By: E.T. Bartlett
In 2018 Members of the Endowment Fund Development Committee (EFDC) wrote to Life Members to inform them of opportunities for legacy giving. Each Committee member selected Life Members whom they knew. I wrote to Mark Moseley of Texas. Mark and I became friends through our membership in SRM; we served together on the SRM Advisory Council back in the ‘80s. Mark responded this past July. He sent a donation of $100 to the SRM Endowment fund in memory of Russ Pettit. Mark wrote “Please accept this memorial in the name of Dr. Russ Pettit, one of my most memorable professors at Texas Tech.” Mark did not know of any contacts for Dr. Pettit’s family but added “Maybe just a mention in the SRM so that other Members might think of it too.” Members might also think of others whom they might remember.
Many SRM Members do not know that most memorial contributions to SRM go into the Endowment Fund as directed by the Board of Directors. There is one exception explained below. We get a few memorials each year remembering a favorite professor, mentor, a co-worker, or SRM acquaintance. Examples last year included L. Allen Torell, Ed Nelson, Charlotte Laycock, Mont Lewis and William Hurst.Also, some have designated the SRM Endowment Fund as an option for donations in obituaries. SRM notables include Stan Tixier, Kendall Johnson, Wally Butler, Jack Bohning, and, most recently, Bob Ross.
The exception is the Orozco Memorial Honorarium. Jessica Mae Orozco was tragically killed in 2018. The Arizona Section partnered with the parent Society to establish an Honorarium in her memory. The fund provides an award to sponsor a Native American youth to attend the annual SRM meeting.
Making memorial donations to SRM supports the future of SRM through the Endowment Fund or supports the Jessica Mae Orozco Memorial Award to Native American youth. SRM Members can donate by going to the SRM Website Homepage. At the lower right hand portion, there is a column titled ‘Take Action’. Click on Donate to be taken to the Allen Press site where you can make online memorial contributions (be sure to log in as an SRM member). You can also donate via the EDFC webpage, or send your donation directly to SRM.
You can mail donations either to the SRM Business Office or SRM Headquarters:
Society for Range Management Business Office
810 E. 10th St.
Lawrence, KS 66044
SRM Headquarters
6901 S. Pierce St STE 230
Littleton, CO 80128
Please make checks payable to SRM or SRM Endowment Fund and, if donating as a memorial, include the name of the person you are memorializing.
You can also donate by calling either the SRM Business Office at 785-865-9456; or SRM Headquarters at 303-986-3309.
For questions regarding the Endowment Fund, please contact EFDC Chair Curtis Talbot or any member of the EFDC.