Not-For-Profit Executive Earns Aurora University Honorary Degree

AURORA, Ill. May 10, 2006 - Jimmie R. Alford, CFRE, founder and chair of The Alford Group Inc., Chicago, received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree at Aurora University’s 113th annual commencement on May 7.

Jimmie R. Alford of Chicago, center, CFRE, founder and chair of The Alford Group Inc., Chicago, received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree at Aurora University’s 113th annual commencement on May 7. From left are Andrew Manion, AU provost; Alford; and Delbert W. Arsenault, member, AU Board of Trustees, who presented Alford's citation. Alford was recognized for his outstanding contributions to George Williams College and Aurora University and his dedication to making the world a better place, and with special recognition of his commitment to the core values of Aurora University. His degree was conferred by AU President Rebecca L. Sherrick. Click here for hi-res copy of photo (060510alford-hi.jpg)

Alford was awarded the degree for his outstanding contributions to George Williams College and Aurora University and his dedication to making the world a better place, and with special recognition of his commitment to the core values of Aurora University.

His degree was conferred by AU President Rebecca L. Sherrick. His citation was presented by Delbert W. Arsenault, member of the AU Board of Trustees.

Arsenault said, “As the academic year draws to a close at Aurora University, we affirm our core values of integrity, citizenship, continuous learning and excellence by honoring individuals who have made a significant and positive contribution to our world. It is especially gratifying to confer this honor upon one of our own alumni.

“Throughout his more than 40-year career in the not-for-profit sector, Jimmie, who earned a master’s degree from George Williams College in 1972, has had a particularly meaningful impact on society by serving those who serve others.”

In 1979, he founded The Alford Group with a simple mission — to improve quality of life and make the world a better place by strengthening not-for-profit organizations. For more than 30 years, this Certified Fund Raising Executive has led his firm with a fundamental guiding principle: respect others. The Alford Group operates in six offices around the country, has served more than 1,000 clients and has 57 employees.

Alford was recognized by The NonProfit Times as one of the 50 most influential people in the nonprofit sector in both 1998 and 1999. As an active leader and steward in the not-for-profit sector, he recently served as the Chair of the American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel, Inc. and has served on the boards of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Foundation and the Fund Raising School of Indiana University Center on Philanthropy.

He is also on the Board of the Alliance for Children and Families, the Advisory Board of North Park University’s Center on Nonprofit Management and serves as a faculty member for the Learning Institute for Nonprofit Organizations.

A native of Kentucky and the son and grandson of coal miners, Jimmie’s family moved to Chicago when he was young. His parents’ example taught him the virtue of generosity, a lesson that has defined his life and career.

Arsenault said, “For Jimmie Alford, education and hard work were the gateway to achievement. He was the first in his family to go to college and earn a degree. As a first-year student at North Park University, he started working for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago and, for the next 16 years, he dedicated himself to working with youth.”

As a college sophomore, he almost dropped out due to a lack of funds. He received a scholarship for selected Boys and Girls Club workers that provided financial assistance for the remainder of his undergraduate studies and on through graduate school. He earned his bachelor’s degree in December of 1966 and enrolled at George Williams College the next January.

Alford graduated from George Williams College in 1972, completing his master’s program in administration and organizational behavior with a focus on social group work.

He said, “Service learning along with the notion of being educated for a life of significance and service were at the core of my being, instilled in me by a number of very dear friends and educators.” At the same time, he had moved up through the ranks of the Boys and Girls Clubs and became one of the senior executives by the time he was 35.

Arsenault said, “At Aurora University, we have been fortunate that Jimmie has contributed his expertise in a number of ways to help the university achieve its vision, assisting with the development of both the current strategic plan and the mission statement. He has also provided fundraising counsel for the One Step At A Time campaign at the George Williams College campus, and assisted on the initial development of the story of George Williams College, which is in progress.”

Alford says of his life’s work, “It has always felt like a ministry to me. It is a special calling to use my talents in the best ways possible to help others.”

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