This fundraising letter was initially sent by Claudia Schippert on Friday, October 31, 2025.
Dear Colleagues,
As all of higher education faces the perhaps most serious threat in generations, I ask for your help in reaching our goal for the AAR’s Fall Fundraising Campaign so that we can continue to uphold our values of academic excellence, critical examination, diversity, inclusion, and transparency. Here is what our members say about the importance of AAR:
“Because I did my doctoral work in education (curriculum and instruction), I did not have many classmates or faculty advisors with interests or expertise in religious studies. AAR enabled me to stay connected to the religious studies side of my work and find friends, mentors, and colleagues with similar interests.”
Kate Soules
“The networking opportunities those [AAR] leadership roles opened up have definitively shaped my professional path and research trajectory, leading to invitations to present at conferences, collaborative grant awards, and co-authored publications.”
Amy Allocco
“There are many ways in which AAR has helped enhance my life and career, and the one that stands out most is the friendships and relationships it has helped me nurture. As I mature, I continue to learn that this is the most magical part of what it means to be human, and that, ultimately, it’s what we cherish most in our lives.”
Simran Jeet Singh
In order to sustain our collective endeavors and secure the future of all AAR programming, we need your contributions.
AAR President Leela Prasad reminded us recently of what is at stake:
“It is truly your support that keeps alive the things that matter most: our publications, our grants and awards, and the programs that connect us across the field. I’ve seen how much of these rest on the generosity and insight of volunteers and the tireless work and passion of our small staff, who make sure the AAR is responsive and resilient.”
Leela Prasad, AAR President
For the current fundraising campaign, we are fortunate that individual AAR matchmakers and members of the AAR Board of Directors have agreed to match up to $35,000 in the hopes of raising a total of $70,000. Help us make it to our goal! No contribution is too small! We’ve also put together a media kit to make it easier for you to spread awareness of this campaign. Spread the word in your departments and on social media!
I urge you to make donating to AAR a priority this fall. When you support AAR, you are actively supporting the flourishing of religious studies. We are stronger when we all contribute to the best of our abilities.
With gratitude,
Claudia
Thank You to Our Matchmakers
Rebecca Alpert
AnnMarie Bahr
Diane Apostolos-Cappadona
David Coolidge
Jack Fitzmier
Ann Gleig
Ristina Gooden
Amir Hussain
Harshita Kamath
Kwok Pui Lan
Bruce Lawrence
Ebrahim Moosa
Jin Park
Nadine Pence
Leela Prasad
Patrick Reyes
Mayra Rivera
Nikia Robert
Louis Ruprecht
Kathleen Sands
Claudia Schippert
Laurel Schneider
Angela Sims
Tom Tweed
Matthew Vaughan
David Watt
Judith Weisenfeld
Heather White
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