Friends and colleagues, I'm writing to ask for your help in building a secure future for our Society, and for neuroethics as a field.
As many of you will be aware, the International Neuroethics Society is currently establishing a new, more diversified and sustainable financial model for itself. While we have always collected fees for membership and Annual Meeting registration, the Society has never looked to its rank-and-file members as its principal source of funding — which is as it should be. For neuroethics to thrive and build its next generation of leaders, the INS must and will remain a principally donor-funded organization prioritizing accessibility to everybody.
This might seem like an odd lead-in to a membership fundraising drive, but stick with me. As the Society seeks out major donors and sustaining sources of funds, what I want to ask for is your help making the case: specifically by demonstrating that we are an engaged and committed membership with growing numbers and a high rate of giving. This is a moment for us — knowing firsthand the importance of a Society like ours in convening this field and in shaping our careers — to resoundingly declare that we want and need there to be an INS for the next year, the next decade, the next generation.
The easiest way to make your voice heard is to renew your membership today; and the most emphatic way is to donate. Crucially, and in keeping with our accessibility commitment, the amount is immaterial. Nominal gifts speak volumes. What matters now — what will convince funders and philanthropists that they should back our passion with resources — is that we collectively make a statement about how important this organization is to us.
I have attended our meetings since the very beginning, and I’ve seen not only the tremendous intellectual value they generate, but also the phenomenal level of commitment countless INS members have shown in volunteering their time and energy to make this thing work. From chairing the Student-Postdoc Committee to serving on Program Committees for the Annual Meeting, I have felt deeply fortunate to see my own efforts matched at every turn by so many of you. Those contributions mean the world to me. I want to see the seeds we’ve planted grow further. So please, I’m asking you personally — join me in making the kind of statement that will help us meet this pivotal moment.
Earnestly yours,
Reina R. Nadler
