (CROY) was born from the passion and vision of Tommye and Keith Miller. Through their generous gift of $100,000, a restricted endowment was established to fund this biennial award. Through an application, submission and judging process, CROY will recognize the highest level of collegiate retailing excellence in the industry.
    • Red Deer College Bookstore, Alberta, Canada won the 2010 Innovation Achievement Award for its “The Scholarship’s in the Bag” initiative. A $5,000 award was presented to the store at CAMEX.
    • Student Watch 2009 report- Shopping Habits: Confessions of College Student Consumers was conducted. The Foundation again funded more than $17,000 to make this valuable information available to NACS members at a discounted rate.
    • $300,000 was invested to partner with Retail Forward, a Kantar Retail Company, to “research, define, and promulgate the college store of 2015.”
    • The NACS Foundation sponsored three Research in Action Webcasts attracting 610 attendees. Funding in the amount of $3,658 made these free opportunities available for members.
    • The NACS Foundation’s second Annual Fund came in at 146% of its $25,000 goal with a grand total of $37,376 raised.
    • The Flame Pin promotion at CAMEX in support of the Annual Fund generated $8,795.

Fiscal Years 2000/2001 - 2009/2010

  • Fiscal Year 2009/2010
    • Professional Development grants totaling $17,775 were distributed for attendance at NACS education programs and conferences with an additional $7,037 to bring NACS education programming to state and regional college store associations.
    • 85 individuals received grants to attend CAMEX 2009 in Anaheim valued at $85,850.
    • The Foundation supported the CCRA 10 conference with $13,030 in funding.
    • The 21st annual Silent Auction was hosted online again this year raising $26,347 with 224 packages donated from 99 companies.
    • The NACS Foundation Distinguished Service Award was presented to Jim Haemker, director of the Luther Book Shop and Union Services at Luther College, Decorah, IA.
    • The Collegiate Retailer of the Year Award (CROY) was born from the passion and vision of Tommye and Keith Miller. Through their generous gift of $100,000, a restricted endowment was established to fund this biennial award. Through an application, submission and judging process, CROY will recognize the highest level of collegiate retailing excellence in the industry.
    • Red Deer College Bookstore, Alberta, Canada won the 2010 Innovation Achievement Award for its “The Scholarship’s in the Bag” initiative. A $5,000 award was presented to the store at CAMEX.
    • Student Watch 2009 report- Shopping Habits: Confessions of College Student Consumers was conducted. The Foundation again funded more than $17,000 to make this valuable information available to NACS members at a discounted rate.
    • $300,000 was invested to partner with Retail Forward, a Kantar Retail Company, to “research, define, and promulgate the college store of 2015.”
    • The NACS Foundation sponsored three Research in Action Webcasts attracting 610 attendees. Funding in the amount of $3,658 made these free opportunities available for members.
    • The NACS Foundation’s second Annual Fund came in at 146% of its $25,000 goal with a grand total of $37,376 raised.
    • The Flame Pin promotion at CAMEX in support of the Annual Fund generated $8,795.
  • Fiscal Year 2008/2009
    • Professional Development grants totaling $8,191 were distributed for attendance at NACS education programs and conferences with an additional $7,666 to bring NACS education programming to state and regional college store associations.
    • 75 individuals received grants to attend CAMEX 2009 in Anaheim valued at $51,400.
    • The Foundation supported the CCRA 09 conference with more than $4,400 designated for grant funding and conference sponsorship.
    • The 20th annual Silent Auction was hosted online this year with 216 packages donated from 84 companies and net proceeds of $43,543.
    • The NACS Foundation Distinguished Service Award was presented to Peggy Falgien, CCR, retired director, University Bookstore, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY.
    • The NACS Foundation sponsored four Catalyst Discussion Forums at CAMEX.
    • The NACS Foundation sponsored three Research in Action Webcasts attracting 709 attendees. Funding in the amount of $10,000 made these free opportunities available for members.
    • Student Watch 2008 report- Student Attitudes & Buying Habits Revealed: An In-depth Analysis on Textbooks and Course Materials was sponsored by the Foundation. More than $17,000 was provided in grant funding to make this report available at a discounted rate.
    • The NACS Foundation underwrote more than $15,000 in support of the 2008/2009 Salary and Benefits Survey. The sale of the report generated $4,244 in total revenue.
    • The Foundation’s Annual Fund closed at 444% over its goal of $5,000 raising $21,032. The Campaign was supported 100% by all NACS, Inc. Boards.
    • The Foundation launched the Flame Pin promotion to benefit the Annual Fund during CAMEX. With a gift of $20, individuals received a custom designed Foundation Flame Pin. The goal was $5,000 and more than $10,925 was raised- 219% of goal.
    • The Foundation’s Epic Trust endowment $3,199,983
  • Fiscal Year 2007/2008
    • Professional Development grants totaling $26,950 were distributed: 10 CRTS awarded $5,950, 10 CCRA awarded $5,000, 10 Innovate! awarded $2,000, 10 Extreme awarded $2,000, and 10 state and regional program grants awarded $12,000.
    • 50 individuals received Bring A Buyer to CAMEX grants to attend CAMEX 2008 in San Antonio valued at $25,000. 28 companies and 4 individuals sponsored the grant program, an increase of 78% with $25,000 raised, an increase of 70%.
    • The NACS Foundation presented its 2008 Student Watch research project to provide insight’ into today’s college students on textbooks and course materials as a CAMEX 2008 education session: Love Em’ or Leave Em’. More than 100 attendees participated in the session with 15 pre-sale orders received, the highest to date.
    • Student Watch 2007 report – Retail Inspiration: Insight to College-Bound Consumers sold 84 copies, an increase of 51%, from the 2005 fall report (sold 43 copies) and raised $7,326. A special, one-time sale price was made possible by a $200 NACS Foundation grant provided to any college or university that wanted to receive this valuable information. The NACS Foundation was proud to underwrite the additional fees to bring this key student customer research to every NACS member. More than $16,000 was provided in grant funding.
    • The NACS Foundation sponsored four Research in Action webcasts. NACS Financial Survey – Improve your Store Operations: 116 live attendance, 33 on-demand attendance; Digital Marketing: 132 live attendance, 41 on-demand attendance; Trend Insights: n/a live attendance, 183 on-demand attendees (highest web cast to date); and the CAMEX 2008 Fashion Show sponsored by MY U in production. The Foundation provided $10,000 in funding to provide this information to the NACS membership.
    • $25,000 in Association Program Grants was provided to support Xtreme, Innovate!, and Open-to-Buy courses for the 2007/08 fiscal year. The two funded Open-to-Buy courses the Foundation funded had more than 50 attendees as class sizes were limited.
    • The Foundation supported the CCRA 07 conference with more than $4,500 in funding as an official sponsor of its conference.
    • The second Innovation Achievement Award was given to Virginia Tech Services, Inc. and two additional honorable mentions were recognized at CAMEX 08.
    • The Foundation’s Epic Trust endowment grew to $4,381,765, an 8.94 percent gain for the year, outperforming the benchmark gain by 4.34 percent by the end of the 2007/2008 fiscal year.
    • The 25th Anniversary campaign Foundation for the Future wraps up with $506,636 in raised revenue, which is 169% over the original budgeted goal of $300,000.
    • $12,000 was presented to Greg Mortenson, director of the Central Asia Institute and author of Three Cups of Tea, at the Book and Author Mega Session at CAMEX 2008. The gift was presented on behalf of the Foundation and the College Store Industry to build a school for girls in Pakistan by the Central Asia Institute.
    • The 19th annual Silent Auction was hosted online this year with 199 packages donated from 93 companies, an increase of 81%. To date the auction has not closed to report on final revenues raised.
    • Opening Night Fiesta activities during CAMEX raised more than $10,000 for the Foundation.
    • CAMEX 08 Raffle ticket program raised $4,130 to support the Epic Trust.
  • Fiscal Year 2006/2007
    • Professional development and program grants totaling $33,975 were distributed: 10 CRTS awarded $5,950, 7 CCRA awarded $2,975, 30 ConTEXT awarded $13,050, and 10 state and regional program grants awarded $12,000.
    • Fifty individuals received Bring A Buyer to CAMEX grants to attend CAMEX 2007 in Orlando valued at $25,000. Twenty-five companies sponsored the Bring A Buyer to CAMEX grant program with $17,500 raised.
    • “Establishing Department Inventory Levels” Open-to-buy Session at CAMEX 2007 was brought to NACS members through support of the NACS Foundation. This session supported the primary focus of the foundation strategic plan to support open-to-buy initiatives.
    • The NACS Foundation contracted with Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) to undertake a comprehensive $50,000 research project to provide insight’ into today’s college students, as well as high school students who will be on college campuses in the next few years. The research was presented as a CAMEX 2007 Mega Session. A free web cast of the session is available online.
