NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS FOUNDATION, INC.

Purpose: To support the forensic sciences through education and research, and to preserve the history of forensic pathology.

The NAME Foundation supports the following awards and events at the annual meeting:

• John Smialek Best Resident or Fellow Platform and Poster presentations ($1,000 each)
• John Pless Best Student Platform and Poster presentations ($500 each)
• Mary Fran Ernst Best Affiliate presentation ($500 for one platform or poster)
• The Beth Frost Early Achievement Student/Resident/Fellow travel awards (A yearly amount which is determined by the Foundation Board of Trustees) given out when the following criteria are met:
• Receipt of an abstract by the deadline
• Submission of a paper three weeks before the meeting
• Registration and payment for the meeting
• Attendance at the meeting
• Presentation of the paper or poster
• The Thomas T. Noguchi, MD Annual Lectureship

BENEFITS OF NAME FOUNDATION MEMBERSHIP

In addition to the benefit of supporting the forensic sciences and contributing to quality NAME meetings as noted above, all individuals who currently are or who become NAME Foundation members in 2020 will be given a free subscription to Academic Forensic Pathology (AFP). AFP is an electronic journal officially sponsored by the Foundation and published by SAGE Publishing, a leader in the medical publishing world. AFP was formerly the official journal of NAME and has an eight-year track record of outstanding articles having direct impact to forensic pathology. Beginning in 2019, the NAME Foundation became the official sponsoring organization of the Academic Forensic Pathology journal.

Once you become a member of the Foundation, you will see a tab at the top of this web site titled "AFP Journal". Instructions for signing up for your free subscription will be found there. 

MEMBERSHIP IN THE FOUNDATION

Membership in the NAME Foundation is an annual contribution to the Foundation in the amount listed below:

• NAME members (irrespective of their membership category): $50.00

Cumulative donations are recognized by the Foundation at the following levels:

• Bronze $100 - 499
• Silver $500 - 999
• Gold $1000 - 4999
• Platinum $5000 - 9999
• Noguchi $10,000

The NAME Foundation also recognizes the following classes of members:

• NAME Foundation Institutional Members (designated as Supporting Institutional Members): Institutional members (NFIM) include corporations which have interest in forensic pathology and death investigation because they receive revenues as a result of forensic pathology and death investigation practice or recognize the value of forensic pathology and death investigation to society.  Examples of applicable institutions include commercial laboratories or vendors which provide services and supplies to medical examiner or coroner offices, charitable corporations whose work is in part derived from information provided by coroner or medical examiner offices, insurance companies, law firms, the entertainment industry, media, Universities and foundations which promote research based on medical examiner and coroner data. Corporate members may provide pre-arranged matching funds based on donations made by NAME members who are also Foundation members, but not corporate member donors or legacy donors.
• The Supporting Institutional Members may join the Foundation at the following levels of contribution:
• Bronze $250 (minimum contribution)
• Silver $500
• Gold $1,000

• Non-NAME Member of the NAME Foundation (designated as Supporting Members): Such members (NNFM) may include persons of talent, capability, and/or celebrity status with a positive image, other benefactors, or persons who are grateful for past services provided by forensic pathologists and death investigation systems.  These members may serve as ambassadors who increase public awareness of the Foundation and its goals, and also recruit donations to the Foundation in support of research, education, and other Foundation goals.  This may include recruitment of individual or corporate legacy donors and the establishment of memorial funds.  Such members also work with volunteers to organize and conduct fund raising projects and events to benefit the Foundation.
• The Supporting Members may join the Foundation with a $50 annual contribution.

CONTRIBUTIONS

Contributions to the NAME Foundation are fully tax deductible as provided by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The NAME Foundation is a nonprofit charitable corporation established in 2006 under applicable provisions of the Georgia Nonprofit Corporation Code. It is organized and operated exclusively for public charitable, educational, and scientific uses and purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, in such ways as the Board of Trustees of the corporation shall determine at its discretion. In furtherance of such purposes, the corporation has full power and authority:

• To support forensic sciences and death investigation through the conduct, management, sponsorship, and coordination of research and educational activities for the betterment of death investigation;
• To promote the preservation of the history of death investigation in the United States of America;
• To acquire or receive from any person or organization, by deed, gift, purchase, bequest, device, appointment, or otherwise, cash, securities and other property, tangible or intangible, real or personal, and to hold, administer, manage, invest, reinvest, and disburse the principal and income thereof solely for the charitable purposes hereof;
• To distribute property for such charitable purposes in accordance with the terms of gifts, bequests, or devices to the corporation not inconsistent with its purposes, as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation, or in accordance with determinations made by the Board of Trustees pursuant to the Articles of Incorporation; and
• To perform all other acts necessary or incidental to the above and to do whatever is deemed necessary, useful, advisable, or conducive, directly or indirectly, as determined by the Board of Trustees at its discretion, to carry out any of the purposes of the corporation, as set forth in these Articles of Incorporation, including the exercise of all other power and authority enjoyed by corporations generally by virtue of applicable provisions of Georgia law, including the Georgia Nonprofit Corporation Code (within and subject to the limitations of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

HOW MONEY IS RAISED AND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE USED BY THE FOUNDATION

• Definition of the Foundation funds.

• The Endowment.
• This fund will remain untouchable until the original Foundation goal of $1 million is attained.
• Baseline Endowment for 2019.
• This will be the amount present in investments at the end of the 2018 Annual meeting, after expenses are paid and revenues deposited.
• Also subtracted will be whatever the BoT votes to expend in 2019 towards expenses as defined below.
• Due to the addition of revenues as described below, the Endowment will continue to increase until the goal is achieved.
• Regular funds.
• Either restricted, designated or unrestricted funds, as generated from revenues as defined below.

• Revenues.
• Annual Contributions – 90% to be applied to the Endowment, 10% to be applied to unrestricted use as defined below:
• Members, Fellows and Affiliates of NAME – The first $50 of the annual contribution.
• Donations – amounts in excess of the required annual contribution. Donors will be able to designate a category for their donation as follows:
• Restricted – designated to go only to the Endowment.
• Designated – designated to specific expenses:
• Best student/resident awards.
• Student/Resident/Fellow travel stipends.
• Memorial funds – the family will be allowed to select how these monies are used. Currently the memorial funds are for Hisako Noguchi (wife of the Foundation Founding Director) and Adam Peterson (son of Past President Brian Peterson and his wife Jeanne).
• Additional categories may be developed in the future.
• Unrestricted – use to be at the discretion of the Board of Trustees. This will be the default if other categories are not selected.
• Fundraising – 10% to be applied to the Endowment, 90% to be applied to unrestricted use as defined above
• Examples:
• 50/50 auction.
• Saturday evening event.
• Silent auction.
• Interest on funds – 85% to be applied to the Endowment, 15% to be applied to unrestricted use as defined above.
• Expenses, in level of priority:
• Best student/resident awards.
• Travel stipends (amount to be determined yearly by BoT, divided equally among qualified presenters).
• Speaker honoraria.

Become a member

Anyone can become a member of the NAME Foundation and support our goals of supporting the forensic sciences and death investigation. Click below to join.