Appeal from ASOR’s Board Chair

May 15, 2026

Dear ASOR Friends,

For 125 years, ASOR has been at the forefront of research on the cultures and history of the Near East and wider Mediterranean—supporting fieldwork, mentoring emerging scholars, publishing rigorous scholarship, and helping safeguard cultural heritage in regions where it is most at risk. That mission feels more vital than ever, and it is sustained by a community of members and donors who believe this work matters. Thank you for being part of it.

In about 6 weeks, we will conclude another positive ASOR fiscal year (June 30) with many accomplishments to celebrate.

Just a few months ago, we held our 125th anniversary celebration at the Annual Meeting. At that time, we announced the successful completion of the $5 million ASOR 2025 fundraising initiative, with final results now totaling $6.4 million, including $3.9 million in cash gifts along with $2.5 million in documented legacy gifts. The funds raised position ASOR very well for the future, sustaining the investments we have made to increase our capacity and advance our mission.

More recently, at the spring Board of Trustees meeting, we adopted a new strategic plan to guide us for 2026–2030, as we transition to our new President, Jane DeRose Evans. Alongside the strategic plan, we affirmed four core values for ASOR – curiosity, collaboration, stewardship, and transparency. You can find more on both the strategic plan and values at these links. A big thanks to the members who served on the task forces that shaped this work.

We are proud of our progress at ASOR, but real challenges remain. Ongoing conflict in the Middle East, including the most recent engagement involving the US, Israel, Iran, and other countries in the region, weighs heavily on our community and disrupts fieldwork, partnerships, and heritage we share with colleagues across the area. The environment for federal grants supporting cultural heritage work remains extremely difficult. We have also engaged more seriously in recent years with questions about how our professional conduct policy applies to research in contested territories—difficult conversations that reflect a diverse community committed to thinking carefully about its responsibilities. And despite ASOR maintaining a very healthy balance sheet, with growth overall in assets and endowments, we face another year of drawing on prior-year reserves to balance our operating budget.

With these challenges in mind, the Development Committee, with the support of the Board of Trustees, has committed to meet or exceed our Annual Fund goal of $150,000 for fiscal year 2026 and to increase the goal to $200,000 for fiscal year 2027. This increase reflects the reality that our fundraising needs to keep up with the investments we are making in the talented staff who support our members in carrying out our mission.

As we near the end of the fiscal year on June 30, I ask you to consider an unrestricted gift to ASOR. We are currently about $22,000 short of this year’s goal of $150,000. The Annual Fund is what allows ASOR to deliver its programs year in and year out, and with fewer federal grants supporting our cultural heritage work and community outreach, your participation matters more than ever.

If you have already contributed this fiscal year, thank you. If you haven’t yet made a gift—or if you have given and are in a position to give again at this important moment— I hope you will join me before June 30. I deeply appreciate your support.

Best regards,

Sheldon Fox
Chairman, Board of Trustees