Blackburn College has received a $10,000 grant from the EIIA Risk Management Foundation to support a maintenance initiative that will improve sidewalks around the College’s historic Dawes Gymnasium. This project will ensure that the entryway and surrounding walkways are accessible and ADA compliant.
Educational & Institutional Insurance Administrators (EIIA) is an insurance broker serving colleges and institutions. In January 2025, the EIIA Risk Management Foundation began its grant-making work as the charitable arm of EIIA. The Foundation was created with the express mission of creating safer campuses. In an era when capital grants are highly competitive and challenging to secure, the Foundation makes the grant application process relatively straightforward.
Aligning with EIIA’s core values of Partnering, Preparing, and Protecting, EIIA Risk Management Foundation is dedicated to equipping member institutions with the vital resources they need to address risk management challenges, ensuring the well-being of students, staff, and facilities. The Foundation’s vision is to empower institutions to protect their sacred spaces, uphold the values of education, and ensure that every student, staff member, and stakeholder thrives in an atmosphere of trust and safety.
The grant proposal was co-authored by Blackburn’s Director of Development and Foundation Relations, Elisabeth Kramp, and Physical Plant Director Nick McKorkle. “Blackburn has many Physical Plant priorities, and the quotes for concrete work are hefty,” Kramp said. “Some of our sidewalks were poured in the 1980s, and, as we update campus facilities, sidewalk cracks and elevation issues can be overlooked as lesser priorities to fix. But these little problems create slip/trip/fall hazards, and we want our community members and visitors to be able to navigate our sidewalks and enjoy our beautiful campus.”
Blackburn College Vice President for Institutional Advancement Sarah Koplinski states: “This grant directly supports our efforts to make campus safer and more accessible for everyone who visits or calls Blackburn home. We’re grateful not only for the funding but also for the way EIIA genuinely champions its member institutions. From our representative Judy Davis-Helms personally encouraging us to apply and Doug Arvin, Vice President, Property & Casualty, to the Foundation staff’s ongoing support, it’s clear they’re invested in helping colleges like Blackburn thrive.”
For more information about the EIIA Risk Management Foundation, visit https://www.eiia.org/the-eiia-risk-management-foundation/. For more information about contributing to capital projects at Blackburn College, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement.