Support AGU

Support AGU

Support AGU's mission to advance Earth and space science as we usher in the next era of scientific discoveries and solutions.

Giving to AGU

Your generous support helps us advance Earth and space science for the benefit of society and ensure that we can continue to make an impact well into the future. AGU plays a key role in helping support the scientific community, fostering innovation and creating new opportunities, and informing solutions to address the pressing challenges facing society. Your gift to AGU will ensure we can continue in this role and connect, inspire and amplify the voice and contributions of the Earth and space science community for the coming decades.

What we do

AGU is an international scientific society representing 60,000 members in 137 countries. We strive to lead the scientific community by pioneering new approaches in the exchange of scientific knowledge, by encouraging new fields of study and scientists throughout their careers, and by transforming our programs and operations to achieve our mission of science for the benefit of humanity.

Read the 2024 CEO Report to find out what's next for science.

AGU’s gift acceptance policy outlines the many ways that donors can make an impact on AGU’s work and the future of the Earth and space sciences.

Through our innovative programming we strive to connect, inspire, and amplify the voice and contributions of Earth and space science for the next century. We promote open and FAIR data practices, experiment with new forms of publishing and experiences for scientific meetings that foster learning and interactions, invest in empowering scientists throughout their career and support their efforts to share and advocate for their science across and beyond our community. Below are the many ways to give:
Fall Meeting poster hall

  • 1 Online

    Your online gift will allow us to continue to be a leader and innovator among the scientific community.

  • 2 By Mail or by phone

    Make your donation by mail or over the phone. Contact us or download this donation form (PDF).

  • 3 Tribute + monthly recurring gifts

    Any gift can be designated in honor or memory of a loved one, or in celebration of an event; they can also be designated as monthly recurring gifts.

  • 4 Securities

    Donors who choose to give appreciated securities can receive a charitable tax deduction for their full market value. Download the form here.

  • 5 Planned giving

    Make a lasting impact on the Earth and space sciences by including AGU in your will or estate plans.

  • 6 Employer matching gifts

    Take advantage of your employer’s Matching Gift Program to double or even triple your donation to AGU. Contact your HR Department to see if your employer will match your donation!

Campaigns and funds

Through designating your gift towards a specific campaign or fund, you can support the AGU programs that mean the most to you and help guarantee their continued success. With your help, AGU can transform science, bridge communities, and inspire the future generation of scientists.

AGU general funds

Giving to AGU’s unrestricted and general endowment funds allows us to direct your donation to the initiatives with the greatest need. This provides us with the flexibility to ensure all our programs are appropriately supported.
  • 1
    The AGU General Endowment Fund – provides funds to support the long-term health of AGU.
  • 2
    AGU Unrestricted Fund – provides the flexibility to annually sustain publications, meetings, and outreach programs and to direct resources where they are most needed.
AGU general funds

Travel grants

Travel grants support students and early-career scientists as they travel to scientific meetings to present their research and make invaluable connections with established and renowned scientists in their fields. For many, presenting at AGU’s Fall Meeting, or other scientific meetings, is the launching pad for a long and prolific career in Earth and space science.

The Annual Student Travel Grant Fund supports AGU student members’ travel to AGU and AGU-partnered meetings providing opportunities for career networking, scientific presentations, and experiences that shape and inform entire careers.

This fund supports the growth and expansion of student travel grants to AGU’s Fall Meeting. Established through the Austin Student Travel Grant Challenge, this fund was created by AGU member Jamie Austin to allow us to significantly expand the impact of travel grants on the AGU student community.

This fund supports the Bruno Martinelli Travel Fellowship to allow a young Latin American scientist to attend an international meeting or workshop and present a paper on volcanic processes. The fund was established by colleagues of Dr. Bruno Martinelli, a Swiss volcanologist who worked in South America and strove to provided financial support for young scientists to present their research at meetings and creating networking and learning experiences. 

This fund supports a student in space physics to travel to an AGU meeting. Recipients of the Max Hammond Student Travel Award must be attending an AGU meeting for the first time and presenting research.

This fund honors David Hofmann, who served as Director of the Global Monitoring Division of the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, by supporting a travel grant for an atmospheric sciences student.

This fund supports travel grants for outstanding students in planetary science. It was established in 2006 by friends and family of Dr. Giacomo Giampieri to honor his passion for research in planetary science.

This fund’s primary purpose is to support travel grants and other benefits given to winners of the James R. Holton Award and the Yoram J. Kaufman Award.

