Giving to NAE

Leadership in a World of Accelerating Change

Donors to the NAE understand the need for diversifying the field of engineering, breaking down barriers that hinder innovation, redefining what it means to think like an engineer, and ensuring our workforce is positioned to tackle the grand challenges of the 21^st century. Thanks to our members and friends, the NAE provides leadership in a world of accelerating change. With your support we advise the nation, excite girls about starting a career in engineering, engage college students in critical thinking across disciplines, and convene up-and-coming engineering leaders. 

If you would like to learn more about how you can make an investment in the NAE and get involved in advancing our mission, contact Radka Z. Nebesky, Director of Development.

Impact of Philanthropy through the Charles M. Vest President’s Opportunity Fund

NAE president John L. Anderson directed funds from the Charles M. Vest President’s Opportunity Fund to support the NAE’s crowdsourcing call for engineering action on the COVID-19 crisis. Established in 2012 as an unrestricted quasi-endowment by NAE members and friends of past NAE president Chuck Vest to seed new initiatives and support exploratory studies, the Vest Opportunity Fund provides vital discretionary money to empower the NAE to be proactive in identifying and leading initiatives to benefit the nation and profession. Since its establishment, the Vest Opportunity Fund has supported NAE programs like EngineerGirl, public engagement activities like the E4U video contest, as well as core NAE mission funding. 

Now as the COVID-19 pandemic has placed the world in extraordinary circumstances, we cannot afford to lose precious momentum, or simply be late to the table. The Charles M. Vest President’s Opportunity Fund is enabling engineers to provide their knowledge, skills, and innovative mindset to combat the contagion and its impact. We are grateful to those who have supported the Vest Opportunity Fund. Your support and support from other members and friends truly provides the necessary resources that enable the Academy to respond when called upon.

You can make a gift today to help support the NAE’s ability to provide expert guidance on urgent issues like the COVID-19 pandemic and our ongoing efforts to promote the profession.

NAE Member Donates $2 Million to Support Study on Next-Generation Nuclear Power Technologies​

The National Academy of Engineering announced today a $2 million gift from NAE member James J. Truchard to support the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine study Laying the Foundation for New and Advanced Nuclear Reactors in the United States. This study, which is also sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, will explore the technical, regulatory, and economic outlook of new and advanced reactors in order to guide further innovation and future governance surrounding these technologies.

The gift designates $1.5 million to help fund the study and an additional $500,000 to support communication and dissemination efforts upon its completion.

“These advanced nuclear technologies could help provide a source for carbon-free energy more quickly and effectively,” said James J. Truchard. “I believe that if we apply our resources and the best scientific and engineering minds, we can have clean, safe, and affordable nuclear power.”

Read the official press release. 

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