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Donate to the Education and Professional Development (EAPD) Fund
The Education and Professional Development (EAPD) Fund, formerly known as the Anderson Fund, can pay for costs of short courses, costs for licensing, equipment expenses for educators, K-12 curriculum development and programming, college and university student research and conference expenses. As academic programs and departments are reorganized and geoscience becomes more diverse, outside funding to support geoscience education is becoming increasingly important. GSM has established a professionally managed endowment fund that will provide continual support for meaningful geoscience education in Maine, an important role that is not addressed adequately by national funding agencies.
Donor quote; “I make several donations to worthy charities, but to me this is different. I have experienced such enjoyment in my life from getting to know the earth that I want to share it with others. One way to do that is through education. My donation to the Anderson Fund is an investment in changing people’s lives. I support Walter’s vision.”
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Thank you for your generous contribution to support geoscience education in Maine. Please indicate your donation amount and fill out the form below.
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Donations may also be made by check to the Geological Society of Maine and noting EAPD Fund on the memo line. Please use the Contact Form to let GSM know you'd like to make a check donation and the treasurer will contact you with mailing instructions.
To donate gifts of stock, to make an IRA rollover contribution, or for planned giving contact Thomas Whelan, Bath Savings Trust Company, PO Box 548 Bath ME 04530. twhelan@bathsavings.com (207) 443-6296
The Geological Society of Maine is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; donations are tax-deductible. GSM Federal Tax ID# 01-0353848.
Inspired by Walter’s Vision
When State Geologist Walter Anderson retired in 1995 after nearly three decades with the Maine Geological Survey, he didn’t ask for a party to mark the end of something. He wanted to celebrate a new beginning. Walter’s vision for this fund came from years of listening to legislators, landowners, bureaucrats, and teachers, all dealing with various geoscience issues but lacking the basic information to make informed decisions. The key to effective natural resource stewardship is education. Reliable, professional, science-based education. And knowing from practical experience that lack of ready access to funding can stall creative ideas and impede educational opportunities, his vision was to create a discretionary fund with enough seed money to allow more geoscience education to happen in Maine.
A History of Growth and Desire to Do More
From Walter’s inspiration and in his honor, the Anderson Fund began with voluntary member donations of $3,730 and hope for the future. (See August 1995 GSM Newsletter.) After a generation of steady GSM member contributions and prudent financial management, the fund had grown to over $21,000 by 2018, even while continuing to support ongoing educational activities. In 2018 an endowment campaign committee was formed with the goal of stepping up the fund to a new, self-sustaining level. This enables the fund to make more substantial awards needed for geoscience education in Maine.
Financial Management of the Fund
The Executive Council of the Geological Society of Maine is responsible for oversight of society finances, including the Anderson Fund, according to the bylaws. From its inception, Education and Professional Development (Anderson) Fund contributions and disbursements have been handled by the GSM Treasurer. Contributions designated for the fund were kept in a savings account and CDs separate from General Fund contributions and have been used only for purposes intended for the fund. In 2008, the society voted to increase membership dues to use a portion of the income to augment contributions to the Anderson Fund. On October 22, 2018, an endowment account was established at Bath Savings Trust Institution, that is managed with a balanced portfolio in consultation with the GSM Executive Council. Financial statements are reported by the GSM Treasurer in the Society Newsletter and posted online.
If you have questions about the fund, please contact GSM.
Fund Impacts
The Education and Professional Development Fund has consistently made awards and grants since its inception in 1995. Over 55 individuals or school groups representing 11 Maine-based educational institutions or projects have received awards. These awards have made a difference by recognizing outstanding accomplishment and initiative, and the impact of geoscience on individuals and communities.
Quotes from past recipients:
“As a graduating senior, the trip to Iceland helped to cement what I want to pursue in graduate school.”
“An invaluable experience that will undoubtedly help shape my career as a future glacial geologist.”
“The opportunity to actually see a glacier up close for the first time was a truly amazing experience.”
“I view field experience as critical to my growth as an aspiring geologist.”
“I see the volcanoes, I see the glaciers, I see two continents… They are all in the books, but I feel them right now — in front of me.”
“The trip gave me access to see a variety of rock types that I would have potentially never encountered. I will say that I still do reflect on moments from that trip when considering the things I now know about geology.”
“While on this trip, I recorded 1000+ photos that I still use to this day in my earth science class at Winthrop High School. The experience itself allows me to tell a story of rock formations making the class even more interactive for my students.”
“It is difficult to pull one thing from this trip. It is more than studying abroad; it is networking with international professionals, experiencing the culture, making geological connections, and collaborating with other students to accomplish a common goal.”
Apply for a Geoscience Education Grant from the GSM Education and Professional Development Fund.