This fund encourages student participation in atmospheric sciences research. It was established in honor of Jerome Namias, who was instrumental in developing the scientific basis for long-range weather forecasting.

This fund supports grants and membership for young scientists (under the age of 36), who are permanent residents of countries designated by the World Bank as low or lower middle income. It honors former AGU President Lloyd V. Berkner through the Berkner Travel Fellowships.

This fund supports “AGU Summer Scholars” attending the Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (SAGE) program—a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Funds are provided by a bequest from Robert E. Riecker, a long-time AGU member and supporter.

Section funds

AGU’s Sections connect members in the same disciplines and create pathways to new collaborations that advance science. Section Funds support the work and activities of these important groups, including their special projects, student scholarships and travel grants, member programs and awards. We have a fund for each of our 25 sections.

AGU awards and initiatives funds

AGU’s awards, scholarships, and initiative funds aim to support and reward the efforts of AGU’s members and others in the scientific community for innovative work advancing and improving public understanding of the Earth and space sciences around the world and helping student members develop successful careers in the sciences.

Supports the Africa Award for Research Excellence in Space Science and the Africa Award for Research Excellence in Earth or Ocean Sciences which honor early career scientists from the African continent for completing significant work that shows the focus and promise of making outstanding contributions to research in Earth and space sciences.

This fund supports the administration and technology needed to administer this annual program bringing together hundreds of member volunteers and student presenters.

The Science for Solutions Award recognizes a student or postdoctoral scientist who is making an impact in Earth and space sciences for solutions, allows them to give a lecture on the topic and provides a cash award to advance their studies or projects. The fund was established in 2012 by the generosity of Peter Schlosser, Past President of AGU’s Ocean Sciences Section.

Supports the Sunanda and Satimay Basu International Early Career Award in Sun-Earth Systems Science and the Basu U.S. Early Career Award for Research Excellence in Sun-Earth Systems Science which are given by the Space Physics and Aeronomy Section to honor early career scientists in developing nations and the United States. 

Named in honor of two scientists who dedicated their talents to the progress of geophysics, this fund supports grants for students and public outreach in seismology.

The Capitol Cause Fund allows us to provide travel funds for AGU members to visit with policymakers. These meetings ensure scientists are able to share sound, scientific knowledge and enterprise with policy leaders.

Supports the Charles S. Falkenberg Award benefiting scientists, age 45 or under, who have made an original contribution to the field of Earth science and have strived to achieve significant public awareness of the importance of understanding our planet.

This prize honors an AGU member-scientist for outstanding communication of climate science including the promotion of scientific literacy, clarity of message, and efforts to foster respect and understanding of science-based values as they relate to the implications of climate change.

This fund supports AGU’s participation in the AAAS Congressional Science Fellowship program which places highly qualified, accomplished scientists, engineers, and other professionals in the offices of either an individual member of Congress or on a committee for a one-year assignment.

The David E. Lumley Scholarship supports high school and undergraduate students. Its purpose is to inspire today’s young minds to work on problems of global importance in both the energy and environmental sectors of industry and academia.

The scholarship provides financial assistance to undergraduate and graduate students in need who have demonstrated the potential for high achievement in a career in geo-environmental sciences or geo-environmental engineering. The fund honors David Miller’s lifelong pursuit of knowledge and education; academic, professional, and personal integrity; and innate ability to lead others to realize their own true potential.

The Devendra Lal Memorial Medal is given annually to one honoree in recognition of “outstanding Earth and/or space sciences research by a scientist belonging to and working in a developing nation.

The Dewan Scholarship was established by the family of Edmond M. Dewan to honor his 52-year career as a space physicist at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts. Provides support to a graduate student of atmospheric sciences or space physics. Dr. Dewan was a member of AGU for 30 years.

This fund supports teacher workshops, student programs, and diversity initiatives.

A living memorial to the work of Dr. Scarf, a chief scientist for research and technology at TRW, this fund provides for an award that is given to a recent Ph.D. recipient for outstanding dissertation research that contributes directly to solar-planetary sciences.

The GIFT Workshop series for current and preservice K-12 teachers and informal educators includes talks by leading research scientists coupled with take-it-to-the-classroom activities! The workshop is offered at no cost to participants.

This fund promotes scientific cooperation on a global scale, develops partnerships, and collaborates with other organizations to support the next generation of Earth and space scientists.

