American Society of Overseas Research
ASOR is a 125-year-old U.S. nonprofit advancing Near Eastern archaeological research and cultural heritage preservation worldwide through peer-reviewed publications, fellowships, an annual meeting, and the Cultural Heritage Initiatives program operating across North Africa and the Middle East.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1900
- HeadquartersAlexandria, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What American Society of Overseas Research does
American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1900 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, with 11-50 employees. It supports and advances the study of Near Eastern archaeology and cultural heritage through scholarly publications (Bulletin of ASOR, Near Eastern Archaeology, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, and Maarav), an Annual Meeting, and a portfolio of fellowships and grants for fieldwork and research. Its primary audiences are archaeologists, scholars, graduate students, early-career researchers, and institutional members such as universities, museums, and libraries.
The organization's most strategically significant program is ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiatives (ASOR CHI), which documents, protects, and preserves cultural heritage in conflict-affected and climate-vulnerable regions of North Africa and the Middle East, including Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Cyprus, and parts of the Sahel. CHI delivers an open-source Cultural Heritage Documentation Curriculum built on KoboToolbox, QGIS, LibreCAD, and Agisoft Metashape, and applies satellite remote sensing (Landsat, Sentinel, MODIS) with climate modeling for site monitoring. The Museums in a Suitcase outreach program deploys mobile heritage education toolkits (12 distributed in Libya), and the Cyrene Conservation Initiative (launched 2025 with the American Institute for Roman Culture and the Libyan Department of Antiquities) addresses post-Storm Daniel recovery at UNESCO sites.
ASOR's revenue model is multi-stream and characteristic of a mid-sized nonprofit: individual and institutional memberships (annual billing, undetermined scale), donations including a Legacy Circle planned-giving program, government grants (primarily U.S. Department of State Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation and Cultural Property Agreement Implementation Grants), and foundation support (Aliph, Whiting, Foundation for Jewish Heritage, Cultural Antiquities Task Force, and unnamed major donors). The organization does not publicly disclose membership fee tiers, and overall revenue is not disclosed in available materials.
American Society of Overseas Research firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Society of Overseas Research
- Legal name
- American Schools of Oriental Research
- Website
- https://asor.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1900
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ASOR is a 125-year-old U.S. nonprofit advancing Near Eastern archaeological research and cultural heritage preservation worldwide through peer-reviewed publications, fellowships, an annual meeting, and the Cultural Heritage Initiatives program operating across North Africa and the Middle East.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where American Society of Overseas Research is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Alexandria
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
American Society of Overseas Research business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Individual and institutional memberships provide recurring revenue from scholars, students, and organizations in the field of Near Eastern archaeology and cultural heritage.
- Donations and Fundraising: Direct donations, legacy circle planned giving, and general fundraising from individuals and supporters passionate about cultural heritage preservation.
- Government Grants: Funding from U.S. Department of State, including the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), to support specific heritage preservation projects in partner countries.
- Anonymous Donor Grants: Major grants from anonymous donors supporting specific programs such as the Heritage Advocacy in North Africa project in Tunisia and Morocco.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Memberships |
| Subscription | Annual | Institutional Memberships |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
American Society of Overseas Research product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ASOR is a scholarly nonprofit that supports Near Eastern archaeology and cultural heritage through individual and institutional memberships, peer-reviewed academic publications, an annual scholarly conference, research fellowships and grants, and a Cultural Heritage Initiatives program that documents and protects heritage sites in conflict-affected regions of North Africa and the Middle East. It also delivers heritage documentation training using open-source tools and runs the Museum in a Suitcase outreach program for community heritage education.
Product overview
ASOR is a scholarly organization founded in 1900 that supports Near Eastern archaeological research through multiple interconnected programs. Its core offerings include the Cultural Heritage Initiatives (CHI) program focused on heritage protection in threatened regions, peer-reviewed publications (BASOR, NEA, JCS, MAARAV), an Annual Meeting conference, and a Fellowships & Grants program. ASOR also operates education initiatives like the Museums in a Suitcase outreach program, provides heritage documentation training using open-source tools, and offers the ASOR Online Library as a digital resource for members.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiatives (ASOR CHI): Program focused on documenting, protecting, and preserving cultural heritage sites in at-risk regions
- The Ancient Near East Today
- Friends of ASOR
Products and services
- Cultural Heritage Initiatives (CHI) A major program focused on documenting, preserving, and protecting cultural heritage in threatened regions through training, grants, and field projects, primarily in North Africa and the Middle East.
- Annual Meeting
Quantifiable outcome
- 23 heritage professionals trained in documentation techniques within months of Storm Daniel disaster response
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use American Society of Overseas Research
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
American Society of Overseas Research technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature4 records
American Society of Overseas Research partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- American Institute for Roman CultureflagshipSupporting the Cyrene Conservation Initiative, a 12-month conservation and heritage education project at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cyrene in Libya, developed in close collaboration with the Libyan Department of Antiquities.
- Heritage for PeacecorePartner organization collaborating with ASOR to offer training in cultural heritage documentation curriculum to Syrian and Yemeni students and heritage professionals.
- Libyan Department of AntiquitiescoreKey governmental partner for heritage preservation in Libya, collaborating on Storm Daniel flood response, site conservation at Cyrene, Ptolemais, and Tocra, and ongoing heritage documentation and protection initiatives throughout eastern Libya.
- Laboratoire Régions et Ressources patrimoniales de Tunisie de l'Université de ManoubacoreUniversity partner in Tunisia conducting multidisciplinary research on architectural, ethnological, and cultural heritage, with focus on Jewish cultural heritage in Tunisia since 1999.
