The Copper Mountain Project: Financial Analysis and Sustainability Plan for the Copper Mountain Foundation a 501(C)

Author: Angela Totemoff

Abstract: The Copper Mountain Foundation (herein referred to as CMF) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit that is fully funded, fully operated, and established by The Tatitlek Corporation (herein referred to as TTC). CMF currently has a program that provides scholarships and career grants for original enrollees and descendants of original enrollees of TTC. To be eligible to receive funding, a student must be an original enrollee of TTC or a lineal descendant of an original enrollee (by birth or adoption). Original enrollees of TTC either resided in the Native Village of Tatitlek or their families resided in Tatitlek at the time of enrollment in TTC. Today, scholarship applicants very often continue to come from a rural area within Alaska such as the Village of Tatitlek. The college graduation rate of rural students continues to be one of the lowest in the state. To address this problem, CMF created the scholarship program to offer financial assistance for education and career certificates for the enrollees. The CMF Board of Directors have expressed an interest in creating a Financial Analysis and Sustainability Plan to gain financial sustainability. The financial health of TTC has enabled the programs in CMF to be fully funded. However, securing additional funds diversifies CMF’s financial portfolio making them more financially stable, securing scholarships and career grants for the shareholder and descendants of the TTC. The goal of financial sustainability ensures that the programs will continue at the same rate of funding. The purpose of the Copper Mountain Project was to provide a robust Financial Analysis and Sustainability Plan that would provide the Board of Directors a clear understanding of the financial state of CMF and a guide as they pursued funding endeavors. This final report contains the project methodology used to produce the product, the research methodology used to conduct the research, conclusions about the product and research, and recommendations for further research.