Amy Moen, the new face at the Minot Family YMCA who was hired to establish their financial development office, is like a ray of sunshine and a bundle of energy.
With a background of more than 20 years of professional fundraising, Moen is seemingly the perfect candidate for the financial development position. She earned a business degree from the University of North Dakota, moved back to Minot in order to take care of her parents, and was hired at the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce, a job she loved and learned from.
Moen didn't necessarily set out to make fundraising a career - she just wanted to be involved in the community. Her parents also instilled the drive for community involvement and told her that if you want to change things, then you get involved. Moen, in turn, became involved with PTA fundraisers, which added to her experience. However, she doesn't call it fundraising. Instead, she calls it, "getting their support to achieve something."
Article Photos
Jill Hambek/MDN • Amy Moen, the new financial developer for the Minot Family YMCA works in her office. With its eggshell blue walls and sunshine streaming through the window, it showcases Moen’s sunny and energetic personality.
Another way in which Moen has continued her community involvement is by holding a seat on the city planning commission. "There are so many good things people can do by being involved in the community," she added.
Before working at the Y, and following her years at the Chamber, Moen was the foundation director of Trinity Health. She explained that Trinity's focus is health care and when the position at the Y opened, she was drawn to it since the Y's focus is healthy living, social responsibility, and youth development, and both establishments share similar focus points. She was also drawn to the position at the Y because it's a good environment and everyone who comes to the Y loves it.
There haven't been any challenging aspects to Moen's job, mainly because she doesn't view them as challenges, but more as opportunities. She added that the little projects should be done by an organization and big projects should be taken on by the community.
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A rewarding aspect for Moen, though, has been seeing the good things that she can do for the community, which is very gratifying to her. She also likes the positive atmosphere at the Y by both the employees and members. "Everyone feels good about and likes the Y," she stated.
Moen's job entails getting to know people and promoting whatever cause that the Y is working on. A typical day at the office for her includes a significant amount of research and building her case for the support to answer and promote the current project that's in the works.
As the Y's financial developer, Moen hopes to offer the members the three core values of the Y: social responsibility, healthy living, and youth development. She also hopes to advance the financial strategies of the Y by succeeding at the long-term responsibilities and plans of the Y board.
Through endowment programs, grant writing, annual campaigns, and special events, Moen felt that it's a combination of all of those that have proven to be the most successful. "We need a diverse program to succeed," Moen added. "They're all a part of it."
Moen revealed that there are a couple of initiatives coming up in the near future. The Y is looking to expand their daycare center as well as expand their aquatics program. Currently there is no Olympic-sized pool in the community. Moen said, "Wellness is always going to be a focus (for the Y) and maximizing recreational opportunities for the community."
Also in the near future plan is to have a spinning studio in the spring. Moen said that spinning (cycling on a stationary bicycle) is a national trend right now and Minot's Y wants to follow along with that trend.
Moen also reported that nationally the Y has established an initiative to address the issue of childhood diabetes. Because the national organization is taking on the issue, Minot's Y is looking at childhood diabetes as well.
The Y in Minot has seen a 15 percent increase in membership over the past few years, according to Moen. She said that the community is doing very well and that the Y wants to be able to continue serving the community. "The Y needs to continue working with wellness," Moen said. "It's a comprehensive thing that the community needs to be involved in."