    • The NACS Foundation sponsored three Research in Action web casts. Student Watch on Textbooks: 197 attendees, 422 replays to-date; TRU Impacts on Campus Stores: 162 attendees, 56 replays to-date; and Retail Inspiration-Insight from Student Leaders and Customers, 32 replays to-date.
    • The launch of the “Taking Campus Retail to the Xtreme!” program was successful with 52 program participants; the Foundation was a $3,000 sponsor.
    • The Martin D. Levine Endowment Fund grew over $70,000 to recognize innovation and entrepreneurship in the industry through a new $5,000 award. San Mateo Community College District Bookstores was recognized. There were six additional honorable mentions recognized at CAMEX 2007.
    • The Foundation’s Epic Trust endowment grew to $4,034,817 by the end of the 2006/2007 fiscal year.
    • The 25th Anniversary campaign Foundation for the Future continues with $459,230 (153% of goal) by the end of the fiscal year.
    • A multimedia presentation was shown at the opening Mega Session at CAMEX highlighting the Foundation’s 25 years of service to the industry.
    • The 18th annual Silent Auction was hosted online this year raising $36,152 with 200 packages donated from 75 companies.
    • College Kids’ Open Mic Night held during CAMEX at the House of Blues gave half of its proceeds to the NACS Foundation. $3,410 was received.
    • To celebrate the 25th Anniversary, the NACS Foundation sold raffle tickets to commemorate 25 years of service to the industry. 442 tickets were sold and raised $9,815 to support the Epic Trust.
  • Fiscal Year 2005/2006
    • A DVD of the CAMEX 2005 presentation, “The College Store of the Future”, a research project conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) and funded by the NACS Foundation was sent to all “Full” college store members of the association in July/August 2005.
    • In response to the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita the Foundation established a special Hurricane Relief Fund. A total of $16,525 was raised with $10,000 donated to Habitat for Humanity in appreciation of Jimmy Carter’s 2005 CAMEX appearance; $2,025 to the Louisiana Association of College Stores (on behalf of the Southwest Association of College Store); $1,000 to the Mississippi Association of College Stores; $3,000 to the Scholarship America Disaster Relief Fund to assist displaced college students (on behalf of the National Federation of University Cooperative Association in Japan); $1,000 from Arent Fox; and $500.00 for grant assistance from the Northwest College Bookstore Association. Additionally 12 individuals received special one-time $1000 grants to attend CAMEX 2006 as a part of the Hurricane Relief Program.
    • $7,975 in professional development grants was awarded to 15 individuals to attend Collegiate Retail Training Series (CRTS) education programs sponsored by NACS in 2005/2006.
    • Ten NACS education/Facilitator led education programs were offered at state and regional college store associations through support from the Foundation the 12 grants ($9,977.11) enabled 230 individuals to receive industry specific training.
    • Thirty individuals received CAMEX grants to attend the 2006 NACS annual meeting and Campus Market Expo in Houston,
    • CAMEX 2006 Focus Session speaker, Dan Pink, was brought to members through support of the NACS Foundation. His presentation, “A Whole New Mind” hit directly upon the issues facing college stores as they seek new positions as “Store of the Future.”
    • Student Watch 2005, funded by the Foundation, was conducted on 21 campuses with over 16,000 college students participating enabling a better understanding of college students attitudes towards course materials.
    • “Texas Hold ‘Em” was added as a special fundraising event for the CAMEX 2006 trade show and joined the traditional events (Silent Auction, 5K Fun Run) and a new Party with a Purpose for the convention in Houston.
    • The Martin D. Levine Endowment Fund grew over $70,000 to recognize innovation and entrepreneurship in the industry. Guideline for the award were refined with plans to debut the program in 2006/2007.
    • The Foundation’s Epic Trust endowment grew to $3,650,255 by the end of the 2005/2006 fiscal years.
    • NACS donated $185,000 to the Foundation to support the industry through research and education and hopes to be able to contribute 10% of its UBIT monies in future years.
    • A webcast on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study, on college textbook costs was held through support of the NACS Foundation at over 200 sites and reaching over 300 people.
  • Fiscal Year 2004/2005
    • The Foundation Board continues to review and update the 03-05 Strategic Plan with current activity and outcomes.
    • In Fall 2004 the Foundation sponsored the 12th report in the StudentWatch research project series. The report is entitled “Understanding College Students: Attitudes Toward Advertising and Promotion, Online Shopping Behavior, Factors in Purchase Decisions. Twenty-one stores participated in the survey. Russell Athletic and Jelly Belly sponsored the survey through InKind donations for distribution to participating students at the various bookstores. An ongoing effort is underway to push the data out to stores through Collegiate MarketWatch articles and presentations.
    • The revised Investment Policy was fully implemented during the year utilizing a manager to oversee the portfolio and a task force to review progress on a monthly basis. The portfolio grew to approximately $3.4 million as of March 2005.
    • The Martin D. Levine Endowment Fund was established in recognition of Martin D. Levine to support an industry award that recognizes innovations and the spirit of entrepreneurship in collegiate retail management. Currently, there are 22 donors who have sponsored and/or contributed $19,500 in funding. The NACS Board has agreed to match contributions made to the endowment 100%, up to $25,000; with an additional contribution from NACS of $25,000.
    • The NACS Foundation awarded $22,205 in CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants for 49 buyers to attend CAMEX in New Orleans.
    • The Foundation provided $13,800 in Professional Development Grants
    • $10,519.83 in funding was awarded for Association Program Grants so that 371 members could participate in NACS educational programming in conjunction with 11 state/regional college store association meetings.
    • The 9th Annual Spirit Shop was be held in New Orleans in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The 15th Annual Benefit Celebration featuring musicians Irma Thomas, and Rockin’ Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters was held at Generations Hall in New Orleans in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The 16th Annual Auction was held on-site in conjunction with CAMEX in New Orleans, raising funds totaling $33,522.
    • The second Fun Run/Walk was held in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The Foundation funded a “Store of the Future” research project conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) with the findings presented at CAMEX 2005.
    • A new environmental scan think tank was established to identify trends, evaluate the impact on collegiate retailing and to develop recommendations for areas of focus or initiative.
    • A “Bring a Buyer to CAMEX” fund-raising program was launched in conjunction with CAMEX 2005 to gain a broader base of support from Associate members for Foundation education programs and initiatives.
  • Fiscal Year 2003/2004
    • The Foundation Board held two meetings during the year, and initiated periodic conference calls between meetings. In addition, the committee and task forces continued their work in support of the Foundation.
    • During CAMEX, the Foundation Board recognized both a volunteer and staff member for their dedication and support of the Foundation with presentation of the Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award to Mary Bonach, CSP and Cynthia D’Angelo.
    • The Foundation Board, with input from the Foundation Planning Committee, set a new direction for the Foundation through a strategic planning exercise conducted in conjunction with the October 2003 Board meeting. Through this exercise a Vision Statement was developed, the Mission Statement revised and four clear Goals with specific Objectives established. This new Strategic Plan confirms the strong, supportive relationship the Foundation has with NACS, and sets a clear course for the future of the Foundation.
    • In Fall 2003 the Foundation sponsored the 11th in a series StudentWatch research projects on the timely subject of Textbooks and Course Materials. The great strides made in the conduct of this annual survey have been made possible through a partnership with the Research Task Force, 21 colleges stores, Russell Athletic, 360YOUTH, and the NACS Planning & Research, Marketing, Public Relations and Foundation staff. An ongoing effort is underway to push the data out to stores through Collegiate MarketWatch articles and presentations.
    • The revised Investment Policy was fully implemented during the year utilizing a manager to oversee the portfolio and a task force to review progress on a monthly basis. The portfolio grew from $2,671,468 as of March 31, 2003, to $3,156,464 as of March 31, 2004.
    • The Partners for the Future campaign continues with a total of 92 donors contributing $127,161 over a five-year period.
    • The Fall 2003 StudentWatchTM survey was conducted on 21 campuses. Three different methods were used for collecting the information. Store intercept, RGIS (outside data collection company) intercept, and online collection.
    • The NACS Foundation awarded $22,500 in CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants for 45 buyers to attend CAMEX in San Antonio.
    • The Foundation provided $6,390 in Professional Development Grants
    • $9,021.61 in funding was awarded for Association Program Grants so that 254 members could participate in NACS educational programming in conjunction with 12 state/regional college store association meetings.
    • The 8th Annual Spirit Shop was be held in San Antonio in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The 3rd Auction was held online in conjunction with CCRA/ConTEXT
    • The 14th Annual Benefit Concert featuring comedian John Pinette, with musical talents of Jake & Elwood Blues Review was held at the San Antonio Convention Center in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The 15th Annual Auction was held online for the second time in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • In addition to traditional special event fundraising during CAMEX, the first Fun Run/Walk and Opening Night Vegas Party were presented at CAMEX 2004. Both events exceeded expectations for participation levels. CAMEX 2004 also marked the return of the Golf Tournament.
  • Fiscal Year 2002/2003
    • The NACS Foundation Board set the stage for the future by evaluating the mission statement of the Foundation, and its relationship to NACS.
