2.4 Fundraising and Proposal Development
Policy and Procedure 2.4 – Fundraising and Proposal Development
Guiding Principles:
ESIP raises funds to sustain its operations. It does so by seeking funding for activities that are specific to ESIP as a member organization (e.g., running meetings, supporting clusters). ESIP is also hoping to attract funding for an endowment that would help assure its operations in times when other funds are not available. And ESIP also maintains—and will fundraise for—designated funds for certain activities (e.g., the Raskin Award).
ESIP is a member organization and its members are also organizations. As such it is obliged to look to the interests of it members. All members of ESIP should be provided with equal access to information on grants, contracts or any other funding opportunities that ESIP discovers and/or pursues.
A: General Rules:
A-1: Although many of its members are research organizations. ESIP is not primarily a research organization. The ESIP Lab is an opportunity to serve its members by providing shared services for their research. ESIP does not have a goal to become an organization that competes with its members for funding to do Earth science research. ESIP may seek funding to perform sociological research directed at a better understanding of how ESIP operates as an organization.
A-2: Occasionally, research agencies may ask ESIP to house certain activities where ESIP’s capabilities are appropriate (e.g., evaluating technology). Again, these projects are meant to leverage ESIP’s ability as a community organization, and not to perform basic Earth science research. In these cases, ESIP will provide its members with information on how they can participate in these funded activities.
A-3: ESIP intends to not compete with its members individually or collectively for funding opportunities. ESIP will announce to its members when it is pursuing an open call (RFP) for a funding opportunity. Should an ESIP member object (via an email to the ESIP President) to ESIP pursuing funding, this matter will be decided by a vote of the Program Committee, which will advise staff to pursue or refrain from pursuing the opportunity. ESIP can request funding from private foundations for ESIP community support without constraint.
A-4: ESIP is not a funding organization. Some funds from ESIP sponsors are made available for ESIP members to do work in ESIP committees, working groups, clusters, and the Lab. On behalf of its members, and guidance from its member-volunteer leadership, ESIP will fundraise to support these efforts and other activities, such as student fellows and FUNding Friday, that help make ESIP a successful community organization.
B : ESIP Letters of Support:
B-1: Any ESIP member can request a standard letter of support for their proposals from ESIP even when competing with another ESIP member for the same grant or contract.
B-2: To receive a letter of support from ESIP, the ESIP member shall articulate how the proposed work would benefit ESIP as a whole.
B-3: The application for a letter of support (and the accompanying proposal) should be addressed to the ESIP President and sent to staff@esipfed.org.
B-4: The ESIP member shall notify the ESIP about the results of the proposal selection process.
This Policy was approved by the Board of Directors of ESIP on October 17, 2017.