This grant serves to encourage and support AGU Mineral and Rock Physics Section student members who are doing significant research and writing on the field of high-pressure or high-temperature research. It promotes the memory of John Calhoun Jamieson, formerly professor of geophysical sciences at the University of Chicago, and the contributions that he’s made to the field of mineral physics research.

Newly reinstated; awarded annually starting in 2021

The June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship in Atmospheric Sciences for Women supports women students with a demonstrated interest in atmospheric sciences and intersections with meteorology as they establish their studies and build careers in the field. Honoring the legacy of June Bacon-Bercey, America’s first female television meteorologist, the scholarship will recognize that the awardee’s accomplishments are outstanding for their career-stage and will acknowledge that the awardee shows exceptional promise for continued contributions to the atmospheric sciences.

Contributions to Lend-a-Hand are used to provide AGU membership to scientists in low/low-middle income countries. Gifts of $100 can support a two-year membership for those who need it most.

The Maha Ashour-Abdalla Scholarship in Space Physics for Women encourages and supports women who are starting graduate studies with a research focus on space physics.

“Maha Ashour-Abdalla was an inspiring teacher for an entire generation of students at UCLA. She broke through the conventions of her times and geography to serve as a role model not only for female scientists, but all young scientists seeking new research paths in alien environments. Her Space Plasma simulations provided the information needed to interpret observations from a host of missions, including JAXA’s Geotail, ESA’s Cluster, and NASA’s MMS missions. Despite her many research successes, education remained at the core of her efforts throughout her career. She was a beloved and highly innovative lecturer, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. Establishing this award recognizes her many enduring contributions to our research discipline, and the positive impact she had on so many who worked with her.”
– David G. Sibeck, President, Space Physics and Aeronomy Section, July 14, 2016

This fund supports AGU’s yearly participation in the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship program, a 10-week science writing experience.

The Ned A. Ostenso Public Service Fund supports a strong AGU role in public information, education, and other areas of public service.

The goal of the Paul A. Witherspoon mid-career lecturer in hydrologic sciences is to recognize significant contributions in the hydrologic sciences by a mid-career scientist, including the awardee’s research impact, innovative interdisciplinary work, application of research to societally important problems, and inspired and dedicated mentoring of young scientists, and to acknowledge that the awardee shows exceptional promise for continued leadership in hydrologic sciences.

The fund supports science policy initiatives and related activities at local, state, and national levels.

This fund supports projects and initiatives which advance scientific communication skills and the dissemination of science in the public.

This fund supports the Reeburgh Lecture which is presented annually as part of the AGU Fall Meeting. In even numbered years, the lecture is presented as part of AGU’s Ocean Sciences section’s programming and focuses on marine geochemistry. In odd numbered years the lecture is presented as part of AGU’s Biogeosciences section’s programming and focuses on global biogeochemistry.

The Future Horizons in Climate Science: Turco Lectureship was established through a donation by Richard P. and Linda S. Turco and highlights signal research on climate change through noteworthy lectures by recognized leaders in the field.

The Horton Research Grant supports Ph.D. students with a purpose to promote excellence through encouragement of the next generation of professionals in the hydrological sciences. The first Horton Research Grant was awarded in 1983 and each year the grant has been awarded to one or more students during their candidacy for a Ph.D. degree in hydrology, water resources, or a closely related field.

This award is presented annually to an individual in recognition of significant early career contributions to planetary science. The award is named for Ronald Greeley, an AGU member and a planetary science pioneer whose contributions include the rigorous application of terrestrial field observation techniques to analysis of planetary surfaces.

The Sulzman Award for Excellence in Education and Mentoring recognizes AGU members who have sustained an active research career in a field related to Biogeosciences, while excelling as teachers and serving as role models for the next generation of female scientists.

The fund supports the Asahiko Taira International Scientific Ocean Drilling Research Prize (The Taira Prize), which is given annually to one honoree in recognition of “outstanding transdisciplinary research accomplishment in ocean drilling.” The Taira Prize is a partnership between AGU and the Japan Geoscience Union and is made possible through the generous donation from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Management International (IODP-MI). It is given in honor of Dr. Asahiko Taira of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.

The fund supports the Thriving Earth Exchange, a leading program from AGU that strives to make a positive impact on the planet and society. Thriving Earth Exchange brings together scientists, community leaders and sponsors to solve local challenges related to natural resources, climate change, and natural hazards.