    • The Foundation Board established seven new Task Forces and Committees to provide input on major project areas and new initiatives:
    •      Anniversary/Distinguished Service Award Task Force
    •      Core Values/Branding Task Force
    •      Fundraising Committee
    •      Future Symposium/Think Tank Task Force
    •      Planning Committee
    •      Online Auction Task Force
    •      Research Task Force
    • A major outcome of the work of the Core Values/Branding Task Force was a proposed new mission statement, which was adopted by the Foundation Board in October 2002. The Foundation’s new mission statement reads as follows: The NACS Foundation builds partnerships to strengthen the future vitality of the college store industry through research and education.
    • Through the recommendation of the Branding Task Force, the Foundation and NACS Boards approved changing the name of the organization from the College Stores Research and Educational Foundation to the NACS Foundation during meetings held in October/November 2002. The change was officially announced to NACS members at CAMEX 2003.
    • The NACS Foundation announced the launch of the Partners for the Future annual giving campaign at the Volunteer Reception held in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The first Foundation Distinguished Service Award was presented during CAMEX to John Marcus, CSP The NACS Foundation Board of Directors presents the Distinguished Service Award, the Foundation’s highest award in recognition of devotion, service and visionary leadership provided to the NACS Foundation.
    • Two major research projects were supported by the Foundation during 2002-2003 - the Salary & Benefits Survey and the Fall 2002 StudentWatchTM. The NACS Planning & Research department coordinated both survey projects with assistance from the Foundation staff.
    • The Fall 2002 StudentWatchTM survey was the first to be completely managed by the staff of the NACS Planning & Research department and Foundation, with direction provided by the Foundation’s Research Task Force.
    • The NACS Foundation awarded $19,500 in CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants for 39 buyers to attend CAMEX in St. Louis in March 2003.
    • The Foundation provided $11,635 in Professional Development Grants
    • Funding was provided for “Hot Topic" Audio Conferences presented by the NACS Education Department.
    • $11,840.75 in funding was allocated for Association Program Grants so that 308 members could participate in NACS educational programming in conjunction with state/regional college store association meetings.
    • The 7th Annual Rainey Bookstore Scholarship Program provided two $1,000 scholarships from the Harry Rainey Endowment Fund through an essay contest for student bookstore employees. The topic of the essay is “How working in the college store has given me a new respect for the store as a business.”
    • The 7th Annual Spirit Shop was be held in St. Louis in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The 2nd Silent Auction was held in Anaheim, CA in conjunction with CCRA/ConTEXT
    • The 13th Annual Benefit Concert featuring the country music group Diamond Rio, was held at the St. Louis Convention Center in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The 14th Annual Auction was held online for the first time in conjunction with CAMEX. More than 630 bids were placed on 60 packages with proceeds going to the Epic Trust.
    • The 20th Anniversary Celebration was concluded at CAMEX 2003.
  • Fiscal Year 2001/2002
    • The third NACS Academy for Future Collegiate Retail Leaders: An Executive Development Program was conducted on November 1-7, 2001 at the Texas A & M Center for Executive Development in College Station, Texas. Twenty-seven individuals including new directors and assistant directors/managers attended the program. CSREF provided full tuition grants of $1,425 to 20 participants.
    • The first NACS Academy for Seasoned Collegiate Retail Leaders: An Executive Development Program for seasoned directors and managers will be held in conjunction with the current program for up-and-coming leaders, November 1-7, 2001 at Texas A & M’s Center for Executive Development. Thirty-two individuals attended the program. CSREF provided full tuition grants of $1,425 to 27 participants.
    • CSREF provided $13,495 for Professional Development Grants.
    • The Board awarded $24,500 in CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants for 49 buyers to attend CAMEX in Los Angeles in February 2002.
    • The Board approved $12,000 in funding for “Hot Topic" Audio Conferences.
    • CSREF provided $13,258 in funding for was allocated for thirteen Association Program Grants so that members could participate in NACS educational programming in conjunction with state/regional college store association meetings.
    • The 6th Annual Rainey Bookstore Scholarship Program provided two $1,000 scholarships from the Harry Rainey Endowment Fund through an essay contest for student bookstore employees entitled ““Working at the College Store has been a Fabulous Learning Experience. Here’s why….”.
    • The 6th Annual Spirit Shop was held in Los Angeles in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The 12th Annual CSREF Benefit Concert featuring the World Classic Rockers was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The 13th Annual CSREF Silent Auction SUPERSTORE, was held in the Los Angeles Convention Center in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The 1st Silent Auction was held in Tampa, FL in conjunction with CCRA/ConTEXT
    • The 20th Anniversary Celebration was launched at CAMEX 2002 with special recognition given to volunteers, donors, sponsors and recipients of CSREF grants and educational programs over the past 20 years. Plans are to continue the celebration throughout 2002.
  • Fiscal Year 2000/2001
    • CSREF continued the Student WatchTM primary research program begun in 1997/98, working with Sterling Research Group, Inc. to conduct three “waves” of topical research on campuses across the U. S. during October 2000. These topics included updates of Volume 1: Understanding College Student Consumer Behavior and Volume 5: Online Shopping, tracking changes in trends over time. A new study was conducted on Paper & School Supplies. The new research was available at ConTEXT and at three sessions at CAMEX in New Orleans.
    • The second NACS Academy for Future Collegiate Retail Leaders: An Executive Development Program entitled Gaining A Competitive Edge was conducted on November 2-8, 2000 at the Texas A & M Center for Executive Development in College Station, Texas. Thirty-six individuals including new directors and assistant directors/managers attended the program. CSREF provided full tuition grants of $1,295 to 30 participants.
    • The Board approved an Advanced Executive Development Program for seasoned directors and managers to be held in conjunction with the current program for up-and-coming leaders, November, 2001 at Texas A & M’s Center for Executive Development.
    • CSREF provided $1,317.80 for 44 products grants for the E-Commerce Tool Kit to small stores that could not afford to purchase them.
    • CSREF provided $8,310 for 20 Professional Development Grants.
    • The CSREF Board awarded $22,207 in CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants enabling 45 buyers to attend CAMEX in New Orleans in April, 2001.
    • CSREF provided approximately $27,000 in funding for 1 full-day and 2 half-day Bonus Sessions at CAMEX in New Orleans. The sessions are Digital Content Delivery Models sponsored by Ingram Book Company/Lightning Source, Inc., Marketing Foundations of Great Service, sponsored by Avery Dennison, and a Health Science Store Tour featuring LSU Medical College Health Science Bookstore and Tulane Medical School Bookstore, sponsored by Harcourt Health Sciences.
    • The Softgoods Showcase was presented twice to approximately 800 members in New Orleans.
    • CSREF provided $10,178.62 for 16 Association Program Grants so that members could participate in NACS educational programming in conjunction with their state/regional college store association meeting.
    • The 5th Annual Rainey Bookstore Scholarship Program provided two $1,000 scholarships from the Harry Rainey Endowment Fund through an essay contest for student bookstore employees on “How Working in the College Store Has Helped Me.”
    • The 5th Annual Spirit Shop was held in New Orleans in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The 11th Annual CSREF Benefit Concert featuring The Commodores was held at the Orpheum Theatre in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The 9th Annual Club Energy! dance party was held at Generations Hall in New Orleans in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The 14th Annual CSREF Harry Rainey Golf Classic was held at the Chateau Golf and Country Club in Kenner, LA, in conjunction with CAMEX.
    • The 12th Annual CSREF Silent Auction SUPERSTORE, was held in the Morial Convention Center in conjunction with CAMEX.

Fiscal Years 1990/1991 - 1999/2000

  • Fiscal Year 1999/2000
    • On December 28, 1999, the Epic Trust investment portfolio surpassed the goal set in 1986, with $5,056,000.
    • CSREF continued the Student WatchTM primary research program begun in 1997/98, working with Sterling Research Group, Inc. to conduct two new “waves” of topical research on campuses across the U. S. during October through November, 1999. These topics included Online Shopping fielded on 40 campuses across the country, and Textbooks and Course Materials II, conducted online through collegestudent.com, now collegeclub.com. The new research was available at ConTEXT and at three sessions at the NACS Annual Meeting in Nashville. At no cost to members, sessions on the three Student Watch studies conducted in 1998/99, Textbooks and Course Materials, Technology Products, and Apparel & Backpacks, were delivered at 8 locations during the Fall of 1999. Sessions were conducted for: Indiana Association of College Stores, Kentucky Association of College Stores, Mid-States Association of College Stores (with the Illinois Association of College Stores), Mountain States College Stores Association, Ohio Association of College Stores, Rocky Mountain Skyline Bookstore Association, Southwest College Bookstore Association, and California Association of College Stores.
    • The first NACS Academy for Future Collegiate Retail Leaders: An Executive Development Program entitled Gaining A Competitive Edge was conducted on November 11-16, 1999 at the Texas A & M Center for Retailing Studies in College Station, Texas. Twenty-eight individuals including new directors and assistant directors/managers attended the program. CSREF provided full tuition grants of $1,250 to 26 participants.
