Your Contribution to Archaeology

The Alexandria Archive Institute: Our Role in Open Archaeology

• We preserve and share archaeological and related data on the Web, free of charge through technology programs like Open Context.
• Through advocacy, industry collaboration and research, we pioneer ways to make heritage information open to everyone.
• We educate and help cultivate internet literacy that our society so desperately needs.

Archaeology Matters to Us All

Understanding and appreciating archaeology, world history and cultural heritage enriches our lives by challenging our assumptions. It sparks curiosity, creates a love for learning and informs in ways that lead to social progress.

When most people think of archaeology, they imagine the study of uncovered artifacts. This field of science has grown more sophisticated over the last few decades. Archaeologists study patterns in how artifacts, architecture, and other remains relate in space and time to learn about how societies formed and survived, and interacted with other groups and their natural environment. The hope is that these revelations provide even more insights from our ancestors and help shape our future.

Data Sharing Fuels Discovery

Archaeologists, in general, attempt to uncover information that advances, confirms, alters, or refutes important observations or hypothesis. The recording and sharing of data is crucial in this effort because conclusive findings are rarely determined from one site, or one exploration effort.

Instead, just a minor part of the full archaeological record is typically present in any one site. Archaeologists are looking for patterns in their research to complete a much larger puzzle—built from synthesizing evidence from many studies across the landscape.

Another challenge is that excavation is destructive—archaeologists destroy sites when they dig them. So, we have a tremendous responsibility to fully record, preserve, and share our findings. In this way, accurately recording and preserving data, and making it accessible for future research, enables the puzzle to finally come together as a new discovery.

Donor Bill of Rights

The AAI is committed to the highest standards of fundraising and donor stewardship and complies with the Donor Bill of Rights. The Donor Bill of Rights was created by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits. It has been endorsed by numerous organizations. The AAI's Board of Directors has approved and accepted this Donor Bill of Rights as principles of the development efforts on behalf of the AAI.

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the nonprofit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

1. To be informed of the organization’s mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
2. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization’s governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
3. To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.
4. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
5. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
6. To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
7. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
8. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
9. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
10. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

Copyright 2016, Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.