The CDS Board Treasurer manages the CDS Endowment Funds with guidance from the CDS Stewardship Committee. Your donation to the CDS Endowment Funds are a direct contribution to the continued success of the Community Development Society and its mission.

The CDS Strategic Initiatives Fund was established to enable program revenues and donations to grow through earned interest, while being held in reserve for reinvestment in endeavors that can enhance mission fulfillment. 

The Linda Sunde CDS Endowment Fund was established by CDS Members to provide a sustainable source of support to Members and to advance the mission of CDS through scholarships, diversity initiatives, educational materials, conference hosting, and other activities. Interest growth in the Fund is distributed according to the purpose of each named fund:

• Lee Cary Graduate Student Award Fund: Supports the research and/or outreach/engagement efforts of community development graduate students working on a masters’ thesis, doctoral dissertation, new educational resources, or journal article.
• Ted Bradshaw Student Research Award Fund: Supports undergraduate and/or graduate students who wish to present research at the CDS annual conference or conduct community-based research projects.
• George Nickolaus CD Graduate Student Award Fund: Supports students enrolled in graduate programs emphasizing community development at accredited universities in the United States.
• Nette Nelson Travel Scholarship Fund: Supports CDS Members who wish to present a paper or workshop or give a major address to a community development conference outside of the recipients’ home continent.
• CDS Conference Scholarship Fund: Supports scholarships for student and non-student CDS Members to attend the CDS annual conference.
• Diversity Fund: Supports initiatives that increase awareness of social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion issues within the community development profession and that foster diverse cultural perspectives in CDS and the community development process.
• Annual International Conference Fund: Supports CDS annual conference activities (e.g., plenary speakers and defraying conference costs for local grassroots leaders and volunteers).
• Educational Materials Fund: Supports the production of educational materials to advance the mission of the CDS (e.g., electronic documents, monographs, books, videos).
• Unrestricted Fund: Supports other activities that advance the mission of the CDS.

Please note that if you wish to donate to more than one fund vie the website, you will need to complete separate transactions for each.

For further information on making a donation, please reach out to the CDS Board Treasurer: treasurer@CDSociety.org.