PCA/ACA Endowment
History and Overview:The Endowment Fund of the Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association was established in 1997 as a commitment to the long-term future of the study of American culture and popular culture in all its forms, venues, contexts, and exchanges. Since that first group of about 20 contributors made an investment in the future of the two organizations and their roles in priority research and critical inquiry, hundreds of individuals and organizations have contributed and helped increase the Endowment to its current level of about $800,000.
What is distinctive and special about the PCA/ACA Endowment is that it incorporates contributions of various levels and reflects a broad-based support. An endowment is the hallmark of professional academic organizations that believe their work has substantial cultural significance and impact as well as long-term implications and applications.
In 2008, thirty-two scholarships ($300) will be given to support graduate student travel to the meeting and eight ($300) to early-career faculty. Eight scholarships ($500) will be offered to visiting international scholars. Research and travel to collection grants ($750) will be given to three individuals and one grant ($5,000) will go to support collection building. For a more detailed description of the grants and the application process please click here.
Goals:
The current goal is to reach $1,000,000. This can be reached only by a combination of large contributions and a steady flow of smaller amounts pledged over a period of time. Contributions are a confirmation of members' acknowledgment that the Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association have contributed substantially to promoting professional development and status and to providing research opportunities in exciting fields of study. Contributions also express a belief that new initiatives of the organizations can only be achieved through such an endowment dedicated to beneficial goals.
The Endowment has four central goals:Director of the Endowment:
• To develop and sponsor initiatives which encourage scholarship and promote the dissemination of knowledge and new perspectives in Popular Culture Studies and American Culture Studies;
• To stimulate and support the internationalization of the fields of Popular Culture Studies and American Culture Studies, broadly and inclusively conceived;
• To encourage the collection and preservation of cultural artifacts and materials needed by scholars and historians for study;
• To increase professional recognition and public visibility of the Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association and to enhance the members' roles as public scholars connected to society and culture.
Mike Schoeneke
Department of English
Texas Tech University
PO Box 43091, Lubbock, Texas, 79409-3091,
Phone (806) 742-2500, ext. 278
Email: Michael.Schoenecke@ttu.edu
Donating to the Endowment:
It is easy to donate to the Endowment. Funds may be sent directly to Mike Schoeneke at the address listed above. Individuals wishing to donate may also do so when they register for the national conference using the Acteva website. Finally, Mike will be happy to accept donations during the national conference.
At the national conference, the Endowment also has a reception for those who have donated funds. Invitations are sent out prior to the national conference.
Giving Categories:
(over a ten-year period)
| Associate | $100 | |
| Bronze | $500 | |
| Silver | $1,000 | |
| Gold | $2,500 | |
| Patron | $5,000 | |
| Benefactor | $25,000 | |
| Ray Browne Society | $50,000 |
Specific Grants and the Application Process:
To find out more information about each category and to apply for a grant, please click here.