Philanthropy and the AIA

Philanthropy is not a new concept. In the second century A.D., a private citizen—Herodes Atticus—donated money for the construction of dozens of buildings all over Greece, including large stadiums in Athens and Delphi, a theater at Corinth, and several public baths, aqueducts, and theaters. In the first century A.D., local inhabitant Annobal Rufus paid for the construction of a spectacular 8,000-seat theater and large marketplace to benefit the citizens of the Leptis Magna, a thriving Roman city on the North African coast. And Eumachia, a woman born to a humble family in ancient Pompeii, eventually became a prominent citizen and patroness of one of the city’s most important trade guilds. To honor her family and the city that had made so much possible for her, Eumachia built an impressive headquarters for this guild in the forum, the city’s most prestigious location.

These extraordinary gifts, which enriched the lives of the men and women of the ancient world, still stand more than 2,000 years later. In fact, on a warm summer day in Athens, you can still attend a concert in the same odeion that Herodes Atticus built.

Archaeologists uncover the history of mankind every day. Your support will ensure that they can continue their work and that artifacts and buildings from across the world are discovered, excavated, and preserved for the next 2,000 years.

There are many ways you can support the AIA. Through our various grants, fellowships, and endowments, we offer a myriad of different avenues for our donors to affect change on our programs by helping them to grow and flourish.

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