Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure a year? So goes the song from the hit play Rent. But at ASHRAE, the past year has been measured in dollars: $2,081,422 to be exact. Exceeding the 2007-2008 fiscal year’s $2 million goal, ASHRAE’s efforts on the chapter and society level for raising funds for research have led to a record breaking year.
“Surpassing our goal for research promotion truly signifies the dedication of our volunteer base,” says Bill Harrison, ASHRAE president. “ASHRAE volunteers are the backbone of our research promotion program, which is a grassroots effort. I thank each of the 160 dedicated fundraising volunteers on the chapter level for helping fund our research program, which is widely respected in the building industry.”
With 6,000 total donations for the year, nearly half came from individual ASHRAE member donations, with corporate donations comprising the remainder. With an increase of nearly $300,000 over the previous year, the money raised will fund research projects beginning in the 2008-2009 fiscal year. ASHRAE conducts about $8 million in research in any given year, with projects often spanning several years. Currently, there are 92 active research projects, including ones focusing on hospital operating room air distribution and air quality on board commercial aircraft.
Individual chapters raise funds in a variety of ways, including golf tournaments, auctions, and educational seminars. ASHRAE’s Region VIII, which covers Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, led the regions in total funds raised with $375,591.
