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ASOR HAS LARGEST NUMBER OF DONORS EVER—457 IN FISCAL YEAR 2018

Our members (i.e., you) are truly amazing. Not only did ASOR have its highest number of members ever during Fiscal Year 2018 (July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018), and not only did we have record attendance at this year’s Annual Meeting, we had more individual donors in FY2018 than in any previous year: 457 discrete contributors!

Indeed, thanks to the generosity of these 457 members, ASOR far exceeded the goal we had set for ourselves in July 2017 of 425 discrete donors. When we set that goal, we aimed to surpass our previous record of 417 donors in a year. We admittedly hoped to reach 450, but we were not sure that we could do it. But you, our members, came through!

In the end, we were helped in our efforts by two challenge gifts. An anonymous trustee pledged $5,000 towards the Annual Fund if we received gifts from 50 donors who had made contributions in past years but had not given in FY2018. We reached that goal in about 10 days.

Next, more anonymous trustees pledged a little more $11,000 for the Annual Fund from if we could reach the mark of 425 discrete donors. We had just three weeks to reach our goal, but the response — 457 total donors — was overwhelming. The gifts made in the final two months ranged from $10 to $10,000. As is so often the case with ASOR, it was a true team effort for the good of our organization and our shared mission.

Why does high donor participation matter?

This large number of donors (almost 25% of our membership) is something that distinguishes ASOR from almost all other learned societies. And it matters, as the high level of donor participation from our membership engages the attention of foundations and major donors outside ASOR and helps us attract gifts and support from them.

Your donations also enable ASOR to carry out our mission. Subscriptions and memberships only account for about a quarter of our annual budget, so we rely on grants and donations from our members and friends. Even modest gifts add up to create significant support for ASOR, Truly, every donor is important, and every gift is meaningful.

Fiscal Year 2018 Honor Roll of Donors

If you are one of the 457 people who made a gift to ASOR in Fiscal Year 2018, thank you so much for your support. Indeed, because of the loss of our rent-free office space at Boston University and the cost of relocating to our new home in Alexandria, VA, your support has never been more crucial.

Please take this opportunity to check out everyone who contributed in FY2018 by clicking on our Honor Roll of Donors. We hope that you will also review the list of FY18 Honorific and Memorial Gifts. If we made an error in listing your name on the FY2018 Honor Roll of Donors or with the listing of Honorific and Memorial Gifts, we ask that you kindly e-mail us so that we can correct the mistake.

If you would like to get a head start on joining the list of donors to ASOR for Fiscal Year 2019 (ends June 30, 2019), please click on the “Donate Now” button below!