What Save Ancient Studies Alliance does

Save Ancient Studies Alliance (SASA) is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2016 by Dr. David Danzig to address declining enrollment, limited academic positions, and Euro-centric curriculum concerns within the field of ancient studies. The organization provides free educational programs, publishing support, and community resources to independent scholars, graduate and undergraduate students, academic institutions, and general-public enthusiasts of archaeology and classical civilization. SASA's core offerings include an annual Virtual Conference, SASA Studio and SASA Talks content platforms, 100+ Text-in-Translation Reading Groups, the Archaeogaming Education Program (grant-supported by NEH, NJCH, and UNC), an Independent Scholars Working Group, and resource databases such as Port Ancient, the Online Resources Database, and Archaeological Vocabulary. The platform-plus-programs architecture is delivered through a Wix-hosted website and community channels including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, Bluesky, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitch, Discord, and an email newsletter (The SASA Oracle).

SASA operates without a commercial pricing model; revenue is sourced exclusively from individual donations via PayPal and a CORE Fund, plus institutional grant funding. In its first six years, the organization attracted 600 volunteers (with 100 active staff), reached 200,000+ website visitors, accumulated 160,000+ social media engagements across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, received cumulative grants and donations exceeding $250,000, and produced 10 major programmatic initiatives. Strategic partnerships anchor the organization institutionally: the Society for Classical Studies (SCS), Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), World History Encyclopedia, and Safe Space Alliance are core strategic partners, while financial backing flows from NEH, NJCH, and the University of North Carolina. The organization is led by Founder Dr. David Danzig and operates with an unpaid volunteer workforce distributed globally, with members located on every continent according to SASA's interactive member map.

The organization's competitive position rests on a volunteer-driven community ecosystem, federal grant validation, and partnerships with leading professional humanities societies — assets that are difficult for fee-based competitors or new entrants to replicate. Its principal risks are concentration in a small number of grant funders, reliance on volunteer labor with no paid operational backbone, and the structural decline of the academic field it seeks to support.

Name

Save Ancient Studies Alliance

Legal name

Save Ancient Studies Alliance

Website

https://saveancientstudies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Save Ancient Studies Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free educational programs, publishing support, and community resources to independent scholars, students, and the public in ancient studies, funded by donations and grants from organizations including NEH and NJCH.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: SASA accepts donations from individuals at any level through PayPal. The organization operates a CORE Fund for charitable contributions. As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit, donations are tax-deductible.
2. Grant Funding: SASA receives grant funding from institutional sources including the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), National Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH), and University of North Carolina to support programs such as the Archaeogaming Education Program. Total grants and donations received exceed $250,000.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Save Ancient Studies Alliance (SASA) is a nonprofit organization that delivers free educational programs, resources, and advocacy efforts to support and advance the field of ancient studies. Its offerings include virtual conferences, lecture series, reading groups, and open educational content aimed at independent scholars, students, and the general public interested in the ancient world.

Product overview

Save Ancient Studies Alliance (SASA) is a non-profit organization operating as a platform-plus-programs architecture. The core offerings include an annual Virtual Conference, SASA Studio and SASA Talks content platforms, the Independent Scholars Working Group support service, and various educational programs including Reading Groups, Master Classes, Online Live Events, and the Archaeogaming Education Program. The organization also maintains educational resources including Port Ancient, an Online Resources Database, Archaeological Vocabulary, and Intro Guides. Research initiatives include The Trend Research, Sociology of AS Research, and a Research Blog. All offerings are designed to support students, independent scholars, and public engagement in ancient studies while championing accessibility beyond traditional academic institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CORE Fund: SASA's Core Fund donation campaign for operational support
• The SASA Oracle
• Archaeogaming Education Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 160,000 combined social media post engagements across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World History EncyclopediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld History Encyclopedia is listed as a partner organization. The partnership provides educational content resources and collaborative opportunities for ancient studies research and public education.
• Society for Classical Studies (SCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCS, the leading professional organization for classical studies, is listed as a partner. The partnership supports professional development, research collaboration, and academic community building for SASA members.
• Society of Biblical Literature (SBL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBL, a major academic organization for biblical literature and related studies, is listed as a partner supporting SASA's mission and providing collaborative opportunities for scholars.
• Safe Space AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafe Space Alliance partnership demonstrates SASA's commitment to creating inclusive, safe spaces for its community members and ensuring accessibility for all participants.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Society of Biblical Literature: Major international academic organization supporting scholarship in biblical and related ancient literature. Comparable as a humanities scholarly society with overlapping audiences in ancient Near Eastern studies, publications, and academic community building.
• Archaeological Institute of America: A 130-year-old nonprofit advancing archaeological research and public engagement. Comparable to SASA as a mission-driven educational nonprofit focused on archaeology and ancient civilizations, serving similar enthusiast and student audiences.
• World History Encyclopedia: A nonprofit publishing ancient- and world-history educational content online. Directly comparable as a digital-first nonprofit delivering ancient-studies educational resources to a global general-public audience (and is also an SASA partner).
• American Academy in Rome: A nonprofit American academy supporting advanced study in architecture, design, humanities, and archaeological/ancient studies. Comparable as a humanities nonprofit with fellowship-style programming, donor funding, and a mission of sustaining scholarship in classics.
• The Classical Association: UK-based learned society promoting the study of classics and ancient history. Comparable as a membership-and-grant-funded humanities organization serving classicists, teachers, and independent enthusiasts with educational programming.
• Society for Classical Studies: The leading North American professional organization for classical studies. Directly comparable as a humanities/community-building nonprofit serving the same audience of classicists, scholars, and students that SASA targets, with overlapping mission in publishing support and professional development.

Broad incumbents

• Khan Academy: A large-scale nonprofit online educational platform offering free content across many subjects. Comparable to SASA as a digital, donor-funded free education provider, though Khan Academy is far broader in subject matter and serves as a model for scaling free public education.

Emerging players

• The Great Courses: A consumer-facing educational content brand producing lecture-based courses on humanities including ancient history. Comparable as a content-and-lecture provider in the same educational subject area, but operates a paid commercial model versus SASA's free/donor-funded model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCc6AMiR1aGEjxmMIBt9C8tQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Save-Ancient-Studies-in-America-SASA-104011557859301
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/save-ancient-studies-alliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/saveancientstudies/?igshid=1bvlp8udvpcnw
• TikToktiktok.com/@saveancientstudies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Save Ancient Studies Alliance