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The Roy Amara Fund for Participatory Foresight

From 1971 through 1990, Roy Amara built the Institute for the Future into an enduring organization “to enlarge existing understanding concerning technological, environmental, and societal changes and their long-range consequences.” From this founding vision, Roy created a sustainable futures research organization that has worked for the past 40 years with many large organizations—businesses, foundations, and governments, to help them better prepare for the future. We believe it is time to bring Roy’s vision and IFTF’s powerful tools to communities and organizations that could not afford our services but that could greatly benefit from our methods and processes.
The fund will serve as a catalyst for building a broad futures literacy in the community—in schools, among NGOs, and in community-based organizations. It is a seed fund to launch new initiatives in partnership with organizations that are compatible with IFTF’s professional and social practices and that have the potential to sustain strategic foresight beyond the seed funding. Most importantly, the fund will serve populations that could not otherwise afford to participate in the larger dialogue about the future.
Your Participation
We are seeking support from organizations and individuals who admired Roy and believe in the value of participatory foresight. Contributions of any size are welcome and fully tax deductible. The initial fundraising goal for 2008 is $100,000, with IFTF matching the first $50,000. In order to grow an immediate base for the greatest impact, we are asking for your support at the following levels:
Action Circle
$10,000 and above
Insight Sponsors
$5,000 and above
Foresight Contributors
$2,000 and above
The forces shaping our world today will have their greatest impact in the long-term future, but they require intelligent choices today. The Fund for Participatory Foresight is thus timely. It will use foresight to provoke insight and action for diverse publics. We look forward to collaborating with you to pursue this goal, while honoring Roy’s memory in a productive, meaningful way.