    • CSREF produced a 15-minute update of the Value of the Textbook video, retitled “Straight Talk About Textbooks… Expense or Investment” which was produced on VHS and CD-ROM. A 15-minute Canadian version was produced on VHS, and the 5-minute highlight tape shown at the 2nd General Session in Nashville was produced on a 60-minute loop. The 5-minute highlight tape was also produced and sent to the media.
    • The CSREF Board allocated $12,218 in Professional Development Grants. To allow more people to participate, grant guidelines were changed to every 3 years beginning in 2000/2001, with a limit of $500 per grant.
    • The CSREF Board awarded $20,000 in Annual Meeting/CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants enabling 40 buyers to attend the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Nashville in April, 2000.
    • CSREF provided approximately $28,000 in funding for 1 full-day and 3 half-day Bonus Sessions at the NACS Annual Meeting in Nashville. The sessions were The Web is More Than Books sponsored by BUDGETEXT, College Store OnLine, Nebraska Book Company, Sequoia Peripherals, and Value America; Gaining a Competitive Advantage (a condensed version of the Executive Development Program) sponsored by Avery Dennison; Blueprint for Textbooks: Inventory Management for a Better Bottom Line sponsored by McGraw-Hill Higher Education, a NACS 1-Day Program; and Essentials of Finance: Connecting You and the Business of Your College Store sponsored by The Douglas Stewart Company, a NACS 1-Day Program.
    • CSREF approved $45,100 in funding for the Softgoods Showcase that was presented twice at the NACS Annual Meeting. Approximately 950 individuals attended these sessions.
    • CSREF developed a new category of grants so that members can participate in NACS educational programming in conjunction with their state/regional college store association meeting. The Board approved 10 Association Program Grants of $1,500.
    • CSREF’s 7th Annual Student Employee Career Opportunities Day was conducted on Sunday, April 2, in Nashville for student bookstore employees.
    • The 4th Annual Rainey Bookstore Scholarship Program provided two $1,000 scholarships from the Harry Rainey Endowment Fund through an essay contest for student bookstore employees on “How My College Store Contributes to Our Campus Community.”
    • The 4th Annual Spirit Shop was held in Nashville in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • The 10th Anniversary of the CSREF Benefit Concert featuring Mandy Barnett opening for Sawyer Brown was held at the historic Ryman Auditorium in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX. The concert was the highest rated and attended event at the Annual Meeting.
    • The 8th Annual Club Energy! dance party was held at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • The 13th Annual CSREF Harry Rainey Golf Classic was held at the Springhouse Golf Club at Opryland in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • The 11th Annual CSREF Silent Auction SUPERSTORE, with a truly “silent” bid format, was held in the Convention Center in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • For every dollar paid into the Epic Trust, $1.52 is generating interest income.
  • Fiscal Year 1998/1999
    • The CSREF Board of Directors, CSREF staff, and selected guest participants held a strategic planning session with facilitator Dave McLeod of McLeod Associates. The Board updated the CSREF mission statement, and reviewed progress on the existing plan, achieving consensus that CSREF is on target with its initiatives. In addition, the Board updated its fundraising, education, and research goals, and added a fourth goal of building strategic partnerships that have a positive market impact.
    • CSREF expanded the Student WatchTM primary research program begun in 1997/98, working with Sterling Research Group, Inc. to conduct three new “waves” of topical research on campuses across the U. S. during October through November, 1998. These topics included Textbooks and Course Materials, Technology Products, and Apparel and Backpacks. The new research debuted during sessions at the NACS Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City. At no cost to members, sessions on the first Student WatchTM study of the series, Understanding College Student Consumer Behavior, were delivered at 13 locations during the Fall of 1998 and the Winter of 1999. Sessions were conducted for: Association of College Unions International (ACUI), California Association of College Stores, College Stores Association of North Carolina, College Stores of New England/College Stores of New York, ConTEXT, Georgia Association of College Stores, Mid-States Association of College Stores, Middle Atlantic College Stores Association, Inc., Mountain States College Stores Association, NACAS, Northwest College Bookstore Association, South Carolina Association of College Stores, and the Western Canadian College Store Association.
    • The CSREF Board and NACS Education Committee identified Texas A & M Center for Retailing Studies to partner with in offering the NACS Academy for Future Collegiate Retail Leaders: An Executive Development Program to NACS members and conducted a needs assessment phone survey to help develop the curriculum. Members will be nominated by their campus, store, or company to participate in the program. The program will debut November 11-16, 1999.
    • At the NACS Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, CSREF announced a successful Diamond Anniversary Campaign, having exceeded the goal projected when the campaign was launched last April in Indianapolis. Pledges total $1,056,300. A total of 12 state/regional college store associations have pledged $22,500 to the campaign, enabling their members to purchase Student Watch at a reduced price of $50. Thirty-four companies contributed $965,050 of the total pledged. $63,175 has been contributed by 217 individuals, and 15 stores donated the remaining amount of $5,575.
    • The CSREF Board awarded $16,121 in Professional Development Grants.
    • The CSREF Board awarded $32,140 in Annual Meeting/CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants enabling 61 buyers to attend the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Salt Lake City in April, 1999. Grants were increased to $550 and guidelines for participation were expanded.
    • CSREF provided approximately $43,000 in funding for four Bonus Sessions at the NACS Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City. The sessions were What Matters Most, a Covey presentation, Rethinking Stress – Strategies for Productive Behavior, a Covey presentation sponsored by Avery Dennison, Moments to the Millennium sponsored by The Douglas Stewart Company, and Virtual Bookselling: A Survey Course on Collegiate Web Retailing sponsored by Mosby, Inc., McGraw-Hill Higher Education, and MBS Textbook Exchange. Approximately 480 individuals attended these sessions.
    • CSREF provided approximately $40,000 in funding for the Softgoods Showcase that was presented three times at the NACS Annual Meeting. It is estimated over 925 individuals will attend these sessions.
    • The Bottom-Line Buying program offered by NACS and Mohr Retailing was presented at two locations through $7,000 in grants from CSREF Diamond Anniversary Campaign donors.
    • The Essentials in Finance NACS 1-Day Program was presented at two locations through $3,000 in grants from CSREF Diamond Anniversary Campaign donors.
    • Three E-Commerce Audio Conferences were sponsored by CSREF through approximately $19,500 in grants from CSREF Diamond Anniversary Campaign donors. The first audio conference was held on February 4th, with 160 sites (compared to the usual of less than 50), with a roll call of 315 individuals. The second audio conference was held on February 25th, with 130 registered sites, reaching approximately 390 individuals. The third audio conference was held on March 4th, with 99 sites, reaching approximately 297 individuals. The audio conferences were sponsored by MarketSource Corporation, Nebraska Book Company, and The Matthews Group of Companies.
    • CSREF’s 6th Annual Student Employee Career Opportunities Day was conducted on Sunday, April 10 in Salt Lake City for eight students from three stores from three states.
    • The 3rd Annual Rainey Bookstore Scholarship Program provided two $1,000 scholarships from the Harry Rainey Endowment Fund through an essay contest for student bookstore employees on “How the Bookstore Has Impacted My Life.” Winners were Lorene Marie Rautanen, B&N College of St. Scholastica Bookstore, Duluth, MN; Lorene is a
    • Senior at St. Scholastica and plans to use her $1,000 scholarship toward her Masters program. The second winner was Julie Marie Wade, PLU Bookstore, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA.
    • The 3rd Annual Spirit Shop was held in Salt Lake City in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • The 9th Annual CSREF Benefit Concert featuring “Smokey” Robinson was held at The Capital Theatre in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • The 7th Annual Club Energy! dance party was held at Papiyons in Salt Lake City in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • The 12th Annual CSREF Harry Rainey Golf Classic was held at The Valley View Golf Course in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX. For the first time, several inches of snow delayed the official tournament until the afternoon, with 71 players.
    • The 10th Annual CSREF Silent Auction SUPERSTORE, with a truly “silent” bid format, was held in the Convention Center in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • For every dollar paid into the Epic Trust, $1.31 is generating interest income.
  • Fiscal Year 1997/1998
    • As a goal of the new CSREF strategic plan, the CSREF Board conducted the 1st CSREF Think Tank, an Industry Future Symposium entitled “College Store Retailing: End of a Century and a Look to the Future” in Vail, Colorado at the Lion Square Lodge & Conference Center on July 18-21, 1997. Industry Symposium Video Packages and Executive Summaries were developed so that everyone in the college store industry could hear the presentations from the six keynote speakers: Futurist Keynote, Dr. Marvin J. Cetron, President, Forecasting International, Ltd.; Higher Education Keynote, Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, President, University of Maryland; Competition/Strategic Positioning Keynote, Thomas J. Blischok, Chairman and CEO, The Decisioneering Group; Technology Keynote, Arthur G. Esch, Chairman, Executive Services, LTD; Customer Keynote, C. Britt Beemer, Chairman, America’s Research Group; “Out of the Box Strategies” Keynote, James J. Mapes, President, Quantum Leap Thinking.
