Investments that Make a Difference

A SWC grant to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is having a notable impact on saving orphaned and injured Bornean orangutans and repatriating them to the wild. The grant provided veterinary supplies and training for more than 100 Indonesian conservationists working in rescue centers.

This grant to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory funded the installation of the MicroObservatory robotic telescope at the Inter-American Observatory in Chile. The telescope provides students, educators, scientists and astronomy learning programs worldwide with current and archived images of the star-filled skies.

A grant for $19,900 funded the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s animated video entitled the “Humpback Highway.” The video describes ways to prevent collisions between humpback whales and commercial ships. Its call  for governments, navigation companies and the International Maritime Organization to work together is now being answered throughout the Americas.

What to do when a museum exhibition designed to inspire positive change in Black male youth had to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic?  

Answer: Take it to the streets! A $25,000 grant to the Anacostia Community Museum in 2021 supported the redesign of the Men of Change exhibition for outdoor viewing.