The SEG Foundation proudly supports your profession and your society, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. The Foundation thanks and acknowledges the generosity of our volunteers and SEG staff for their contributions to this year’s report. The Foundation also thanks our great students and professionals for sharing their photos and expertise during the year. From the Chairman Your SEG Foundation was hard at work, and your generosity is greatly appreciated. Our helping hands result in many fine people moving forward in this great profession, and others are learning about the good work we provide the world. To say it simply, your investment helps to enrich our mission, Advancing Geophysics Today — Inspiring Geoscientist For Tomorrow! Here is a breakdown of how your donations are enhancing and strengthening geophysicists around the world. The Foundation’s assets top $24 million, and donations in 2013 were over $4 million. Of special interest, you will find: ¡ The Geoscientist Without Borders® number of proposals submitted, as well as their quality, continues to increase each year. At the close of 2013, we had 10 active projects. A review of six project proposals was under way at the close of the year. ¡ This year, $474,392 in total student scholarships were awarded to 133 well-deserving geosciences students around the globe. Funding for this year’s scholarship program increased by more than 28% over the last year thanks to donations from Chevron, Marathon, and donors like you. More than 1,900 applications, a record number, were received. ¡ Sustaining Investors, including CGG, Marathon Oil, TGS, and Shell have made multiyear commitments of $250,000 or larger in support of critical SEG and SEG Foundation programs. ¡ In 2013, we introduced a new giving level of “Sustaining Trustee Associate.” This elite group of contributors shares an ongoing commitment to a strong and healthy Annual Fund which helps to support 18 SEG programs including student scholarships, field camps, travel grants, and our 282 student chapters worldwide! A current Trustee Associate can become a Sustaining Trustee Associate with a minimum gift of $2,000 per year to our Annual Fund. Sustaining Trustee Associates understand the importance of maintaining a strong SEG Foundation to advance the geophysics profession. ¡ Our 2013 individual donors included 245 Trustee Associates with major cumulative donations, 29 Sustaining Trustee Associates, and over 250 Annual Fund donors. Collectively, Trustee Associates have funded over $10 million in support of geophysics student and professional development. What loyalty. As more people become aware of the Foundation’s outstanding mission, exceptional stewardship of donor assets, and commitment to Advancing Geophysics Today — Inspiring Geoscientist For Tomorrow, it is our hope that members of the wider community will consider directing their resources to the SEG Foundation. Please help us spread the word. You are cordially invited to join us at the SEG Foundation Donor Luncheon in 2014. This year’s luncheon will be held in Denver on Monday, October 27, in conjunction with the SEG International Exposition and 84th Annual Meeting. If you’ve never attended this invitation-only event, contact me or any of the staff at [email protected] to learn how you can participate. Don’t miss the celebration of new major gifts and our heartfelt thanks and recognition of you, our donors! I have never talked to anyone afterward who was not inspired by the program. As my last year of the chairman of the board ends, I would like to thank you, on behalf of the entire board, for what you do to contribute to the greater good of our community. You may be a donor, volunteer, founding contributor, endowed scholarship funder, grantee, professional-advisor colleague, or one of our countless corporations and foundation partners. Whatever your role, you are contributing to the quality of life for geophysicists. It has been an honor. Thank you for your support! Join us! 2013 SEG Foundation 1 The SEG Foundation proudly supports your profession and your society, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. Mission of the SEG Foundation “The SEG Foundation advances geophysics today and inspires geoscientists for tomorrow through funding innovative activities and grant programs that benefit geophysicists, their professional community, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists and the general public.” Mission of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists “Connecting, inspiring, and propelling the people and science of geophysics” 2 2013 SEG Foundation BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2013 OFFICERS Thomas A. Smith Chairman Dominique Robert Vice Chairman Frank D. Brown Treasurer 2013 DIRECTORS Contents Arthur Cheng 4 Financial