By BSU Alumni & Foundation
Published 1:51 pm on May 15, 2025
Dr. Ekren Miller, an advancement officer with the Bemidji State University Alumni & Foundation, recently shared his expertise as a guest on the latest episode of the podcast “It’s Not About the Money: In Search of Grounded Fundraising,” which was released on May 14.
In the episode, which is hosted by Provisio Fundraising Solutions and first premiered in 2023, Miller joined hosts Heather Winchell and Andy Brennan to discuss several key themes. They included the four stages of fundraising (qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship); the role of relationship; and fundraising as investing.
“You can move an organization forward when you have the funding,” Miller said on the podcast. “The money makes it happen, but it’s about how that happens professionally… and looking at the pillars and stages of asking and giving.”
Miller first joined the Alumni & Foundation in June 2024. He has also served as the BSU men’s golf head coach since 2010. Miller graduated magna cum laude from Bemidji State in 2003 with bachelor’s degrees in both philosophy and Spanish. He earned a master’s degree in intercultural studies from Wheaton College in 2007, and he earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Minnesota State Moorhead in May 2024.
“This is a perfect fit for me right now,” Miller said about his job on the podcast. “I love what I do, and I love the people I’m meeting. I’m so impressed with the generosity. And I’m having a lot of fun with it.”
The “It’s Not About the Money: In Search of Grounded Fundraising” podcast explores both the nuance and the big picture of fundraising, not through tricks or clever phrasing but through being grounded.
Miller’s episode is No. 51 in the NATB series and is titled "Borrowing Tools from Big-Org Fundraising with Ekren Miller." You can listen to the full episode by clicking the button below.
