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NEW INITIATIVES FOR CHAPTERS

• SEED GRANTS
• GRANTS TO INCREASE MEMBERSHIP IN STUDENT-DOMINATED LOCAL CHAPTERS

SCB is proud to announce the launch of two new initiatives intended to strengthen our local chapters and encourage chapter members to play more-active roles in our global community.

SEED GRANTS

Most of our local chapters are composed of students who may have trouble raising funds for events such as a seminar series or annual meeting, or for producing a brochure to attract new members. To help build the capacity of new chapters, SCB is willing to provide these groups with a grant of US$200 in each of their first two years. A "new" chapter is one that is not located within 80 km (50 miles) of another chapter that has been active for more than two years.

If your chapter is less than one year old, you can apply for start-up funds by submitting a short (two-page maximum) application that specifies (1) identity of chapter officers, all of whom must be SCB members (remember, membership rates are as low as $10), (2) the dollar amount of dues the chapter charges each of its members (you can't expect SCB to support you if you won't support yourselves!), (3) the number of chapter members, how many chapter members are members of SCB, and when the chapter became active (or re-activated), and (4) a description (not to exceed 500 words) of the one or two most important activities that the chapter will undertake. At least one of these activities should be annual. If your chapter does not have an approved charter, please also submit (5) a proposed charter and bylaws modified for your chapter. (You can download generic bylaws and charter from www.conbio.net/SCB/Local_Chapters_EN.asp. The Web site also gives helpful advice on the types of activities that successful chapters have undertaken.) Applications may be submitted at any time. Submit all materials to Kat Powers-Morris, kpm@conbio.org.

One year after receipt of the initial grant, the chapter may apply for an additional $200. Applications for renewal of support must include (1) an accounting of total revenue from the previous year in each of three categories, membership dues, donations, and grants, which demonstrates that the chapter has raised at least $200 in addition to the grant from SCB, and (2) a one-page report describing the chapter's activities, specifically addressing progress with respect to the one or two primary activities described in the original application, and anticipated future activities. Future activities need not be different from current activities; the chapter might elect to pursue fewer activities more fully or to experiment with a different type of activity. The report should convey how the chapter has reflected on its first year of activities and made any adjustments it felt were necessary.

Preference will be given to applications from chapters outside of North America. Additional selection criteria are quality of the activity plans (a reasonable plan for a small number of useful activities is more impressive than a long and unrealistic list) and size of the chapter. Chapters cannot request a third year of support. This is a pilot program that will be re-evaluated during 2007-2008 and continued if most initial grant recipients have become successful local chapters. For more information contact Paul.Beier@nau.edu.

GRANTS TO INCREASE MEMBERSHIP IN STUDENT-DOMINATED LOCAL CHAPTERS

Please note: this program will be initiated in April 2006

The number of active local SCB chapters increased from 14 in 2002 to 21 as of April 2005. Our local chapters provide superb annual meetings that allow conservation biologists to exchange information and build relationships, seminars in conservation biology that raise awareness in university communities, and other valuable local services. However, although officers of local chapters are required to be SCB members, most members of local chapters are not SCB members. This pattern is especially prevalent among students, who arguably may stand to gain more than established professionals from becoming part of regional and international conservation communities.

To address this issue, SCB is targeting a new small-grant program toward student-dominated chapters. The program encourages students to join the global community of conservation professionals and to contribute their energy and new perspectives to SCB. Because most students are likely to join at the $10 rate (no subscriptions), SCB does not expect the initiative to yield net revenue. The program will be a success, however, to the extent that it helps build local and global communities.

Any local chapter in which at least two-thirds of chapter members are students may apply for a grant of up to US$150 from SCB's Executive Office. The grant may be used only to pay for or subsidize SCB memberships (with or without subscriptions to SCB publications). A local chapter may, at its discretion, use the grant to pay up to 100% of the cost of individual SCB memberships. For example, a chapter could use its grant to underwrite 15 memberships at the $10 level, five memberships with subscriptions to Conservation In Practice, three low-income nation subscriptions to Conservation Biology, or to subsidize 80% of the cost of two high-income nation subscriptions to Conservation Biology. An individual member of a local chapter may receive only one subsidy, which must be awarded during his or her first year of membership in the chapter and the society.

Renewals for a second year of chapter support are not automatic; applications for continuing support must list names of individuals who received subsidies and indicate which of those individuals renewed their SCB membership after the first (subsidized) year.

Submit applications by 15 April 2006 to kpm@conbio.org. Applications must include (1) a 300-500 word description of the chapter's annual activities and (2) a list of members, indicating which members are students, which chapter members are already members of SCB, which chapter members will receive subsidies, and the amount of subsidy for each recipient. Preference will be given to (a) applications from developing countries, (b) chapters with a high proportion of student members, (c) chapters with a large number of members, and (d) chapters that have remained active for two or more years.

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