Campus News

Lumina grant will help Great Falls College build marketing and brand awareness

Great Falls College is one of nine colleges in the country to receive $100,000 as part of The Million Dollar Community College Challenge sponsored by Lumina Foundation. The money will support brand building and strategic marketing efforts.

GREAT FALLS – Great Falls College MSU will receive a $100,000 grant and technical assistance to support brand-building and strategic marketing efforts from The Million Dollar Community College Challenge sponsored by Lumina Foundation.

“We are very fortunate to not only be named a $100,000 recipient but also to be the beneficiary of the technical assistance Lumina is providing us,” said Dr. Stephanie Erdmann, CEO/dean of Great Falls College. “We are very eager to have the assistance to help us make sure we are showcasing the life-transforming power of this institution to the fullest extent possible.”

Over the years, a series of name changes has meant the college is frequently misidentified and the community is often confused about its identity.

As part of the grant, the college plans to engage the entire community in building brand identity in a way that will resonate with students, alumni, employees and the northcentral Montana community, Erdmann said.

“We no longer want to be the best-kept secret in Great Falls,” Erdmann said. “With the additional resources from The Million Dollar Community College Challenge, we are sure we can change that.”

The college created a brief video narrative to communicate what Great Falls College promises adult students for the challenge. You can see Great Falls College’s submission and the other finalists’ videos here. 

The other nine finalists were: Madera Community College near Fresno, California; Community College of Rhode Island; College of Eastern Idaho in Idaho Falls; Houston Community College; County College of Morris in New Jersey; Long Beach City College in California; Northwest-Shoals Community College in Muscle Shoals, Alabama; Minnesota State College Southeast in Minnesota; and Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin.

Madera Community College was awarded the top prize and will receive $1 million and technical assistance to bolster its brand-building and strategic marketing efforts.

 “We want to congratulate Madera Community College for taking home the top prize and can’t wait to see what they can accomplish thanks to Lumina Foundation,” Erdmann said.