SEPM Foundation

What Is a Foundation?

Many organizations, both for-profit and non-profit, have foundations. Foundations that serve non-profit organizations raise funds for those organizations. Priorities for fund-raising are set by the organizations, and the foundations are charged with raising funds to support those prioritized activities. Most foundations associated with professional societies raise funds for research grants and conferences, often concentrating on supporting students.

What Does SEPM Foundation Do?

SEPM has charged the Foundation with raising money to support Society activities. Because we are a small society (and foundation), we are unable to spend a lot of money to raise money, as larger foundations can. Gifts are generally unsolicited and come to the Foundation through the generosity of our members. Currently, the Foundation is responsible for funds that exist to support a variety of activities, including providing research and travel support for students. Responsibility for deciding where the funds go is split between the Foundation, which collects and reviews student research grant proposals and makes awards; SEPM, which manages proposals for research conferences, student travel, and other activities; and the Gulf Coast section and NAMS, for whom the Foundation manages some funds. The intent of the original donors is followed strictly, meaning that the money can be used only for the purposes for which they were intended.

We manage funds and endowments. Funds can be spent down, and consist of unrestricted funds, such as those in the general fund (see below), can be used for any purpose, and restricted funds, which can be used only for the designated purpose and may be spent in their entirety. Depending on the needs of SEPM, the funds may carry over year-to-year, and they are invested just as the endowments are. Endowments, in contrast, must be maintained in perpetuity, meaning that only the income from them can be spent. They are also unrestricted or restricted. See SEPM Funds List

How Can You Help?

Non-profit organizations like the SEPM Foundation depend on donors to fulfill their missions. Donations to any of the funds are welcome, and where your money goes is entirely up to you. The Foundation is all volunteer, but does have expenses. For example, the Foundation uses the services of personnel at SEPM and pays for those services (as a non-profit itself, SEPM cannot give away services for free, and the Foundation and Society are two different entities). Fortunately, the Foundation has a general fund that helps defray these expenses, but the more robust that fund, the more the Foundation can do to raise money and meet those expenses and, more importantly, expand the opportunities for students and SEPM activities. It’s easy to give! You can do so by contributing when you pay your dues or make separate donations.