April 28, 2016
KSU Foundation announces new senior vice president of development
The Kansas State University Foundation welcomes John Morris as the new senior vice president of development. Morris comes to the foundation from the University of Minnesota Foundation, where he served as a senior director of development.
As senior vice president of development, Morris will lead all aspects of fundraising, working with foundation leadership, campus partners and the KSU Foundation board to strengthen the foundation's overall fundraising capacity. At the University of Minnesota Foundation, Morris led his development team to increase their growth in gift production by 60 percent.
Prior to his position at the University of Minnesota Foundation, Morris held the position of associate vice president of advancement at Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. Under his leadership, giving to the athletics department increased 300 percent, and he led the university to an all-time high in annual fundraising production.
"We are excited to have John join our team and help increase our fundraising capacity," said Greg Willems, CEO and president of the KSU Foundation. "John's leadership experience in various aspects of development will elevate our team and help us consistently raise more money annually as we strive to raise $1 billion for K-State through the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign."
"John is an outstanding addition to our team of development professionals at a critical time in our journey toward being nationally recognized as a top 50 public research university by 2025," said Kirk Schulz, president of Kansas State University. "His experience and leadership, combined with an already wonderful team at the foundation, is vital as Kansas State University relies more and more on philanthropic support."
Morris received his bachelor's degree from Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota, and his master's from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. He and his wife, Kerry, have two daughters and will be relocating to Manhattan soon. Morris began working at the foundation on April 25.
Philanthropic contributions to K-State are coordinated by the Kansas State University Foundation. The KSU Foundation was established in 1944 as the official fundraising arm of Kansas State University. It is a separate, independent entity chartered by the state of Kansas as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education corporation. The foundation is leading Innovation and Inspiration: The Campaign for Kansas State University to raise $1 billion for student success, faculty development, facility enhancement and programmatic success.