On July 1, longtime M.O.S.T. board member Collie Krausnick succeeded outgoing Chairperson Alexis Faber, assuming the role with a focus on ambitious and creative fundraising to improve education outcomes in Memphis, increasing its potential as a business heavy hitter.
“I think everyone in Memphis wishes our public schools were consistently great. Unfortunately, they don’t all offer the same foundational education that leads to adult success,” said Collie. “For the sake of the Mid-South’s future, we need to guarantee M.O.S.T. is around for a long, long time.”
A Managing Director at Raymond James, Collie has deep connections to local private school education. A product of Presbyterian Day School and Memphis University School, his children attended PDS for elementary school before graduating from Hutchison and MUS, where Collie served for many years as a board member.
“Without quality education we’re just sending these kids into the world with no chance,” said Collie. “When (M.O.S.T. founder) Bob Solmson invited me to lunch to tell me about M.O.S.T., what resonated the most, no pun intended, is its success is measurable. I've seen so many people with the best intentions throw money down the drain on charter schools and similar failed experiments. An incredibly high percentage of the money raised for M.O.S.T. goes straight to scholarships, giving families opportunities and choices.”
M.O.S.T. offers tremendous value to the impact-conscious donor. With its strategically small staff and streamlined operations, less of what’s raised goes to overhead. And unlike the charter school model, funding isn’t needed for land, construction, or faculty. Instead, M.O.S.T. partners with existing local schools with proven results.
“M.O.S.T. stands out because of how we approach the mission and because it’s a very efficiently run non-profit. Our roles as board members are counterparts to the staff, with us in the fundraising business,” he said. “We believe in M.O.S.T. but none of it works without money. We’re here to raise that next dollar, each one making us just a little more sustainable.”
As Chair, he’s hit the ground running with a two-pronged focus- mobilizing his fellow board members to invite their friends and colleagues into the M.O.S.T. donor base and leveraging business relationships to onboard more corporate sponsors.
“We’re brainstorming how to best leverage each of our personal and professional networks to increase funding for scholarships. We’re asking each other ‘Who else can we pull into this conversation?’” he said. “I'll be surprised if this doesn’t lead to 20-25 sit down meetings over the next year with legitimate donor prospects. Because the M.O.S.T. story and methods are so simple and our results are so clearly observable, many of these people and companies could form real relationships with M.O.S.T.”
“We won’t score with all of them, but we can figure out our batting average later,” he said. “If we're not coming to the plate, it doesn't really matter.”
For Collie, the bottom line is giving Memphis a leg up for the future by empowering the next generation through quality education.
“We want to help families find real opportunities for their kids, simple as that,” he said. “If a student is getting what they need in a public school, and it’s exactly where they want to be, that's great. But for the family that needs something different, we're there to help.”