April 2007 Dear Friends and Supporters: Since 1990, a number of you from the PRSA membership have made a commitment to the PRSA Foundation. Last year, the Foundation made a renewed commitment to become the fundraising arm for PRSA to assist in advancing the profession and the professional by providing funding for public relations research, academic programs, diversity initiatives, career education and scholarships. Through your support in 2006, we were able to achieve several notable accomplishments, including awarding more than $80,000 in research grants, prizes, sponsorships and scholarships, consisting of: - Funding four independent research grants totaling more than $30,000 selected from the 18 proposals submitted in response to the Foundation’s request for proposals
- Awarding more than $16,000 in scholarships for career and academic achievement to undergraduate public relations students
- Providing funding to support the development and publishing of the 2006 Report of the Commission on PR Education “The Professional Bond: Public Relations Education in the 21st Century”
- Funding the “PR Landscape” research project of the Global Alliance outlining the public relations profession in the United States and Venezuela.
Other accomplishments of the Foundation over the last year include: - Raising more than $50,000 of the $100,000 goal during the first of a two-year campaign for the Betsy Plank Scholarship Endowment Fund
- Launching the initial endowment campaign for the College of Fellows, raising just under $12,000 in the last quarter of 2006 to fund programming and continuing education for senior professionals and educators as well as the development of best performance and advanced management practices to prepare senior and mid-level public relations managers.
| | I urge you to consider a gift to the PRSA Foundation in 2007 so we may continue the critical work of advancing our profession on many fronts. Your support for education and research expands the positive impact of public relations on society and increases the recognition of the role effective, ethical public relations professionals play in the senior ranks of business, nonprofit organizations, and government. Most importantly, it helps insure that our profession will continue to attract and retain the best and brightest young men and women. I am honored to help guide the PRSA Foundation for a second year, and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support in the past and ask you to help us raise awareness of the Foundation and the benefits our membership receive from the continued support of our members. Please join me, this year’s board of trustees, and the Foundation Advisory Board in working to achieve even greater success for the PRSA Foundation and our profession in 2007.
Gary McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA
President, PRSA Foundation |