- Tunisian Institute National du PatrimoinecorePartner institution for cultural heritage protection workshops in the Maghreb region, collaborating on heritage awareness events and documentation training.
- Tunisian ScoutscoreKey distribution partner for heritage outreach programs in Tunisia, organizing cultural heritage volunteer weekends and implementing the Tourath Program for heritage awareness.
- Historic Cities AuthoritycorePartner in Libya for heritage documentation and preservation initiatives, collaborating with ASOR since 2017 on various heritage protection projects.
- Boy Scouts and Girl Guides of LibyacoreDistribution partners for Museum in a Suitcase outreach program and volunteer heritage protection activities throughout Libya, engaging youth in cultural heritage awareness.
- Foundation for Jewish HeritagecoreJoint project (Jewish Cultural Heritage Initiative - JCHI) to assess present and past Jewish heritage sites in Iraq and Syria, identifying 368 settlements and heritage sites from antiquity to present.
- Ghadames Manuscripts AssociationcoreLocal partner in Ghadames, Libya working to digitize and preserve manuscripts documenting trans-Saharan trade history, in partnership with ASOR and Hill Museum and Manuscript Library.
- Hill Museum and Manuscript LibrarycorePartner for digitization and preservation of manuscripts in Ghadames, Libya, providing technical expertise in digitization and data management for manuscripts documenting trans-Saharan trade.
- Syrians for Heritage (SIMAT)coreLocal partner in Syria providing collaboration for training Syrian and Yemeni students and heritage professionals in cultural heritage documentation tools and techniques.
- Douiret Women's Association (Wakry Association)coreLocal partner in Tunisia working with ASOR since October 2024 to preserve Ksar Douiret, a fortified village in Tataouine Governorate, with support from the U.S. Department of State's Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
American Society of Overseas Research competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Global Heritage Fund: Global Heritage Fund is a heritage preservation nonprofit focused on at-risk sites in developing regions — directly comparable to ASOR CHI's preservation-and-training model across North Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.
- American Research Center in Egypt: ARCE is a U.S. nonprofit that supports research and cultural heritage preservation in Egypt through fellowships, grants, and field schools — overlapping with ASOR's CHI program and scholarly publishing model in the same Near Eastern region.
- American Academy in Rome: The American Academy in Rome is a U.S. nonprofit supporting scholarly research, fellowships, and residencies in classical and Mediterranean studies — overlapping with ASOR's fellowship and scholarly mission across related classical/ancient disciplines.
- Archaeological Institute of America: The AIA is a U.S.-based scholarly nonprofit and membership society supporting archaeology, publications (American Journal of Archaeology), annual meetings, and fellowships — directly comparable to ASOR in mission, governance, and revenue model (memberships, publications, annual meeting).
- W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research: AIAR is an American overseas research center in Jerusalem supporting archaeological research, fellowships, and publications — directly comparable to ASOR as a CAORC-affiliated scholarly society in the same geographic and disciplinary niche.
- Council of American Overseas Research Centers: CAORC is the umbrella network of overseas research centers that includes ASOR itself; it is directly comparable as the parent consortium coordinating U.S.-funded scholarly research abroad with similar government and member-institution relationships.
- World Monuments Fund: WMF is a global cultural heritage nonprofit that funds site conservation, advocacy, and training — closely overlapping with ASOR CHI's mission to protect heritage sites in threatened regions using government and philanthropic grants.
- Aliph Foundation: Aliph is a Geneva-based heritage protection foundation that funds archaeological site protection in conflict zones; it is an ASOR partner and directly comparable as a grant-maker supporting the same Libya and Middle East heritage portfolio.
- International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS): ICOMOS is the global professional body advising UNESCO on World Heritage site conservation — directly comparable in international cultural-heritage mission, advisory role to governments, and focus on at-risk sites relevant to ASOR's CHI work.
Broad incumbents
- Smithsonian Institution: The Smithsonian is a much larger established cultural and research institution that conducts international archaeology and heritage preservation; it overlaps with ASOR's mission but operates at vastly greater scale across many disciplines, not specializing in the Near East.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
American Society of Overseas Research social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Society of Overseas Research financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Society of Overseas Research leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
American Society of Overseas Research funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
American Society of Overseas Research M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about American Society of Overseas Research
What does American Society of Overseas Research do?
ASOR is a scholarly nonprofit that supports Near Eastern archaeology and cultural heritage through individual and institutional memberships, peer-reviewed academic publications, an annual scholarly conference, research fellowships and grants, and a Cultural Heritage Initiatives program that documents and protects heritage sites in conflict-affected regions of North Africa and the Middle East. It also delivers heritage documentation training using open-source tools and runs the Museum in a Suitcase outreach program for community heritage education.
Is American Society of Overseas Research a public or private company?
American Society of Overseas Research is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was American Society of Overseas Research founded?
American Society of Overseas Research was founded in 1900. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is American Society of Overseas Research based?
American Society of Overseas Research is headquartered in Alexandria, United States, in the North America region.
How does American Society of Overseas Research make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising, government Grants and anonymous Donor Grants.
Who are American Society of Overseas Research's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Global Heritage Fund, American Research Center in Egypt, American Academy in Rome, Archaeological Institute of America, W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, Council of American Overseas Research Centers, World Monuments Fund, Aliph Foundation and International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). Smithsonian Institution is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does American Society of Overseas Research have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Society of Overseas Research.