AWEF Sunsetting December 31, Having Supported 188 Archivists in Need

December 13, 2021—The Archival Workers Emergency Fund (AWEF), a program of the SAA Foundation, will be sunsetting on December 31, 2021, due to legal and tax regulations. Established in April 2020, this temporary program has provided support to archival workers experiencing acute, unanticipated financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applications for AWEF support will be accepted through December 31 and will be reviewed within 10 business days. Any remaining funds will be returned to the Strategic Growth Fund, which provided the initial seed funding to establish AWEF and continues to respond swiftly to advance professional priorities through direct grants to our colleagues.

The SAA Foundation is grateful to the 998 donors who contributed $140,500 to the Archival Workers Emergency Fund. Through their generosity, 188 archival workers have received grants of up to $1,000 and complimentary annual SAA memberships.

The SAA Foundation Board is currently developing a new strategic plan with a high priority on addressing archival employment precarity and supporting archivists in need through both new and existing programs.

“AWEF was instrumental in addressing the rapidly changing conditions during the COVID-19 crisis,” said SAA Foundation president Margery Sly. “This was an incredible example of our archives community coming together to support our colleagues during a most difficult time.”

The SAA Foundation thanks the AWEF Review Committee for their diligence in reviewing hundreds of applications: Jessica Chapel (chair), Sharmila Bhatia, Steven Booth, Anna Clutterbuck-Cook, Amy Fitch, Carli Lowe, Bridget Malley, Gerrianne Schaad, and Lydia Tang.

The SAA Foundation recognizes the efforts of the ad hoc group who developed the proposal and pursued creative fundraising initiatives to maintain the fund, including: Becky Briggs Becker, Steven D. Booth, Jessica Chapel, Alison Clemens, Anna Clutterbuck-Cook, Jennifer Coggins, Courtney Dean, Steve Duckworth, Carady DeSimone, Marissa Friedman, Rebecca Goldman, Irene Hauzinger, Katharina Hering, Hayley Hinsberger, Valencia Johnson, Warren Lambert, Carli Lowe, Bridget Malley, Sarah McLusky, Lydia Tang, Rebecca Thayer, Jennifer Wachtel, Lauren White, Amy Wickner, and Katrina Windon. The SAA Council recognized the organizers of the Archival Workers Emergency Fund with a 2020 Resolution.

The Society of American Archivists Foundation is the nation’s leading source of nonprofit funding dedicated to the interests of archives and archivists. Donations to the SAA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, are tax deductible.