From the Executive Office

Supporting the AAS: Let Me Count the Ways!

The AAS represents a community — a community of people engaged in activities that enhance our scientific understanding of the universe, and a community that allows us to share these results with our colleagues, other scientists, and the general public. In recent decades we have seen the discovery of planets around other stars; gained a more complete understanding of our expanding, accelerating universe; learned new details about the Sun and its inner (and outer!) workings; and expanded our knowledge of the objects in our solar system — including landing a mission for the first time ever on the surface of a comet. We live in a truly wondrous and exciting time of discovery. Just a little more than 100 years ago, we weren't even sure there were galaxies other than our own, our knowledge of the scale of the universe was completely incorrect, and we had no idea how the stars produced their energy. What an exciting ride it has been!

The amazing thing is that the AAS has been there the entire time. Formed in 1899 by individuals seeking to found a community of scientists, we have grown and expanded over the years to serve our science and its practitioners. Although we are supported in our activities through the collection of dues as well as surplus revenue from meetings and other activities, the Society has always benefited from charitable contributions and support from members and enthusiasts.

Some of our most important prizes were generously supported over many years by individuals, slowly but steadily growing the fund base to allow the award of a cash prize, presentation of an appropriately fancy certificate, and payment of travel expenses for the awardee. The Harlow Shapley Visiting Lectureship Program was grown significantly through the efforts of a single individual, who staunchly shepherded the program and helped secure the funds to support it. Special contributions have enabled our Education Prize and the Joseph Weber Award for Astronomical Instrumentation; provided childcare grants at our meetings; supported student travel to our meetings (Rodger Doxsey Travel Prize); provided achievement medals (Chambliss Awards) for students, amateurs, and textbook writers; and the list goes on.

It is truly amazing that so much of what the AAS does has been enabled by the charitable contributions of our members. You and your colleagues (past, present, and future) represent our community, and as time and resources allow, many have made supportive contributions to the Society, both to specific prizes, projects, and programs and to the general fund, which allows us to target resources to areas of greatest need.

The AAS has, however, taken a very light approach toward fundraising over the years, which makes the amounts we have collected and carefully nurtured so much more amazing. We tread carefully because we know that many organizations overburden their members with appeals for contributions, so we try and stick to four basic kinds of appeal.

First, we seek contributions from members above and beyond their normal dues payment. During the renewal period we ask you to contribute to any of the funds that exist, whether for the Society or its Divisions. Second, our spring campaign focuses on the funds in greatest need — either funds without sufficient endowments to be maintained in perpetuity, new funds we are trying to grow, or areas that we think are of great current interest to our members. Third, we maintain a passive resource on our webpage that allows members (when logged in) to make contributions any time they wish.

Finally, we have one-off campaigns from time to time to generate matching funds for a particular project or program. For example, we have had successful matching-fund campaigns for our John Bahcall Public Policy Fellowship.

Because we take this light-touch approach, our contribution totals are not as large as for more traditional nonprofits, like the Nature Conservancy, for example. That's OK, because as I always tell people, "The integral wins in the end," meaning the contribution of a small but steady amount, prudently managed, adds up to a large sum over time. (Of course, the integral of a large and steady amount clearly grows faster! We'll get there, but not by annoying you endlessly for donations.)

So how can you contribute to the Society? First and foremost, you contribute your drive and passion for discovery in your work. By carrying out or enabling or sharing the research that our community undertakes, you help the Society achieve its goals. Secondly, you can contribute your time and talent to help the Society in some way. We have a wide range of volunteering opportunities. You just have to ask or step forward — we can usually find a way for you to make a difference. Thirdly, you can contribute financially at a level that works for you and your financial situation. Every dollar counts, believe me. You can contribute at renewal time, during the spring campaign, or at any time online. When a special campaign or challenge grant comes along, consider making an extra contribution and join your colleagues to help us achieve something great.

Here's a new way to contribute to the AAS that doesn't actually cost you anything: Shop at smile.amazon.com. You’ll find the same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as on Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a small portion of the purchase price to the AAS. We've been participating in AmazonSmile since last March, and I really do smile every quarter when the check arrives from Amazon!

There are other ways to donate as well. One way is through the contribution of appreciated securities. By arranging to contribute appreciated stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, you can generate tax savings for yourself and financial resources for the AAS. Also, since Congress just retroactively enabled charitable contributions made directly from IRA plans, 401(k) plans, or 403(b) plans, you can use this appreciated value to make charitable contributions while also reducing your realized distribution amount in any given year. Restrictions apply, but the passage this week of key legislation once again enables those already taking distributions from their retirement savings to realize tax savings while supporting the AAS — at least for the 2014 tax year. Another creative way to help is to name the Society as a secondary or fractional primary beneficiary on your retirement savings plans. In most cases dollar amounts or fractional percentages can be indicated, allowing the Society to benefit in the future from your prudent savings without your having to contribute to the Society right now.

One important way you can help the Society if you are contributing now is to encourage your colleagues to donate as well. Challenge them to support the Society as you do (be polite!). There is nothing like a little collegial challenge to help motivate a significant increase to our programmatic funds.

Finally, including the Society in your estate planning is a thoughtful and supportive way to leave a lasting legacy to the organization that helps enable the science you love. We have many members who have taken this step. Even a small, fractional inclusion is welcome and meaningful. Please contact me directly if you want assistance with planned giving. Although we cannot, by policy, accept tangible assets without Council approval, we are able to convert tangible assets to money and then accept such gifts. I am happy to answer queries about donations of this type, so please contact me directly.

In the early days of our nation, people on the frontier had to rely on their community to get by. People pitched in, shared resources, and overcame obstacles. This sense of community and charity, of shared financial responsibility, has carried forward in time in the partnership between the government, the nonprofit sector, and our citizens. Nonprofits perform work the government cannot or will not undertake — work that directly supports the common good. Therefore, the government established laws sheltering nonprofits from tax on revenue and provided for individual benefit for those who contribute to them. It is a powerful system for generating activities that cannot or would not be profitable but that produce a tangible good for society. The AAS certainly does succeed in this regard — we do nothing less than expand the basic human knowledge of the universe we live in, how it formed, where it came from, and how the objects within it change over time. Help us achieve our goal by considering any of the contribution methods I described above, and if you think of another, let me know about it — every little bit helps!