SME Foundation

SME established the SME Foundation in 1991 as a Colorado-based nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization.

The mission of the SME Foundation is to be the source of funding for education and outreach of SME and the community it serves. The SME Foundation fulfills its mission by supporting projects that disseminate mining/mineral information and technology worldwide; encourage professional development; educate children, teachers, and the public about the significant role that the minerals industry plays in their everyday lives; build consensus for a strong, environmentally sound minerals industry in the United States and the world; and support of college-level students and programs meeting industry demands for engineers and researchers in the future.

The SME Foundation annual conference functions help raise funds for outreach programs for K-12 science classroom education, scholarships for students to study various mining engineering and geology fields and programs to inform the public about the importance of mining in everyday lives.