Aaron S. Luoma Fund for Global Equity Mission

The Aaron S. Luoma Fund aims to advance global health, reduce global disparities, and promote global equity.

This fund is intended to support the application of CBS principles by individuals or organizations operating in or residing in low and low-middle income countries.

Possible uses of this fund include (amongst others):

• scholarships for individuals to obtain CBS-related training (such through attending the ACBS annual conference)
• support of scientific research projects or research capacity building by investigators residing in low and low-middle income countries
• support for organizations or individuals located in low and low-middle income countries to enable public health projects informed by CBS principles

About Aaron

Just because a person has died, their story doesn’t need to end. Aaron was one of the many people who walk this world as quiet revolutionaries, building bridges of love and compassion. He called himself a “citizen of the world” and identified with a global community above his identity as part of a particular nation, place, or group. Throughout his life, he worked to transcend geography, political borders, ethnicity, race, and other aspects of group identity. This fund is intended to continue that legacy.

Your help and support mean so much! Your generous donations will make it possible for us to help the world through contextual science and to explore areas for future development. The ACBS Foundation's first open call for grant proposals was announced January, 2021. More information about the Foundation Grant can be found here.

We would especially like to thank Jason Luoma and Jenna LeJeune for their great generosity which led to the creation of the Aaron S. Luoma Fund for Global Equity.

(Updates regarding the Foundation’s progress can be found here. Wondering how you can help? Please consider donating to the Foundation here.)

Thank you all!

The ACBS Foundation Board

ACBS Foundation - Founding Donors

Association for Contextual Behavioral Science Foundation - Gift Acceptance Policy

Mission Statement

The ACBS Foundation provides financial support for activities of training, education, research, dissemination of information, and outreach that minimize human suffering and increase well-being.

Vision Statement

The ACBS Foundation harnesses scientific discoveries in order to alleviate human suffering and promote well-being for all.

Values Statement

The Foundation supports:
• Charity
• Collegiality
• Equality
• Equity
• Generosity
• Human development
• Mutually supportive practice
• Non-discrimination
• Openness
• Self-critical practice
 

Purpose of Gift Acceptance Policy

The Foundation is incorporated in Nevada, United States of America. Its federal tax identification number is 83-2620099.

The purpose of the Foundation’s Gift Acceptance Policy (the “Policy”) is to govern the acceptance of gifts and to provide guidance to donors in completing gifts.

The scope of this Policy is limited to acceptance or non-acceptance of proposed gifts; it is not intended to cover disposition of property owned by the Foundation.

Gift Acceptance Policy for Gifts from non-US Donors

The Foundation will accept, or consider for acceptance, contributions of cash from donors globally to varying degrees. Regardless of the donor’s country of residence acceptance of a gift of any kind must comply with the policies and procedures established by the Foundation Board of Directors, including but not limited to those outlined in this gift acceptance policy as amended periodically. The acceptance of a gift of any kind must comply with all local laws, and transfer of the assets to the Foundation cannot violate any U.S. or local laws.

All monetary amounts in this Policy are in U.S. dollars and all references to “the IRS” are to the United States Internal Revenue Service. 

Use of Legal Counsel

The Foundation does not provide legal, tax, or financial advice. It is the donor’s responsibility to discuss all charitable gift planning decisions with his or her legal, financial, or tax advisor before entering into any commitment to make a gift to the Foundation.

The Foundation will seek the advice of legal counsel in matters relating to acceptance of certain gifts, when appropriate.

Gift Definition

A gift is a voluntary transfer of assets from a person or an organization to the Foundation. The Foundation may accept or decline any gift.

The following criteria generally identify a gift:
• A gift is motivated by charitable intent;
• Gifts are irrevocable transfers of assets;
• Gifts are not generally subject to an exchange of consideration or other contractual duties between the foundation and the donor, although objectives may be stated and funds may be restricted to a specific purpose;
• Donors are not provided financial accountings; and
• A gift is not completed until it has been accepted by the Foundation. The Foundation reserves the right to decline any gift.

Types of Acceptable Gifts

An outright gift involves the donor’s voluntary and intentional transfer of money or assets to the Foundation without expectation of receiving a benefit related to the value of the transfer. Although the donor may request restrictions on the use of the gift, the donor may not retain control over the money or property transferred to the Foundation. 

The Foundation accepts gifts in the form of cash, check, money order, and credit cards. The Foundation is pleased to consider and discuss other types of gifts (e.g., securities or gifts in the form of real estate, personal property, or non-public or restricted securities) on a case by case basis. 

Cash, Checks, and Money Order — Cash, checks, and money orders may be accepted regardless of the amount. The value of any cash, check, or money order is its face value. Checks and Money Orders must be made payable to “Association for Contextual Behavioral Science Foundation”. 

Electronic Funds Transfers — Instructions for electronic funds transfers are available upon request.

Credit Card Contributions — Funds may be transferred to the Foundation via credit card. Secure credit card contributions may be made at https://contextualscience.org/acbs_foundation. There is no minimum donation requirement for a credit card transaction.

Gift Designation

To provide the Foundation with maximum flexibility in the pursuit of its mission, donors are encouraged to make unrestricted gifts to the Foundation. All receipts from unrestricted donations will become part of the Foundation General Fund to support activities related to its mission and to support an endowment (invested funds to provide additional funds for future allocation).

Restricted Gifts – Restricted donations of large gifts specified for a particular purpose will be considered on a case by case basis in discussion with the Foundation President or his or her designee and in concurrence with the Foundation Board. All restricted gift arrangements shall be memorialized in a written document describing the restrictions on the gift by the donor and other obligations that may be undertaken by the Foundation with respect to the gift. Gift agreements may be reviewed and approved by the Foundation’s legal counsel, if appropriate, prior to signature by donor and Foundation representative. 