Highlights 32 Leadership 33 Board of Directors Peter M. Duncan 7 Grants to the Geophysical Community 34 2013 Committees Michael C. Forrest 8 Geoscientists Without Borders® 35 Sustaining Investors 10 Scholarships 36 Trustee Associates Hank Hamilton 12 Field Camp Program 38 High Velocity Mike Loudin 13 Travel Grants 39 Doodlebugger Society Magne Reiersgard 40 Program Designated 15 Grants to the Society of Exploration Donations Jeff Springmeyer Geophysicists 40 Matching Employers Robert F. Talley 16 Distinguished Programs 40 Established Endowments 21 eLearning Program Cung Vu 23 SEG Online — Information Technology 41 2013 Grant Recipients Sally G. Zinke 24 Student Membership Dues and Program Participants 26 Student Programs 26 International Geosciences Student Conference 27 SEG/Chevron Student Leadership Symposium 28 SEG/ExxonMobil Student Education Program 30 Student Chapter Book Program 30 International Science and Engineering Fair Awards, Sponsored by Dick and Fran Baile 31 University Excellence 2013 SEG Foundation 3 4 2013 SEG Foundation Total Assets The Foundation’s assets increased to $24,877,566 at year-end 2013. Of these, 44% are endowed. Much of the remainder is in the form of pledges for multiyear commitments from large corporate investors. Contributions Contributions of $4,357,321 were received in 2013. Development activity during 2013 focused on growing new relationships with corporate and individual donors and a renewed effort to provide excellent stewardship to our current individual donors and sustaining corporate investors. In 2013, 20 new Trustee Associates pledged $10,000 or more each to the Annual Fund. Annual donors at the $100–$999 level are recognized in the “Doodlebugger Society,” and Annual Fund donors at the $1,000–$9,999 level are recognized in the “High Velocity” donor club. 2013 SEG Foundation 5 Grants Grants of $2,211,515 were made in 2013. Grants are subdivided into “grants to the geophysical community” and “grants to SEG,” and were $922,448 and $1,289,067, respectively. Grants to the geophysical community include scholarships, Geoscientists Without Borders®, field camps, and student travel grants; grants to SEG are provided directly to the Society of Exploration Geophysicists for support of its programs including student programs, lecture programs, and online education. To SEG To Community Development Efficiency A commonly used metric for monitoring fundraising efficiency is the “Fundraising Ratio” comparing development expenses to contributions received. According to the American Institute of Philanthropy and the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, this ratio should be less than 35%. The SEG Foundation considers the best-practice benchmark to be 15%. For 2013, the SEG Foundation is proud to report a Fundraising Ratio of 9%. 6 2013 SEG Foundation 2013 SEG Foundation 7 Geoscientists Without Borders® The SEG Geoscientists Without Borders®(GWB) program made significant advances in several aspects during 2013. The SEG Foundation Board of Directors approved the GWB Business Plan for 2013–2015. The plan identifies expansion goals and actions necessary to achieve increased funding, outreach and marketing growth, and development of robust metrics to evaluate projects and assure effectiveness. Two new projects were selected through the work of the GWB Technical Committee, SEG staff, and the SEG Foundation Board. Targeted research was conducted during the The SEG Foundation spring to focus on a region in Australia with restricted funding. The first project, managed proudly thanks by the University of Adelaide, is unique in its approach to protecting an endangered our 2013 major donors species while cooperating with farmers, ranchers, and Australian Zoo experts. The second project, led by Stanford University in partnership with Australian universities, will address critical water shortage. Review of six project proposals was under way at the close of the year; new selections were not approved until early 2014. The number of proposals submitted as well as their quality, continues to increase each year. At the close of 2013, we had 10 active projects. The SEG Foundation Board approved an expansion of the GWB Technical Committee to a maximum of 12 volunteer members to ensure broad representation of expertise and geographic diversity. Original committee members have all served maximum terms, and the final three members were honored at the SEG Annual Meeting in Houston. Four new volunteers joined the GWB Technical Committee after approval by the Board. Transitions — Craig Beasley, Mihai Popovici, and Roel Snieder retired from the Technical Committee, and Gregg Parker (PGS), Isabelle Lambert (CGG), Najib Abusalbi (Schlumberger), and Michael Burianyk (Shell) joined the committee. Outreach The SEG GWB program was well represented