Programming and Technology Fundraising Committee

Susan Andreatta
Chair of the Programming and Technology Fundraising Committee

Our Giving Spirit Aids SfAA in Developing a Digital and Increasing International Presence

The Society for Applied Anthropology is committed to working for a socially and racially just, equitable, and sustainable world. To continue these efforts, we embarked on a fundraising campaign to ensure our professional organization is financially stable and ready to work for lasting change. As many of you know our annual meeting is our primary source of revenue that enables us to finance our programs, publications, student support, and advocacy work. This year’s meeting cancellation means we have found ourselves in a shortfall, especially as we move towards a hybrid meeting in Norfolk, VA for 2021. 

Since March we’ve been asked by many friends of the SfAA, “How can I help in this critical moment?” To this we say that there are many ways to help such as renew your membership, register for the 2021 conference and donate. And in this case, we ask that you donate specifically to the Programming and Technology Fund. By doing so, you will help with making SfAA maximally accessible to all going forward.

A fundraising committee comprised of Susan Andreatta, Sherylyn Briller, Keri Brondo, Nadine Bendycki, Melissa Cope, Hillary Haldane, Sunil Khanna, Peter Kunstadter, Michael Paolisso, Robert Rubinstein, Jean Schensul, and Jennifer Wies have been working together on an immediate fundraising campaign as an investment in the Society. We are trying to raise $75,000 by October to invest in our programming and new digital technology As indicated in our recent letter to members, we ask for your help to achieve this goal. We understand that these are challenging times and ask those who can to please donate (generously) to our organization. Working together we know that everything, and that all amounts help to reach our goal. –. 

Since mid-June and into early July this committee has been in the silent campaign mode, whereby we have been phoning and emailing some Founders and Sustaining Fellows. We have raised about $35,000 and plan to reach out to more members in the next month. SfAA donors have a long tradition of helping out the SfAA – in establishing new directions and supporting the activities that sustain us. We are grateful that so many of our longtime and new supporters are helping us out now. It means so much at this critical time.

From personal experience in contacting members in this process, I am reminded what a special organization SfAA is with so many loyal and long standing, dedicated members. The sense of community, belief in the organization, creative and innovative ideas for future hybrid or virtual meetings, workshops and opportunities for that enable international partners to participate more easily has been very exciting.  In Covid-19 times, the opportunity to catch up, share stories and learn how we are coping has been another bonus to contacting members. We are here together and finding different important ways to hear each other. 

This fundraising committee and the SfAA Board Members who will be making calls or emailing you are also interested in your insights on the Society and ideas for change. We have collected some very rich ethnographic information already. So, in the next couple of weeks if you get a call from a committee or board member please be a great participant and share your thoughts. You will be heard. If you have ideas that you want to share separately, please contact me and I will pass on your information to appropriate person or committee chair (s_andrea@uncg.edu).

In advance we thank you for standing by SfAA, believing in our future, and assisting with programing and investing in digital technology. Donating to the Programming and Technology Fund is where we need the immediate financial assistance. If possible, please consider this request as you consider renewing your membership or putting together a session for the 2021 conference. We thank you for your support and know that our members will do what they can to help out and we will continue to support each other – in multiple ways as a community.