Variance Power – The Foundation reserves the right to broaden or alter the purpose of a restricted gift should it be determined in the future that the original purpose of the gift no longer is in the best interest of the Foundation or fits with the priorities or mission of the Foundation. 

Unacceptable Gifts

The Foundation will not accept any gifts that:
• Contain a condition that is inconsistent with the mission of the Foundation as determined by the Foundation Board;
• Contain a condition that the proceeds will be spent by the Foundation for the personal benefit of a named individual or individuals;
• Require the Foundation to employ a specified person now or at a future date;
• Inhibit the Foundation from seeking gifts from other donors;
• Expose the Foundation to adverse publicity, litigation, or other liabilities; or
• Require undue expenditures, or involve the Foundation in unexpected responsibilities because of their source, conditions, or purpose. 

Gift Acknowledgment

The Foundation will acknowledge the receipt of all gifts in writing and in a manner which satisfies the IRS's substantiation requirements set forth in IRC Section 170(f) for the deduction of charitable gifts by individual donors. Aside from acknowledgement of receipt of gifts, the Foundation is not responsible for maintaining records for proof of charitable contributions.

The Foundation Board may establish criteria for the recognition and honoring of a donor with certain honors or benefits based on various giving levels achieved by a donor and the type of gift. These honors or benefits may include the listing of the donor’s name on a roll or plaque of significant donors or the opportunity to receive invitations to donor recognition events. Donors will be requested to indicate whether they would prefer to be recognized or to remain anonymous as permitted by legal requirements.

Confidentiality - Information concerning all transactions between a donor and the Foundation will be held by the Foundation in strict confidence and may be publicly disclosed only with the permission of the donor, where confidentiality would not violate any legal requirements for disclosure.

Anonymity - The Foundation will respect the wishes of donors wishing to support the Foundation anonymously and will take reasonable steps to safeguard those donors’ identity where anonymity would not violate any legal requirements for disclosure.

Additional Stipulations

The Foundation is committed to the highest ethical standards. The Foundation Board members and staff at all levels of the organization will handle information about and from donors and donations with respect and privacy.

Acceptance and documentation of gifts must be under the supervision of the ACBS Foundation Executive Director with concurrence from the Foundation Board, in order to maximize the value of those gifts to the Foundation, while minimizing costs and risks to the Foundation associated with those gifts. 

The following persons are authorized to sign restricted gift agreements on behalf of the Foundation: President, Vice President, and Treasurer.

Finder’s fees will not be paid to trust officers or attorneys, etc., for directing contributions to the Foundation.

Expenses associated with a donor’s gift shall be borne by the donor. 

Policy Amendment and Review

Responsibility for review of and recommended amendments to the Policy shall be that of the Foundation Board. The Foundation Board of Directors shall periodically (but no less frequently than every five years) review these policies to ensure that they continue to accurately describe the policies of the Foundation with respect to acceptance of gifts, and shall propose for adoption those revisions that are determined to be necessary or appropriate in order for the statement of Policy to accurately reflect the policies of the Foundation. These policies shall also be reviewed upon the enactment or promulgation of legislation or regulatory rules affecting fundraising and gift acceptance by the Foundation, to assure continued compliance by the Foundation with the legislation and rules. To amend the Policy, a written amendment shall be prepared and submitted to the Board for review and approval.

Policy Effective Date

The Gift Acceptance Policy was adopted on May 17, 2019, and became effective on that date.

“My mission is to engage as fully and deeply as I can with the world—including interpersonal, cultural and physical realms. This includes: 1) striving to love ever more deeply and increasing the scope and intensity of my attachment to, caring for and benefiting others; 2) increasing my concern and involvement with solving sociopolitical problems; 3) passionately playing with ideas that foster creativity and intellectually challenging myself and stimulating others to do the same: and 4) learning about, deepening my understanding, and having hands-on involvement and connection to the physical and technological features of the world in which I live.” Robert J. Kohlenberg (1937-2021)

Dr. Kohlenberg was a dedicated member of ACBS from its inception. He co-conceptualized Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) in the 1980s, a “contextual, behavioral, relational approach to psychotherapy in which therapists focus on what happens in session between the client and therapist to shape the interpersonal behaviors, emotional awareness, and self-expression necessary for clients to create and maintain close relationships and to live meaningful liveslives” (Kohlenberg & Tsai, 1991; Tsai et al., 2009; Tsai, Callaghan & Kohlenberg, 2013).” This endowed fund honors the legacy of Dr. Kohlenberg’s pioneering work by continuing this spirit of inquiry.

The Robert J. Kohlenberg Research Award will support graduate student, early, or experienced career research focused on advancing knowledge and expertise in Functional Analytic Psychotherapy or its dissemination to the general public via the Awareness, Courage & Love Global Project.

Two awards are available annually to qualifying applications. Priority for one award each year is given to high quality student and early career research applications.

(For the Kohlenberg Award, the ACBS Foundation defines “graduate student and early career” for the purpose of this grant as a post-baccalaureate student seeking a degree in a field relevant to the purposes of the association, or an early career researcher as a person who completed their terminal degree within the past 7 years (or 10 years if you took time off for personal reasons such as family). An early career researcher includes individuals in current postdoctoral and faculty positions, as well as those in other employment positions.) 

To learn more about Bob Kohlenberg’s life and legacy, please read the beautiful obituary published on Recompose.

To contribute to the Robert J. Kohlenberg Fund, click the donate button below: