AEF CAMPAIGN CONNECTION
The Case for Giving to a Revamped Foundation
The APEGA Education Foundation is expanding its mandate to help engineering and geoscience professionals solve society’s most critical challenges. Its leadership hopes to broaden the foundation’s effect — and its attractiveness to donors
Since 1996, the APEGA Education Foundation (AEF) has supported the education of future engineering and geoscience professionals through scholarships, bursaries, and educational outreach. More than $2 million has been granted over the past two decades. That work has helped many students choose and succeed in engineering and geoscience. Over the past few years, however, the foundation has been reflecting on its purpose — what it has achieved and what it wants to yet accomplish. How can it make an even greater impact? How can it help APEGA’s Professional Members contribute to the greater good of humanity? Now, as AEF’s 20th anniversary year begins, it is sharing a bold vision for its future and is expanding its mandate beyond education. It will continue to support students through scholarships, bursaries, and outreach. But AEF also wants to increase public aware- ness of the positive impact engineering and
Rod Garossino will strategically direct funds towards projects most likely to have a significant impact. If you’re an APEGA Member looking to support a meaningful cause that relates to your chosen profession, the foundation’s funding programs — both existing and new — provide you with a real opportunity to give back and move the professions forward. “This is a way you can contribute and col- lectively make a difference,” says Mr. Dorjee.
FUND DEVELOPMENT
“We want to enable APEGA Members to use their creativity and technical skills to have a greater impact for the good of all society.” NIMA DORJEE, P.ENG. Chair AEF Fund Development Committee
To achieve its vision, the foundation is embarking on a new fund development phase. Up until now, it has relied primarily on AEPGA Members checking off the donation box at the bottom of their dues renewal form. As it moves forward, the foundation wants to engage with Members more directly. To that end, it will be reaching out to Members — past contributors, connections in the engineering and geoscience community, and others who have said they want to get involved. “APEGA Members are incredibly generous. In fact, many of the most generous philanthropists in the province are
geoscience have on society, and to inspire APEGA professionals to lead the development of innovative, technical solutions to address humanity’s most critical challenges. How exactly this will work is being for- malized. One idea is that it come in the form of grants or prize money to support innovation design projects with real-life applications, in Canada or elsewhere. “We recognize the tremendous impact Professional Engineers, Professional Geoscientists, and the companies they represent make to society,” says Nima Dorjee, P.Eng., chair of the foundation’s fund development committee. “We want to enable APEGA Members to use their creativity and technical skills to have a greater impact for the good of all society.” By its very makeup, the foundation is ready to broaden its perspective. It’s governed by a volunteer board of directors representing a diverse group of APEGA professionals and technical backgrounds. They and foundation Executive Director
APEGA professionals,” says Mr. Dorjee. “Many Members want to contribute to society, but have difficulty determining how to contribute in a meaningful way.” The foundation aims to fill that gap. “Imagine what we could accomplish if we pool our resources together,” says Mr. Dorjee.
Questions? AEF Executive Director Rod Garossino rgarossino@apegaeducationfoundation.ca
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