Association for Gravestone Studies

Name

Association for Gravestone Studies

Legal name

Association for Gravestone Studies

Website

https://gravestonestudies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Preservation Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ)

Keywords

• Cemetery preservation
• Gravestone studies
• Scholarly publications
• Academic conferences
• Heritage conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide core organizational support and include access to publications, conference discounts, and member benefits.
2. Conference Registration: Revenue from annual conference registrations including various tiers (on-campus, off-campus, daily, virtual) with member and non-member pricing. Includes activities, meals, field trips, and workshops.
3. Publications: Revenue from scholarly publications including Markers journal and AGS Quarterly. Members receive publications as part of membership; additional copies and back issues available for purchase.
4. Study Tours: Revenue from educational study tours such as the Middle Tennessee Study Tours, priced at $150 for 3-day tours and $60 for 1-day tours.
5. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted through the organization's website to support preservation and educational initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Association for Gravestone Studies is an international nonprofit membership organization that promotes the academic study and preservation of gravestones through peer-reviewed scholarly publications, an annual week-long conference featuring papers and hands-on conservation workshops, guided cemetery study tours, student fellowships, industry awards, a virtual book club, and curated educational programming. Members receive access to the journal Markers, the AGS Quarterly bulletin, archives at UMass Amherst, and discounted conference registration.

Product overview

The Association for Gravestone Studies (AGS) operates as a membership-based nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of educational and scholarly products and services focused on gravestone and cemetery studies. The core offerings include two peer-reviewed publications—Markers (the scholarly journal published with University of Minnesota Press) and the AGS Quarterly (distributed electronically to members four times yearly)—along with an E-Newsletter sent monthly to subscribers. AGS organizes an annual conference featuring cemetery field trips, conservation workshops, and scholarly presentations, and administers student fellowships and awards (Forbes Award and Oakley Certificate of Merit). Additional offerings include a virtual Book Club, cemetery study tours (such as the Tennessee Study Tours), educational series like "First in the Grave" and "Carvers and Cocktails," preservation training resources, and access to archives housed at UMASS Amherst.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Markers Journal The scholarly annual journal of the Association for Gravestone Studies, featuring definitive illustrated articles on cemetery and gravemarker topics as well as an extensive annual international bibliography of recent scholarship. Published in cooperation with University of Minnesota Press.
• AGS Quarterly The AGS Quarterly: Bulletin of the Association for Gravestone Studies, distributed electronically four times a year as a benefit to members, containing feature articles and regular columns on conservation, epitaphs, and international gravestone studies.
• Annual Conference An annual conference held each June featuring 2 days of cemetery field trips, conservation workshops, papers, presentations, roundtables, a student poster session, and awards banquet. Conference attendance includes lodging, meals, and activities from Tuesday through Sunday.
• Student Fellowships Annual conference fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students presenting research in gravestone and cemetery studies. Fellowships provide fully paid conference registrations, on-campus housing, meals, up to $300 travel reimbursement, and a free one-year student membership.
• Harriette Merrifield Forbes Award The highest honor bestowed by AGS, presented annually to an individual, institution, or organization in recognition of exceptional service to the field of gravestone studies.
• Fred and Rosalee Oakley Certificate of Merit A certificate of merit presented periodically by the AGS Board of Trustees to individuals and groups that have helped advance the mission of the Association.
• AGS Book Club A virtual book club meeting bimonthly on the third Sunday at 7pm Eastern, focusing on books about cemeteries, gravestones, mourning customs, funerary practices, and death and dying.
• Tennessee Study Tours Guided small group tours of historic cemeteries led by AGS board members, including study guides, lunches, and transportation from designated hotels.
• First in the Grave A series of hour-long educational talks featuring those who manage, research, preserve, and interpret burial sites and memorials of U.S. presidents, presented in celebration of the U.S. 250th Anniversary.
• Carvers and Cocktails A series of hour-long educational talks by well-known contemporary gravestone carvers who introduce their workshops, past projects, and approaches for new commissions.
• Conservation Workshop A basic level 1.5-day workshop teaching participants how to properly document, clean, reset and repair simple, small grave markers while adhering to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Preservation.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Grand Valley State UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Host of AGS 2026 Conference at the Frederik Meijer Honors College and Niemeyer Living and Learning Center in Allendale, Michigan. Provides on-campus housing, lecture facilities, and dining services for conference attendees June 23-28, 2026.
• Middle Tennessee State UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025AGS Reference Library donated to the Special Collections of Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN in April 2025. Once processed, these books will be available for public use.
• University of Minnesota PresscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Markers journal published in cooperation with University of Minnesota Press's Journal Division beginning with Volume 40 (2025). Benefits include cover design refresh with full color, digital illustrations in color, and full digital access through Project MUSE for members and institutional subscribers.
• University of Massachusetts AmherstcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2009AGS Archives transferred to the Department of Special Collections, University of Massachusetts Amherst in April 2009. Materials are cataloged and stored in secure, climate-controlled facilities under professional care. Access is free and open to all researchers regardless of affiliation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Historic Deerfield: Historic Deerfield is a museum and historic-site organization that preserves collections, interprets heritage, and provides public education. Its combination of collections stewardship, conservation, and visitor programming is materially comparable to AGS's heritage focus.
• Society for American Archaeology: The Society for American Archaeology is a professional membership organization offering journals, annual meetings, research resources, and public education. Its scholarly association model and preservation-related activities make it a relevant peer for AGS.
• Archaeological Institute of America: The Archaeological Institute of America is a scholarly and educational nonprofit with journals, conferences, public programs, and conservation interests. Its specialist research, publication, and international network activities are comparable to AGS's work in gravestone and cemetery studies.
• American Association for State and Local History: AASLH is a membership association serving history and cultural organizations through publications, conferences, training, and preservation resources. Its member-services and professional-education model closely parallels AGS's association structure.
• International Council on Monuments and Sites: ICOMOS is an international cultural-heritage conservation organization focused on documentation, standards, training, and advice. Its preservation mission and global professional network are closely aligned with AGS's heritage and conservation work.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: The National Trust is a large nonprofit focused on preserving historic places through advocacy, grants, and public engagement. It overlaps strongly with AGS's heritage-preservation mission but operates across a broader set of sites and programs.
• American Alliance of Museums: The American Alliance of Museums is a broad membership organization for museums, providing standards, accreditation, training, and advocacy. It shares AGS's cultural-institution audience and educational mission but covers a much larger sector.

Others

• National Genealogical Society: The National Genealogical Society is a membership nonprofit offering genealogy publications, education, and research resources. It is an adjacent peer because genealogists are an AGS customer segment, although it is not a gravestone or cemetery operator.

Regional players

• Preservation Virginia: Preservation Virginia is a nonprofit historic-preservation organization working on buildings, sites, advocacy, and education. Its preservation activities and community network provide a useful comparison for AGS's conservation mission.
• Historic New England: Historic New England operates historic properties and collections while delivering preservation and educational programs. It is comparable to AGS in cultural-heritage stewardship, although its operating footprint is regional and site-based.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AGS_gravestones
• Facebookfacebook.com/gravestonestudies
• Instagraminstagram.com/assocgravestonestudies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-for-gravestone

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association for Gravestone Studies