    • As a goal of the new CSREF strategic plan, the CSREF Board identified Sterling Research Group, Inc., a major research firm based in Florida, to partner with in order to conduct a student buying habit consumer research study that would be analyzed and adapted for effective use by both college stores and the companies that supply merchandise and services to the college store market. The first Student WatchTM: College Market Research study was fielded in February of 1998, focusing on Understanding College Student Consumer Behavior.
    • As a goal of the new CSREF strategic plan, the CSREF Board began the process of identifying a major university to partner with in offering an Executive Development Program for Future Leaders to NACS members for which they can obtain college credit. Members will be nominated by their campus, store, or company to participate in the program.
    • As a goal of the new CSREF strategic plan, the CSREF Board began the process of identifying campaign goals, strategy, and structure to enable CSREF to secure $1,000,000 in pledges for the Epic Trust to be able to fulfill the program goals identified in the strategic plan.
    • The CSREF Board awarded $20,000 in Professional Development Grants.
    • The CSREF Board awarded $30,000 in Annual Meeting/CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants to enable 60 buyers to attend the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Indianapolis in April, 1998.
    • CSREF provided approximately $60,000 in funding for four Bonus Sessions at the NACS Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. The sessions were Leading & Managing Change with Peter DeLisle, Quantum Leap Thinking with James Mapes, Merchandising: The Basic Steps for Producing Profits presented by NACS - RMSA, and the Softgoods Showcase with keynote speaker J. J. Johansson of Nordstrom’s. It is estimated over 1,5000 individuals attended these sessions.
    • The Faculty as Client benchmarking tool, funded by CSREF through a grant from International Thompson Publishing was offered to NACS members in the fall of 1997.
    • The Bottom-Line Buying program offered by NACS and Mohr Retailing through $21,000 in funding from the interest income generated from the Epic Trust, was offered to NACS members in October, 1997.
    • CSREF’s 6th Annual Student Employee Career Opportunities Day was conducted on Sunday, April 19 in Indianapolis. This year’s attendance included 30 students representing 8 stores from Carlin, IL, Cedarville, OH, Richmond, IN, Amherst, MA, Cincinnati, OH, Fort Collins, CO, Tacoma, WA, and Ashland, OH.
    • The 2nd Annual Rainey Bookstore Scholarship Program provide two $1,000 scholarships from the Harry Rainey Endowment Fund through an essay contest for student bookstore employees on “The Value of Service Skills (What Customer Service skills have you learned working in the College Store, and how will they be applied to your future?)” The winners were Lori A. Peek, a first-year master’s student at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, and Alana Kealoha Dellatan, a junior at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA. Each winner received a $1,000 scholarship to be applied to the 1998-99 scholastic year.
    • The 1st Annual Gala Dinner was held at The Murat Centre prior to the Benefit Concert in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX. The theme of the Gala Dinner concept was to honor volunteerism, honoring NACS past presidents, in celebration of NACS 75th Anniversary.
    • The 2nd Annual Spirit Shop was held in Indianapolis in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • The 8th Annual CSREF Benefit Concert and 6th Annual Club Energy! dance party were held at The Murat Centre in Indianapolis in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • The 11th Annual CSREF Harry Rainey Golf Classic was held at The Legends of Indiana golf club in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • The 9th Annual CSREF Silent Auction SUPERSTORE was held in the Convention Center in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.Professional Development grants totaling $12,000 were provided to state and regional associations for conference education.
    • Foundation awarded 138 grants for CAMEX/CCRA 2016 in Houston and with travel restrictions and some attrition, only 134 grant recipients were actually able to travel to the conference, totaling $92,503.
    • The annual online auction was held once again raising $38,302 in gross revenue with 225 package donations from 91 companies and/or individuals.
    • Through the Bring A Buyer to CAMEX grant program, 95 individual grants were secured from 53 vendors and another 3 grants were provided by the 2015 Phonathon team through an independent fundraiser for a total of $58,800.
    • For the third consecutive year, the NACS Foundation sponsored all of CAMEX education with 75 sessions offered.
    • More than 534 NACS members benefited from six free webinars which were provided through NACS Foundation underwriting.
    • Changes were made to the Student Watch program which now fields twice a year (October and February) and the focus and name of the report is Student Watch: Attitudes and Behaviors toward Course Materials. In addition, the Foundation underwrites OnCampus Research’s monthly shopping report which more effectively tracks student purchasing trends through a panel of 14,000 students on 1,100 campuses. The Foundation again funded more than $43,000 to make this valuable information available to NACS members at a discounted rate.
    • NACS Foundation with the support Nebraska Book Company for the third successive year funded the Leadership Institute for 25 emerging collegiate retailing professionals.
    • The Foundation funded research project, Mapping the Digital Course Materials Ecosystem, was finalized. A summary of the significant findings were presented to 2015 fall state and regional conference attendees. The complete white paper, related reports and actions to consider are available to members in an online webhosted format.
    • The winner of the Innovation Achievement Award was announced during CAMEX 2016. UC Davis Stores received this prestigious honor for their work on a new “inclusive access” model for course materials. This biennial award is funded through the Martin D. Levine endowment with a prize of $5,000 awarded to the winner.
    • The NACS Foundation Distinguished Service Award was presented to Anthony Martin, Director of Houston Baptist University Bookstore and 2015-2016 NACS Board President. The award recognizes devotion, service and visionary leadership given to the Foundation and was presented to Anthony during CAMEX 2016.
    • In an effort to engage NACS Inc. staff, the Foundation conducted internal fundraisers including Macy’s Shop For A Cause and Lorenzo’s The Beautiful Flame” Pizza event. All proceeds benefited the Building A Better Tomorrow Major Gifts Campaign with $1,170 being raised from these events.
    • Two main fundraising activities were conducted during CAMEX 2016 which generated $12,577 for the Building A Better Tomorrow campaign. These included the annual Flame Pin promotion combined with three Money Tree raffles for a total value of $5,000 donated by vendor partners and a Dine Around Houston event from which five participating restaurants donated a portion of their proceeds from CAMEX attendees to the Foundation.
    • The Building A Better Tomorrow Major Gifts Campaign was announced and the public phase launched at CAMEX 2012. At the close of FY2015-2016, $1,264,577 had been raised.
    • The Foundation launched a new online peer-to-peer fundraising platform in order to solicit donations from industry friends and colleagues. Through this medium, the online annual fund campaign entitled Painting a Brighter Tomorrow was launched using an online format for the very first time. Additionally, three independent fundraisers were also conducted using the new crowfundraising tool. NACS Foundation President, Melanie Sparks, CCR issued a challenge to board members and colleagues, Ben Eisenstein hosted a Pay It Forward fundraiser and a special fundraiser honoring Brian Cartier’s retirement from the industry was also held. Through these combined fundraising efforts, a total of $5,282 was raised for the annual fund.
  • Fiscal Year 1996/1997
    • The CSREF Board of Directors and invited guests participated in a Strategic Planning session resulting in an updated Mission statement and the creation of four major initiatives in the areas of education, research, think tank, and funding.
    • The CSREF Board approved holding the 1st CSREF Think Tank, an Industry Future Symposium entitled “College Store Retailing: End of a Century and a Look to the Future” in Vail, Colorado at the Lion Square Lodge & Conference Center on July 18-21, 1997.
    • The CSREF Board allocated $20,000 in Professional Development Grants.
    • The CSREF Board allocated $30,000 in Annual Meeting/CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants to enable 60 buyers to attend the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Baltimore.
    • CSREF provided approximately $54,000 in funding for five Bonus Sessions at the NACS Annual Meeting in Baltimore. Sessions were attended by over 1,200 individuals and were funded by CSREF through grants from Avery Dennison, Login Brothers Book Company, Mosby, The Douglas Stewart Company, and Williams & Wilkins. The sessions were Twenty-First Century Thinking: A Vital Industry and Personal Transition Journey with Jim Cathcart, Store Renovation: Creating a “New” Store on a Shoestring Budget and Creating a Store From the Ground Up, A Health Science Travelogue: Navigating Your Way through Managed Care Changes, and Softgoods Showcase: The Fabric of Your Store. A Store Renovation & Design Table Top Show was provided by $500 grants from Betco Products, Inc., Franklin
    • Fixtures, Inc., Kremer & Associates, Paul R. Sherburne Associates, Inc., and Showbest Fixture Corporation. An Apparel Showcase was provided by $650 grants from Campus Outfitters, Champion Products, Classic Sportswear, Code 3 Sportswear, Collegiate Traditions, Definition, EF*EN*EF*Enterprises, Inc., Famous Sportswear, For Bare Feet, GEAR For Sports, Happy Valley Clothing Co., High Sierra Sport Company, JanSport, Jones & Mitchell Sportswear, League Collegiate Wear, London 400 by Cambridge Apparel, Merge Left, Mr. Augi’s Sportswear, MV Sport, NU Sport Athletic Wear, Oarsman Sportswear, Riddle & Cockrell, Russell Licensed Products, Seven Sons and Company, Spotlight Apparel, Storm Duds Raingear, The Cotton Exchange Apparel, TimeOut, Tivoli Corporation, U-TRAU, and Vantage Custom Classics. Accessory Showcase sponsors included Bulova Corporation, EF*EN*EF*Enterprises, Franklin Quest Company, Mosby, Portables Plus Limited, and Roaring Spring Blank Book Company.
