ASOR is excited to announce a 2-for-1 challenge gift of $150,000 that will serve as the cornerstone of a targeted campaign (scheduled completion, June 2021) to raise $250,000 to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of our endeavors.

ASOR needs to raise $75,000 to earn the $150,000 challenge gift. As of May 4, 2021, we have raised $35,100. We encourage you to give and join us on May 21-23 for our “Making May Matter—Webinarathon to Endow Diversity at ASOR” event. Each donation to Diversity Initiatives will include a registration to the three days of lectures and discussions on a wide range of topics.

This campaign will fund short-term and long-term initiatives that will advance the strategic planning started in 2020 by ASOR’s newly formed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force. The purpose of this initiative is to permanently increase participation in ASOR by students and scholars who are African American/Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC).

This ambitious, expedited campaign is made possible by a 2:1 leadership pledge of $150,000 by Trustee Carolyn Midkiff Strange. We can reach our goal by raising $75,000. Every dollar contributed (up to $75,000) will be matched with two dollars. A contribution of $100, will be matched with $200; a gift of $5,000, will be matched with $10,000; and so forth.

In the short-term, ASOR will use $50,000 to increase participation in ASOR by BIPOC students at the secondary, undergraduate, and graduate levels. $25,000 is in hand through a combination of prior gifts and current distributions. Part of these short-term funds will underwrite Summer Stipends and Annual Meeting travel grants for BIPOC students. The rest of the short-term funds will buoy an already-launched partnership with Archaeology in the Community. AITC is a successful non-profit centered in Washington D.C. that fosters student and community involvement in archaeology, with an emphasis on under-served groups. Together with AITC, and building on their experience, we are developing educational resources to promote engagement in archaeology by secondary level students.

ASOR will use the remaining $200,000 from this campaign to establish a permanent endowment that will generate $10,000 per year to support research scholarships, internships, and travel fellowships dedicated to BIPOC students. These fellowships will be a foundation for future efforts and will be a tangible sign of ASOR’s commitment to long-term change.

Extending social equity and equal opportunity throughout all sectors of our world is one of the foremost challenges facing us today. You can join ASOR in making this change happen. Please consider a gift of any amount to help us earn this extraordinary $150,000 challenge gift.

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