Almost a decade ago, the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) launched the ASBPE Foundation, a tax-exempt educational organization with a goal of ending the stature gap between B2B and the consumer press in university journalism programs.

Last week, Trade, Association and Business Publications International (TABPI) became the ASBPE Foundation’s first-ever Platinum Sponsor. Paul J. Heney, TABPI President, currently sits on the nine-member board of the Foundation. He said that he hopes other B2B associations, publishers and suppliers will follow suit and donate generously.

“The Foundation’s work is so key to the future of B2B journalism,” Heney said. “We’re proud to be the Foundation’s first Platinum Sponsor, and we look forward to helping expand its programs over the coming year.”

The ASBPE Foundation recently set up an online donation form on the ASBPE Web site. Donors can now contribute at several different levels including Friend of the Foundation ($25); Silver ($50); Gold ($100); Platinum ($500); and Diamond ($1,000). Amy Fischbach, president of the ASBPE Foundation, said she is delighted to have TABPI as the first Platinum-level sponsor of the ABPE Foundation.

“With TABPI’s support, we can fund many special programs to honor excellence in b2b media, support journalism students and provide continuing education to professional journalists,” says Fischbach, a past national ASBPE president and a former Young Leader Scholar.

Today, the Foundation is involved in multiple outreach programs, including:

• Sponsorship of The Stephen Barr Award, part of ASBPE’s Azbee Awards of Excellence program. The Barr Award is designed to encourage journalism of the highest quality within B2B publications.
• Sponsorship of the Journalism That Matters Award, which was founded in 2008 to recognize business reporting that leads to concrete change, in business or government.
• Online educational programs and webinars. For the continuing education and career development of B2B editors, the Foundation taps the expertise of top B2B editors in online professional development programs.
• Encouraging college B2B programs. The Foundation helps sponsor the ASBPE-AEJMC Student B2B Writing Award, begun in 2012.
• Young Leaders Scholarship. This ASBPE program was created by Heney in Spring 2001 while serving as ASBPE National President. To date, the Scholarship has been awarded to nearly 100 editors and designers for print and online publications, and has developed a new generation of regional and national leaders in the organization. As part of this scholarship, the Young Leader Scholars receive a free registration to the national conference and a two-night hotel stay at the conference hotel. Applications are due on March 15, 2018. Visit https://asbpe.org/blog/2018/03/02/asbpe-opens-2018-young-leader-scholarship-application-process/ to apply.

Donations to the ASBPE Foundation can be made at https://asbpe.site-ym.com/donations/donate.asp and are tax-deductible.