    • The CSREF Board allocated $21,000 in funding for the development of NACS 1-Day Programs to take educational programming to the front-line store employee.
    • The CSREF Board allocated $5,000 in funding for the Faculty as Client benchmarking tool.
    • The CSREF Board allocated $20,500 in funding for the biennial Salary & Benefits Survey, U. S. and Canadian editions, which was distributed free to participants.
    • The CSREF Board allocated $21,000 in funding for the development and implementation of the Bottom-Line Buying program offered by NACS and Mohr Retailing.
    • The CSREF Board allocated $25,000 in funding to conduct research on the needs and opportunities for NACS to form a partnership with an institution of higher education to deliver advanced educational opportunities in the areas of retailing and leadership development for NACS members; this initiative may lead to the creation of an MBA degree in collegiate retailing.
    • CSREF funded the development of the Automatic Product Identification Guidelines for the College Store Industry Monograph through grants from Avery-Dennison and Follett. The book will be a comprehensive guide on automatic product identification (i.e. merchandise numbering methods and bar coding symbologies) for the multiple product categories (i.e. textbooks, trade books, school supplies, clothing, computers, software, etc.) sold by college stores. Currently under production, the book will be available to NACS members during the 1997/98 fiscal year.
    • CSREF’s 5th Annual Student Employee Career Opportunities Day was conducted on Sunday, April 13 with 37 students from 6 states representing 13 stores and 1 associate member firm.
    • The 1st Annual Rainey Bookstore Scholarship Program provided two $1,000 scholarships from the Harry Rainey Endowment Fund through an essay contest for student bookstore employees on “How Working in the College Store is Preparing Me for My Future.”
    • Winners of the essay contest were Melissa Hope Woodle, IUSB Bookstore, South Bend, IN and Paul Hackman, Wallace’s University Book Store, Normal, IL.
    • The 1st Annual Spirit Shop was held in Baltimore in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX. Sponsors of the event included EF*EN*EF*Enterprises, Inc, EnviroTote, Martin Barry Limited, New Era Cap Company, Spirit Products, Ltd, and TimeOut.
    • The 7th Annual CSREF Benefit Concert featuring Barbara Mandrell was held at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • The 10th Annual CSREF Harry Rainey Golf Classic was held at the Country Club of Maryland in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • The 8th Annual CSREF Silent Auction was held in the Convention Center in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • The 5th Annual CSREF Club Energy! dance party was held at Bohager’s in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • Pledges made to the Epic Trust endowment total $3,172,677.
    • 97% of every dollar contributed to the Epic Trust is funded. It is the goal of the CSREF Board that 100% of every dollar contributed to the Epic Trust will be fully funded by the turn of the century.
  • Fiscal Year 1995/1996
    • CSREF produced Connections: A Strategy for Indispensability, an audiocassette developed to “maximize windshield time” and help NACS Associate members learn more about the Connections Initiative which college stores have been implementing for the last two years.
    • CSREF held its sixth Board of Directors Forum in Cleveland, OH, on December 7, 1995 focusing on “College Store Retailing... What’s At Stake and What’s Your Role?” Keynote presentations were “Retailers With A Future” by Leonard L. Berry, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing, JC Penney Chair of Retailing Studies, Texas A & M University, Center for Retailing Studies, and “A View From the Future” by noted futurist Edith Weiner, President, Weiner Edrich Brown Inc.
    • CSREF funding for scholarships and educational programs totals $1,092,337, while funding for informational materials and research totals $862,618, for a grand total of $1,954,955 to date.
    • Professional Development Grants totaling $17,924 were awarded to 38 people.
    • Annual Meeting/CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants totaling $25,650 were awarded to 51 buyers to assist them in attending the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in San Diego.
    • CSREF provided approximately $65,000 in funding for five Bonus Sessions at the NACS Annual Meeting in San Diego attended by 844 members through grants from Gear for Sports, Login Brothers Book Company, Mosby, NACSCORP, The Quartex Corporation, Service Wholesale and The Douglas Stewart Company with support from Williams & Wilkins. The sessions were: Unleash the Potential of Partnerships with Peter Block, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey Group Presentation), Successful Lines: Buying and Managing Softgoods, Mission Marketing: Now and in the Future (a Health Science conference), and Taming the Beast: The Tips and Tricks of Technology. A POS Demo Show was sponsored by CSREF through $500 grants from ABS Corporation (formerly Arkansas Book Services), Follett Campus Resources, Integris, MBS Textbook Exchange, Nebraska Book Company, Riverview Systems Limited, Salepoint, Inc., Sequoia Peripherals, Inc., South Eastern Book/Westech Corp., Telxon Corp., Xerox Corporation, and Wallace’s College Book Company. A Health Science Table Top Show was sponsored by CSREF through $350 grants from Addison-Wesley Longman, Appleton & Lange, Delmar/ITP, J. A. Majors Company, Keyboard Publishing, Lippincott-Raven, Little, Brown & Company, Inc., Login Brothers Book Company, Matthews Book Company, Inc., McGraw-Hill/Health Professions, Medical Economics, Micron Biosystems, Mosby Medical, Rittenhouse Book Distributors, Inc., Springhouse Corporation and Williams & Wilkins. A Fashion Show supported the educational content of the Successful Lines session through $500 grants from Ameriprint, Bulova Corporation, Carretta Sport, Inc., Champion Products, Inc., Classic Sportswear, Inc., EF*EN*EF*Enterprises, Inc., For Bare Feet, Inc., Gear for Sports, High Sierra Sport Company, Invicta, JanSport, Inc., LAS Athletic, League Collegiate Wear, Inc., Mr. Augi’s Sportswear, MV Sport, NU Sportswear, Inc., Outdoor Products, Product Code 31, Inc., Seven Sons and Company, Inc., The College House, Inc., The Cotton Exchange Apparel, TimeOut, TLC Sportswear, Inc., Top Sox, and U-TRAU, Inc.
    • CSREF’s Student Employee Career Opportunities Day was attended by a record number of fifty-four college bookstore student employees representing twelve stores from five states.
    • The 6th Annual CSREF Benefit Concert featuring Maureen McGovern opening for Marvin Hamlisch with members of the Los Angeles and San Diego Symphony Orchestras was held “Under the Sails” at the San Diego Convention Center in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX. Hamlisch’s parody of CSREF and his original “Bookstore Boogie” were highlights of the concert.
    • The 4th Annual CSREF Club Energy! dance party was held at Planet Hollywood San Diego in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX.
    • The 9th Annual CSREF Harry Rainey Golf Classic was held at Morgan Run Resort & Club in Rancho Santa Fe in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in San Diego.
    • The 7th Annual CSREF Silent Auction was held at the NACS Annual Meeting in San Diego.
    • Pledges made to the Epic Trust endowment total $3,235,960.
    • 95.99% of every dollar contributed to the Epic Trust is funded. It is the goal of the CSREF Board that 100% of every dollar contributed to the Epic Trust will be fully funded by the turn of the century.
  • Fiscal Year 1994/1995
    • CSREF and NACS co-sponsored a Feasibility Study for a new capital campaign to continue to build the Epic Trust so that funds are available for education and research projects identified as part of NACS strategic plan of helping college stores become indispensable campus resources. Community Counseling Services interviewed 85 industry leaders as part of the study to test NACS new vision and member's willingness to contribute to a new campaign, and will report its recommendations to the CSREF and NACS Boards in July, 1995.
    • CSREF produced and distributed Connections: NACS & You in support of NACS Connections Initiative, and provided the book free to college store and Associate members. The book was funded in part through grants from Arrowhead Distributors and Xerox Corporation
    • NACAS Workshop with Covey Institute -- CSREF and NACS co-sponsored "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" workshop at the NACAS 26th Annual Conference on October 30, 1994 in St. Louis, MO.
    • CSREF funding for scholarships and educational programs totals $920,953, while funding for informational materials and research totals $823,733, for a grand total of $1,744,686 to date.
    • Professional Development Grants totaling $14,795 were awarded to 30 people.
    • Annual Meeting/CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants totaling $20,400 were awarded to 43 buyers to assist them in attending the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in St. Louis.
