This year, the IAGD has a very modest fundraising goal of $5,000. These funds will directly support our student community by funding our Student Pathways Scholarship for the next year. Since the start of this scholarship fund last year, we have been able to support 12 students with disabilities with $500 each. Our $5,000 goal will also provide conference registration support for our new Student Ambassadors for the conference of their choice.
And speaking of our Student Pathways Scholarship, we received 73 applications for our fall scholarship period alone. We can currently only support 4 pathways recipients. Clearly, there is a great unmet need. If we exceed our fundraising goal, we can increase the number of students we can support. But to do that, we need your help!
The IAGD has many other costs aside from basic operations, such as the IGER Award which recognizes a geoscience instructor or professional who exemplifies the IAGD ideals of enabling access and inclusion for people with disabilities in the geosciences. And our Annual Accessible Field Trip is a unique community-building activity for geoscientists with disabilities and their allies that also serves as a means to share practical techniques and tips for running inclusive field trips.
Finally, we want to remind you that the IAGD is entirely run by passionate volunteers who donate hundreds of hours of time every year to keep things running. The money we raise goes entirely to basic operational costs and directly supporting our community. We are the only organization in the geosciences committed to increasing the accessibility of our field from students to professionals. The IAGD is a 501c3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.
We will recognize our most generous donors (with their permission) in an email blast and posting on our website and social media with Gold Tier for those donating $500, Silver Tier for those donating $250, and Bronze Tier for those donating $100. Please visit our PayPal to make your donation. You can also support us by making purchases through our Teespring Shop, and sharing our posts on social media with your networks.
Thanks to our donors, we can continue our forward progress towards an accessible, inclusive geoscience discipline for all.
Anita & Sean,
IAGD Executive Director and Director of Operations
