мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± is pleased to announce the establishment (on a trial basis) of a Climate Impact Sustainability Fund to provide micro-grants to мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± members working in the MENA regions. The establishment of this fund comes on the recommendations of the  Ad Hoc Committee on the Climate Impact formed by Sharon Herbert in fall of 2021. This committee was tasked at examining мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± activities with particular attention to the Annual Meeting. The committee presented its report to the Board of Trustees at its 2022 November meeting in Boston. The committee outlined various alternatives for reducing мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±’s carbon footprint, one of which was the establishment of a Climate Sustainability Fund.
Section 4.4.3: While existing programs and offset brokers can offer ready-made solutions for managing carbon offsets, мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± is well-situated to take direct action in offsetting activities. As a funding organization, мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± could seize this opportunity to establish micro-grants in support of:
At the 2023 Spring meeting the мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± Board of Trustees voted to establish such a fund on a trial basis. мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± is very pleased to have received a challenge gift from an anonymous donor to match gifts to this fund 1:1 up to $20,000. The Board encourages all мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± members and staff to consider donating either 5% or 10% of their airfare to this pilot Climate Sustainability Fund. Through the anonymous matching program, the impact of these gifts will be doubled. мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± will thus launch a pilot mini-grants program to fund sustainability initiatives in the MENA regions—the areas where мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± members conduct their work.
мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± is well-situated to develop projects in MENA countries geared towards sustainability, carbon mitigation, and cultural heritage that can be funded by mini grants from this Climate Sustainability Fund. The мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± community is invited to think about projects in the regions in which they work that might benefit from the mini-grants provided by this fund. мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± is currently in the process of putting together a Grant Committee and establishing an application process for this Fund.