The Anderson Fund Endowment Campaign

Stepping up for Geoscience Education in Maine Donate Now

Walter Anderson Geoscience Education Fund

Geoscience Education matters

Knowledge of the earth and understanding of earth processes give deeper connection to the landscape and inspire environmental stewardship. Geoscience education contributes to appreciation of the natural environment and an intellectual awareness of our impact on the land and water of Maine.

Geoscientists today are engaged in a broad spectrum of issues including:

  • Ensuring sufficient supplies of clean water
  • Developing and optimizing energy resources
  • Designing resiliency to natural hazards
  • Managing healthy soils and mitigating contamination
  • Monitoring coastal changes including sea level rise
  • Studying climate variability and its effects
  • Locating and characterizing mineral resources
  • Deciphering bedrock and glacial geologic history

When Maine State Geologist Walter Anderson retired in 1995 after nearly three decades of listening to legislators, landowners, bureaucrats, and teachers all dealing with various geoscience issues, he was convinced that more education was needed—reliable, professional, science-based education. From this conviction came Walter’s Vision to create the Anderson Fund, a fund administered by the Geological Society of Maine to encourage geoscience education.

Donate to the Anderson fund today (link).

Walter’s Vision

To create a fund to encourage geoscience education in Maine.

The Anderson Fund matters

The Anderson Fund supports presentation of student research, student field trip experiences, teacher and professional training, and other educational activities in Maine and for Maine students. It supports what we do and what we love. It works with existing academic and professional organizations to fund field or laboratory expenses or special programs not covered through normal operating budgets. This supplemental funding can allow creative ideas to happen that otherwise might not be possible, through a rigorous yet streamlined funding process.

Since its inception in 1995, recipients include 55 individuals or school groups representing 11 educational institutions from Maine or working in Maine, from middle school to university level research. It has provided support for undergraduate field trips to the Grand Canyon, Iceland, Ireland, and Scotland. For a list of recipients, see the Anderson Fund home page.

The Anderson Fund Endowment Campaign

The Anderson Fund has a demonstrated record of success. It is working well, but we want to do more! As academic programs and departments are reorganized and geoscience becomes more diverse, outside funding to support geoscience education is becoming increasingly important. The capacity of this fund currently cannot meet the need. In recent years, there have been deserving requests that we could not meet fully because of insufficient funds. These represent missed opportunities.

The goal of this campaign is to increase the principal of the Anderson Fund so it becomes self-sustaining. After a generation of gradual growth, it is time to step it up to the next level. We have set a goal of raising $100,000 in the next three years. We have established a professionally managed endowment fund that will allow GSM to provide continual support for meaningful geoscience education in Maine, an important role that is not addressed adequately by national funding agencies. We are asking you to consider a donation to help us reach this goal. This is the opportunity of a generation. Let’s step up together and support Walter’s vision.

“It is difficult to pull one thing from this trip. It is more than studying abroad; it is networking with international professionals, experiencing the culture, making geological connections, and collaborating with other students to accomplish a common goal.”
—sponsored UMF student

“I make several donations to worthy charities, but to me this is different. I have experienced such enjoyment in my life from getting to know the earth that I want to share it with others. One way to do that is through education. My donation to the Anderson Fund is an investment in changing people’s lives. I support Walter’s vision.”
—fund contributor

Step up and donate to the Walter Anderson Geoscience Education Fund

Ready to help support geoscience education in Maine? Visit our donation form here (link)

Donations may also be made by check to the Geological Society of Maine and noting Anderson Fund on the memo line.  Please mail it c/o Bruce E. Hunter, Treasurer, Geological Society of Maine, 44 Old Fairgrounds Rd, Readfield, ME 04355.

To donate gifts of stock, to make an IRA rollover contribution, or for planned giving contact Mr. Thomas Whelan, Bath Savings Trust Company, PO Box 548 Bath ME 04530. twhelan@bathsavings.com (207) 443-6296

The Geological Society of Maine is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; donations are tax-deductible. GSM Federal Tax ID# 01-0353848.