    • CSREF provided approximately $60,000 in funding for eight Bonus Sessions at the NACS Annual Meeting in St. Louis attended by 852 members through grants from Matthews Book Company, McGraw-Hill, Mosby, NACSCORP, The Douglas Stewart Company and The Quartex Corporation. The sessions were: The Status of Women In The College Store Industry, Changing Demographics: Connecting With TODAY'S Students/Campus/Workforce, Focus Groups: The Power and Process of Connecting to Faculty and Students, Scanning: College Store Solutions, Relationship vs. Partnership: Taking Charge of Vendor Relationships, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and First Things First (Covey Group Presentations), Technology in Health Science Stores: The Gateway to the Educational Future. A POS Demo Show was sponsored by CSREF through $500 grants from ABS Corporation (formerly Arkansas Book Services), Reed Reference Publishing/R. R. Bowker, Follett Campus Resources, General Meters Corp., Integris, MBS Textbook Exchange, Nebraska Book Company, Riverview Systems Limited, Sequoia Peripherals, Inc., Sunbelt Business Computers, and Third Party Systems. A Health Science Table Top Show was sponsored by CSREF through $250 grants from Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc., Appleton & Lange, Delmar Publishers, Doody Publishing, J. A. Majors Company, J. B. Lippincott Company, Little, Brown & Company, Inc., Login Brothers Book Company, Matthews Book Company, McGraw-Hill/Health Professions, Medical Economics, Mosby, Rittenhouse Book Distributors, Inc., and Williams & Wilkins.
    • The 4th annual Student Employee Career Opportunities Day was held to encourage bookstore student employees of all races to consider a career in the college store market. The session was attended by eighteen college bookstore student employees representing five stores from four states.
    • The 5th Annual CSREF Benefit Concert featuring Aaron Neville and The Neville Brothers was held at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX .
    • The 3rd Annual CSREF Club Energy! dance party was held on-stage at the Fox Theatre in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in St. Louis.
    • The 8th Annual CSREF Harry Rainey Golf Classic was held at Spencer T. Olin Community Golf Course in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in St. Louis.
    • The 6th Annual CSREF Silent Auction was held at the NACS Annual Meeting in St. Louis.
    • Pledges made to the Epic Trust endowment total $3,197,930.
    • 87% of every dollar contributed to the Epic Trust is funded. It is the goal of the CSREF Board that 100% of every dollar contributed to the Epic Trust will be fully funded by the turn of the century.
  • Fiscal Year 1993/1994
    • CSREF reviewed its mission, purposes and goals focusing on the strategic partnership between NACS, NACSCORP and CSREF in helping to ready the industry for the technological changes the next few years will bring and in assisting college stores to gain a competitive edge in the diversifying market available to campus communities. This process resulted in the updated mission statement at the beginning of this document.
    • Fiscal year 1993/94 was the first year that CSREF operated 100% without financial subsidy from its parent organization, the National Association of College Stores.
    • Funds invested in the Epic Trust endowment surpassed the $2 million mark.
    • Several workshops based on the Mission and Vision Planning Kit funded by CSREF were presented at state and regional association meetings, paving the way for future workshops designed to package and deliver educational opportunities to the grassroots membership.
    • CSREF provided over $50,000 in funding for six Bonus Sessions at the NACS Annual Meeting in Orlando attended by 727 members through grants from Harcourt Brace College Publishing, AMPAD, Champion Products, Matthews Book Company, The Douglas Stewart Company, and •Bowker•Reed Reference Electronic Publishing. The sessions were entitled: Marketing of the College Store: Achieving a Competitive Advantage; Achieving Excellence Through People; Making It Look Like Magic When It's Really Just a Lot of Hard Work: Surviving the Transition From Textbooks to Course Materials; Delivering Legendary Service. . . How to Make it Happen; The Wonderful World of POS ; and The Business of Being Extraordinary: Merchandising for the 1990s. The POS Demo Show was sponsored by CSREF through $500 grants from Arkansas Book Services Co., Emerald Information Systems, Follett Campus Resources, Griffin Technology, Inc., Integris, MBS Textbook Exchange, Inc., Moore O.P. Services, Nebraska Book Company, Riverview Systems Limited, Sequoia Peripherals, Inc., and UNIQUEST, Inc.
    • The 3rd annual Student Employee Career Opportunities Day was held to encourage bookstore student employees of all races to consider a career in the college store market. The session was attended by twelve college bookstore student employees representing seven stores from three states.
    • CSREF produced a new monograph through a $5,000 grant from Arrowhead Business Machines entitled Swim With The Sharks by noted author Harvey Mackay.
    • Professional Development Grants totaling $17,464 were awarded to 35 people.
    • Annual Meeting/CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants totaling $22,164 were awarded to 46 buyers to assist them in attending the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Orlando
    • The 4th Annual CSREF Benefit Concert featuring Mary Wilson from the "Supremes" and Bill Medley from the "Righteous Brothers" was held at Sea World of Orlando in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX .
    • The 2nd Annual CSREF Club Energy! dance party was held at Sea World in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Orlando.
    • The 7th Annual CSREF Harry Rainey Golf Classic was held at MetroWest along with the 3rd Annual Tennis Invitational in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Orlando.
    • The 5th Annual CSREF Silent Auction was held at the NACS Annual Meeting in Orlando.
    • Membership in the Million Dollar Club reached 221.
    • Recognizing the ongoing educational and research needs of the members of their association, and the need to continue building the Epic Trust endowment so that these needs can continue to be met, the Southwest College Bookstore Association renewed their initial pledge of $10,000 to the Epic Trust for a $20,000 commitment to-date.
    • Funds generated for CSREF by the NACS/ACM Subscription Program exceeded $1,000,000.
    • 81% of every dollar contributed to the Epic Trust is funded. It is the goal of the CSREF Board that 100% of every dollar contributed to the Epic Trust will be fully funded by the turn of the century.
  • Fiscal Year 1992/1993
    • The CSREF Board of Directors was increased to 14 members.
    • CSREF held its fifth Board of Directors Forum in Cleveland, OH, on December 2, 1993 focusing on Networking...The Pathway from the Past to the Future...Re-Engineering Alliances.
    • CSREF conducted its first Phonathon to raise funds for special events, projects, and the Epic Trust. The Epic Trust surpassed the $3 million pledge mark.
    • CSREF sponsored the Mission and Vision Planning Kit through a $15,000 grant from Follett Campus Resources and the support of Times Mirror Company and its companies Wm. C. Brown Communications, Richard D. Irwin and Mosby/Year-Book, and by Four Point Products.
    • CSREF sponsored three Bonus Sessions at the NACS Annual Meeting in Denver attended by 295 members through a $10,000 grant from Harcourt Brace College Publishing. The sessions were entitled POS for Collegiate Retailers: Leveraging the Technology Advantage, TQM for College Stores: Creating a New Paradigm for Success, and Vision, Partnership and Planning: Keys to Selling Course Materials on Campus Today and Tomorrow.
    • CSREF produced two monographs through a $10,000 grant from Macmillan Publishers entitled Service Quality Means Survival for Your Store by Leonard Berry, Ph.D., and Your Customer/Employee in the Year 2000: Diversity is His/Her Name by Roderick J. McDavis, Ph.D.
    • The 2nd annual Student Employee Career Opportunities Day was held to encourage bookstore student employees of all races to consider a career in the college store market. The session was attended by forty-two college bookstore student employees representing twelve stores from four states.
    • The Harry Rainey College Store Student Employee Endowment Fund was established to promote the spirit of mentoring the late Harry Rainey exemplified and to promote the college store industry as a career choice.
    • The 1992/93 College Store Salary & Benefits Survey was completed.
    • Professional Development Grants totaling $30,865 were awarded to 64 people.
    • Annual Meeting/CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants totaling $29,617 were awarded to 62 buyers to assist them in attending the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Denver.
    • The 3rd Annual CSREF Benefit Concert featuring the Original 5th Dimension was held at the Temple Hoyne Buell at the Denver Performing Arts Complex in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Denver.
    • The 1st Annual CSREF Club Energy! dance party was held at Club Infinity! in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Denver.
    • The 6th Annual CSREF Golf Invitational was held at Arrowhead in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Denver. The tournament was renamed the CSREF Harry Rainey Golf Classic honoring the late Harry G. Rainey, CSP, co-founder of the tournament, NACS Trustee and CSREF Emeritus Council member.
    • The 4th Annual CSREF Silent Auction was held at the NACS Annual Meeting in Denver.
    • Membership in the Million Dollar Club exceeded 196.
    • The College Stores of North Carolina completed their pledge and renewed annual payments for an additional three years ($1,500).
  • Fiscal Year 1991/1992
    • CSREF created the College Store Service Quality Research Kit through a $25,000 grant from John Marcus, CSP and Matthews Book Co./Matthews Medical Bookstores/McCoy Collegiate Services as a self-assessment tool for college stores to help them in their quest for service excellence.
    • CSREF sponsored two free Bonus Sessions at the NACS Annual Meeting in New Orleans attended by 280 members. The sessions were entitled Buying General Merchandise and Custom Publishing.
    • CSREF sponsored the Considerations in College Store Renovation and Design manual through the support of Mosby-Year Book, Inc., Richard D. Irwin, Inc., and West Publishing Company.