This fund supports the William Kaula Award, which recognizes unselfish service to the scientific community through extraordinary dedication to, and exceptional efforts on behalf of, the Union’s publications program. Individuals may be recognized for such contributions as outstanding reviewing, editorial service beyond expectations, and innovative leadership.

Support the Future of Science

Planned gifts demonstrate a commitment to support and advance the future work of AGU and our members well past your lifetime. These gifts provide a source of funding for AGU programs and initiatives for future generations. AGU donors who support the organization through a planned gift can opt in to be recognized as part of AGU’s Terra & Universi Society.

Including AGU in Your Estate Plans

To leave AGU in your estate plans today, share this sentence with your attorney or financial planner: “I bequeath $______ or _____% of my estate to the American Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009 (tax ID# 52-0955532).”

Ensure the future of science

Planned Giving Options

Planned gifts can come in many forms and allow your estate to benefit from a charitable estate tax deduction. Naming AGU as a beneficiary in your will or through your life insurance policy or retirement plan will not affect your cash flow during your lifetime and can be revoked or amended if your situation changes.

  • Charitable bequests are gifts made by naming AGU as a beneficiary in your will through a general, residuary, or percentage bequest.
  • Life insurance gifts can be made by naming AGU as a full or partial beneficiary of your life insurance policies.
  • Retirement plan gifts can be made at any time by naming AGU as a beneficiary of a specific amount or a percentage of your plan.

Note: The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax adviser.

Night sky with tree silhouettes and stars

Tell Us About Your Gift

If you have generously provided for the future of science by including AGU in your estate plans, please let us know by completing the Bequest Intention Form and mailing it to: AGU Development, 2000 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009, or emailing [email protected].

Download Bequest Intention Form

AGU Partners and Sponsors

As a leader, collaborator and convener of innovative scientific initiatives, AGU works closely with like-minded organizations, U.S. government agencies, and companies to promote and advance the work of the global Earth and space science community. These relationships include partnerships to advance AGU’s core programs and strategic goals, sponsorships of meetings, and support of marketing advertisements and campaigns. We build long-term partnerships with organizations that support our mission of "science for the benefit of humanity" and align with our goals and vision. As a result, we expand the reach of our mission and amplify the impact of our members and their scientific contributions. Read the 2023 CEO Report on the year to gather, galvanize and grow.

The AGU organizational support policy guides our interactions with nonprofit and for-profit partners.

Ready to make your mark? Contact us to learn how your organization can partner with AGU.

We are especially grateful for our 2023 partners and meeting sponsors.

  • 2G Enterprises
  • AccuWeather Inc.
  • AGICO Inc.
  • Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp
  • Battelle
  • Centre Foundation
  • Critical Zone Research Coordination Network
  • Environmental Defense Fund
  • Fidelity Charitable
  • Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc.
  • Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
  • Hazelyn and Harrold McComas Charitable Trust
  • Integrated GroundWater Modeling Center at Princeton University
  • Jeffrey Seller Family Foundation
  • John Wiley & Sons
  • Kinemetrics, Inc.
  • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center
  • Lockheed Martin Commercial Civil Space
  • METER Group, Inc.
  • Morgan Stanley
  • Nanometrics, Inc.
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  • National Science Foundation (NSF)
  • Network for Good
  • Portfolio Bullitt Foundation
  • Renaissance Charitable
  • Schwab Charitable Trust
  • Silicon Valley Community Foundation
  • Southwest Research Institute
  • Springer-Verlag GmbH
  • Terēan
  • TIAA Charitable
  • The Brinson Foundation
  • University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
  • University of California (THEMIS)
  • University of Texas at Austin
  • Vanguard Charitable Trust
  • Westport Astronomical Society

Loyalty societies

Donors who support AGU through legacy or planned giving create momentum that sustains the long-term health of AGU programs and initiatives and help us prepare for the next generation of scientists and scientific discoveries. These gifts ensure that the Earth and space sciences can continue to positively impact and meet society’s ever-changing needs.

The Sustainers’ Circle recognizes the support and loyalty of benefactors who have supported AGU through gifts of any size in the previous 10 consecutive years.
Lyalty societies

Development Contacts

Tracy LaMondue
Vice President, Development
202.777.7372 | [email protected]

Cara Green
Director, Development
202.777.7457 | [email protected]

Sara Young
Manager, Foundation and Government Grants
202.777.7343 | [email protected]

Molly Mayer
Coordinator, Development
202.777.7314 | [email protected]

Development Office
General inquiries
[email protected]

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