The GMIC Sustainable Meetings Foundation has launched its first-ever donor drive, a year-end campaign to raise at least US$10,000 for an array of projects that will help make the global meetings and events industry more sustainable.
“The Green Meeting Industry Council and its members are looking to the Foundation to put a solid financial base behind the drive for sustainable meeting and event practices,” said Mitchell Beer, foundation chair, CMM. “We know that well-orchestrated sustainability programs save money for meetings while reducing their environmental footprint. A contribution to the Foundation helps make that message a reality.”
With a closing date of December 31, the campaign is timed to reach potential donors when they’re thinking about their year-end donations. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, so contributions are tax-deductible for U.S. citizens.
“We know that GMIC has many members and supporters who want to include sustainable meetings in their year-end charitable giving plans,” said Colin Rorrie Jr., GSMF treasurer, CAE, one of the two trustees who designed the campaign. “This is the first year that we’ve had a charitable foundation to make that possible, and we’ve been delighted with the response so far.”
As its funding base grows, the GSMF will issue proposal calls and fund projects that support sustainable meetings education and practice. The Foundation has already identified three priority projects for presentation to prospective donors:
- A fundamentals course on the new APEX/ASTM sustainable meetings standards
- A student blog and social media contest on sustainable meeting practices
- A thought leadership forum on the impact of sustainable practices on the event industry by 2015
“These projects really go to the heart of why we set up a foundation,” said Amy Spatrisano, CMP, a co-founder of GMIC, past GSMF vice-chair, and one of the two trustees who designed the year-end campaign. “This is the moment to scale up sustainable meetings and events activity and prove the business case for every organization in the industry. The year-end campaign is the first step in funding that effort.”