    • CSREF sponsored a study of the college store industry culminating in the publication of The 1990s College Store Leadership Challenge: Achieving Excellence Through People by noted researcher Jeff Hallett.
    • CSREF sponsored the publication of Turning Points: Six Critical Challenges for College Stores by Gary F. Shapiro printed compliments of Xerox Corporation's DocuTech Production Publisher.
    • The William Minney African American Endowment Fund was established to encourage cultural diversity in the association and college store industry. The 1st annual Student Employee Career Opportunities Day was held to encourage African American bookstore student employees to consider a career in the college store market. Eleven minority students participated.
    • CSREF sponsored the NACS Faculty Training Workshop through a $10,000 grant from McGraw-Hill Publishing Company providing training for 16 NACS facilitators.
    • Professional Development Grants totaling $35,845 were awarded to 56 people.
    • Annual Meeting/CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants totaling $30,000 were awarded to 62 buyers to assist them in attending the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in New Orleans.
    • The 2nd Annual CSREF Benefit Concert featuring Ray Charles with members of the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band was held at the Theatre of the Performing Arts in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in New Orleans.
    • The 5th Annual CSREF Golf Invitational was held at Belle Terre in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in New Orleans.
    • The 2nd Tennis Invitational was conducted in conjunction with the Golf Invitational at Belle Terre.
    • The 3rd Annual CSREF Silent Auction was held at the NACS Annual Meeting in New Orleans.
    • Membership in the Million Dollar Club totaled 204.
    • An Epic Trust pledge was made by the Ohio Association of College Stores ($2,500) and the Northwest College Bookstore Association ($1,000).
  • Fiscal Year 1990/1991
    • The 1990/91 College Store Salary & Benefits Survey was completed.
    • CSREF held its fourth Board of Directors Forum in Dallas, TX, on November 30, 1990, focusing on The Future of the Institutional College Store.
    • The For Safety's Sake...™ Personal Safety Initiative was developed as a way for the college store to take a leadership role in increasing personal safety awareness on their campus.
    • CSREF sponsored the NACS Faculty Training Workshop through a $10,000 grant from McGraw-Hill Publishing Company providing training for 16 NACS facilitators.
    • Annual Meeting/CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants totaling $24,850 were awarded to 50 buyers to assist them in attending the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Indianapolis.
    • Professional Development Grants totaling $31,135 were awarded to 64 people.
    • Roy A. Haberstock became the first president of the CSREF Board of Directors from a NACS associate member firm.
    • The 1st Annual CSREF Benefit Concert featuring the Temptations and the Four Tops was held at the Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Indianapolis.
    • The 4th Annual CSREF Golf Invitational was held at the Golf Club of Indiana in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Indianapolis.
    • CSREF conducted the 1st CSREF Tennis Invitational at the Indianapolis Racquet Club in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Indianapolis
    • The 2nd Annual CSREF Silent Auction was held at the NACS Annual Meeting in Indianapolis.
    • Membership in the Million Dollar Club totaled 199.
    • An Epic Trust pledge was made by the Association of Indiana College Stores ($500) and a check for $2,500 was presented by the Rocky Mountain Skyline Bookstore Association at the Annual Meeting.

Fiscal Years 1982/1983 - 1989/1990

  • Fiscal Year 1989/1990
    • The Great Textbook Rip-Off . . . Fact or Fiction video was produced and debuted at the NACS Annual Meeting in San Jose.
    • CSREF held its third Board of Directors Forum in St. Louis on November 28, 1989, focusing on Trends and Issues In the College Store Industry.
    • The American Medical Publishers Association (AMPA) established a $150,000 endowment fund enabling CSREF to provide health science scholarships.
    • CSREF sponsored the NACS Faculty Training Workshop through a $10,000 grant from McGraw-Hill Publishing Company providing training for 20 NACS facilitators.
    • Professional Development Grants totaling $41,450 were awarded to 89 people.
    • Annual Meeting/CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants totaling $18,795 were awarded to 63 buyers to assist them in attending the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in San Jose.
    • The 1st Annual CSREF Silent Auction was conducted at the NACS Annual Meeting in San Jose.
    • The 3rd Annual CSREF Golf Invitational was held at Santa Teresa Golf Club in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in San Jose.
    • Membership in the Million Dollar Club totaled 170.
    • Epic Trust pledges were made by the Kentucky Association of College Stores ($1,000), the Michigan Association of College Stores ($5,000), and the Tennessee Association of College Stores ($1,000).
  • Fiscal Year 1988/1989
    • The 1988/89 College Store Salary & Benefits Survey was completed.
    • The first Annual Meeting/CAMEX Educational Assistance Grants were established through funds raised by CSREF special events; grants totaling $11,100 were awarded to 37 buyers to assist them in attending the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Baltimore.
    • CSREF held its second Board of Directors Forum in Boston on November 29, 1988, focusing on Trends and Issues In the College Store Industry, particularly collegiate licensing and buying groups.
    • CSREF sponsored the NACS Faculty Training Workshop through a $15,000 grant from the Douglas Stewart Company providing training for 24 NACS facilitators.
    • Professional Development Grants totaling $39,026 were awarded to 90 people.
    • The 2nd Annual CSREF Golf Invitational was held at Turf Valley Country Club in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Baltimore.
    • Million Dollar Club membership totaled 86.
    • Epic Trust pledges were made by the College Stores Association of New York State ($5,000), the College Stores Association of North Carolina ($2,500), the Florida Association of College Stores ($2,500), the Illinois Association of College Stores ($2,500), the Western Canadian College Stores Association ($2,500), and the West Virginia Association of College Stores, Inc. ($500).
  • Fiscal Year 1987/1988
    • The 1987/88 College Store Product Survey was conducted.
    • CSREF sponsored the NACS Faculty Training Workshop through a $15,000 grant from the Douglas Stewart Company providing training for 22 NACS facilitators.
    • Professional Development Grants totaling $35,503 were awarded to 87 people.
    • The CSREF Board approved hiring the first full-time staff member working exclusively for the Foundation.
    • The 1st Annual CSREF Golf Invitational was held at the Jack Nicklaus Sports Center in conjunction with the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Cincinnati.
    • The Million Dollar Club was established with 29 members making personal pledges of $500 or more.
    • The Middle Atlantic College Stores Incorporated began making annual donations of $2,000 to the Epic Trust that totaled $8,000 by 1991.
    • Epic Trust pledges were made by the California Association of College Stores ($10,000), the College Stores of New England ($1,000), and the Southwest College Bookstore Association ($10,000).
  • Fiscal Year 1986/1987
    • The CSREF Board of Directors was established as a separate Board and new by-laws were written.
    • Forging a New Alliance, the first CSREF forum, was held in New York for booksellers and textbook publishers on December 8, 1986.
    • CSREF was one of many sponsors of the landmark Corporate Structural Alternatives in Higher Education study conducted by Coopers and Lybrand.
    • Professional Development Grants totaling $24,069 were awarded to 62 people.
    • The Epic Trust Endowment Fund was established and presented to the membership during the NACS Annual Meeting/CAMEX in Orlando, Florida. At the conclusion of the meeting, $1 million had been committed to the Epic Trust.
    • The Tri-State Bookstore Association pledged $2,000 to the Epic Trust, becoming the first regional association to make a pledge to the Epic Trust on behalf of its members.
    • The Mid-States Association of College Stores pledged $10,000 to the Epic Trust.
  • Fiscal Year 1985/1986
    • 1985/86 College Store Salary & Benefits Survey was conducted.
    • Student Watch '86: A College Consumer Study was conducted establishing CSREF as a source of information about the college store industry to international media.
    • Professional Development Grants totaling $17,517 were awarded to 45 people.
  • Fiscal Year 1984/1985
    • CSREF sponsored the Class Ring Profitability Study through grants from ArtCarved Class Rings, Herff Jones and Jostens.
    • The 1984/85 College Store Product Survey was conducted.
    • Why I Like Working in a College Store, an essay contest for student and career college store employees, was sponsored by Macmillan Publishing Company with $15,500 in scholarships being awarded to winning essayists.
    • Professional Development Grants totaling $15,280 were awarded to 34 people.
  • Fiscal Year 1983/1984
    • A Foundation Steering Committee of NACS' past-presidents Robert Bell, John Marcus, CSP, Gerald Matthews, CSP, Wade Meadows, CSP and Eldon Speed was formed to guide the work of CSREF.
    • The Executive Development Program was developed in conjunction with the Indiana University Graduate School and the College Store Management Workshop was created by noted management consultant Des Nolan.
    • Professional Development Grants totaling $15,183 were awarded to 40 people.
  • Fiscal Year 1982/1983
    • The National Association of College Stores (NACS) Board of Trustees founded and incorporated the College Stores Research and Educational Foundation (CSREF) as a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation serving the college store industry.
    • NACS' first long-range strategy outlined a plan whereby NACSCORP would donate its subscription income to CSREF to support industry education and research.

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