Annual Appeal
IN SUPPORT OF ESPERANTO AND THE PROMOTION OF INTERNATIONAL LINGUISTIC UNDERSTANDING
Dear Friend,
Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the Esperantic Studies Foundation (ESF). We can look back with pride at all the support we have been able to provide to Esperanto and interlinguistics-related research and educational initiatives over the years. In addition to our ongoing support for the North American Summer Courses in Esperanto, we have been instrumental in creating the world’s most popular website for learning Esperanto, lernu.net, and the support site for Esperanto teachers, edukado.net. We have made Esperanto a player in the debate over language policy at the national and international level through our series of Nitobe Symposia and in numerous other ways. And, in keeping with our founding mission, our support for programs at leading universities across the world – Poznan, Amsterdam, Leipzig, New York’s Columbia University, and others – has enhanced the reputation of Esperanto and interlinguistics in scholarly circles.
The year 2010 presents some major opportunities. We have been funding the development of Esperanto-aktuale, a new website that aims to serve as a one-stop multilingual portal for all kinds of information about Esperanto. We are continuing to support Springboard to Languages, the British project to introduce Esperanto teaching in schools. We are exploring the possibility of a new series of seminars on international language policy at the University of Geneva. Recently we have redesigned and expanded our website esperantic.org, but there is still more to do. And we want to be supportive of other new initiatives, like the revival of activities on Esperanto at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
In addition to our global education and community-building initiatives, our activities include research support for students and scholars pursuing topics relevant to our areas of interest; the development of research tools, like language corpora and dictionaries; and support for libraries and publications.
At the same time, we face challenges. The recent downturn in the global financial markets has weakened the operational capabilities of many non-profit organizations; ESF is no exception. If we are to maintain or expand our present level of activity, we need additional funding. That is why we are writing to you now.
We do not pursue government funding (although our grants often allow the grantees to solicit additional matching funds from other organizations, such as the European Union). Nor do we solicit corporate sponsorship or advertising. In fact, much of what we have been able to accomplish thus far is due to the long-term support of two passionate U.S. Esperantists, the late William and Catherine Schulze. In 1999, the Schulzes bequeathed their estate to ESF and this remarkable gift enabled the foundation to embark on an ambitious charitable program to support the range of initiatives described above.
We have continued this work quietly, and often people are not aware of the support that we are giving to so many new initiatives, especially in the Esperanto movement. We have not sought to publicize our activities widely, nor solicit additional contributions to our endowment, but the current economic situation requires that we again seek out the support of individuals who share the passions of people like Bill and Cathy Schulze for a just and equitable world where communication on a global scale is accessible to rich and poor alike.
We ask that you consider becoming a supporter of ESF. We have a number of donation options available to meet most budgets and ensure that your gift is a meaningful one. In addition, any gift made from within the United States is fully tax-deductible. For our international friends, we can also provide a charitable donation receipt upon request.
Please consider committing to one of the options outlined in the attached donation form. While we understand that the financial downturn is affecting most of us in some way, your gift now, at a time when markets are low, will make an even more significant difference to our work as they recover. Contributions can be made on an annual or monthly basis. They can be large or small. Every donation helps, and is greatly appreciated.
Our track record over the past forty years shows that we are a reliable organization doing good work for Esperanto and the promotion of international linguistic understanding. We believe that ESF and its vision for the future are worthy of your support.
Sincerely,
Humphrey Tonkin
President, Esperantic Studies Foundation
Charitable Donation Pledge Form