Page 81 - Fall2021

Vantage: A Report on the Acoustical Society Foundation Fund
James H. Miller
This is the second annual “Vantage” report in which we hope to provide Acoustical Society of America (ASA) members with an overall view of where the Acoustical Society Foundation Fund (hereinafter referred to as the Fund) has been and also where the Fund is headed (see bit.ly/3we52wg}. The feedback on last year’s report (see bit.ly/3u4jjdz) was positive, and I hope this report will also be well received.
I am providing information about the Acoustical Society Foundation Board (hereinafter referred to as the Board), the financial performance of the Fund, expenditures, the support provided to the new Summer Undergrad- uate Research or Internship Experience in Acoustics (SUREIA), the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Fund, and a discussion on how members can support the Fund’s mission. I conclude with a brief description of how to donate to the Fund.
The Acoustical Society
Foundation Board
The Board supports the mission of the ASA by devel- oping financial resources for strategic initiatives and special purposes. With the generosity of its many donors, the Fund provides awards, prizes, fellow- ships, and scholarships and supports other types of programs. The Board is made up of dedicated, hard- working volunteers, currently including Anthony Atchley, Freddie Bell-Berti, David Feit, Ron Freiheit, John Hildebrand, Ed Okorn, Rich Peppin, ASA Trea- surer Judy Dubno as an ex officio member, and me as Board chair.
The Board makes recommendations to the ASA Execu- tive Council about award levels for each activity the Fund supports. These activities are listed in Table 1. The Board
©2021 Acoustical Society of America. All rights reserved.
https://doi.org/10.1121/AT.2021.17.3.81
also solicits funds across and outside the ASA and works with donors who wish to set up new programs and make contributions to existing ones.
Financial Performance in 2020
Contributions in 2020 to the Fund from members and friends of the ASA totaled $70,770. In addition, gains from investments, interest, and dividends totaled $1,363,223. Expenses for the Fund were $286,323, which mostly included the awards, prizes, fellowships, and scholarships, and the details of these expenses are covered Fund Expenditures in 2020 in Support of the ASA. Net assets in the Fund at the end of 2020 were $11,424,510 compared with $10,462,143 at the end of 2019, an increase of 11%.
Fund Expenditures in 2020 in Support of the ASA
In 2020, the Fund was very active in supporting the many activities of the Society. Awards, prizes, fellowships, and scholarships shown in Table 1 were supported by the Fund in the amount of $240,945. You can find details of each of these activities at bit.ly/3we52wg. And, as an aside, after reviewing these activities, think about any for which you or your students might apply.
The support for student travel to ASA meetings through the Student Transportation Fund is one of the most important activities of the Fund. The experience and
Volume 17, issue 3 | Fall 2021 • Acoustics Today 81