Provides to universities and colleges, by paid dues, access to our archaeology and ethnography database by students and faculty for research and study purposes.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
72¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2021 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $9K a year · under 1% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
72%
of spending
Fine: 72% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 5.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Liabilities
$820K
54% of total assets
Fine: liabilities are 54% of assets; 50% to 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
22
of 22 voting members
Looks good: 22 of 22 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.4M
+4% vs prior year
Spent
$1.2M
To programs
72%
Net assets
$815K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.4M
FY2021▲ +4%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.4M
FY2021$1.4M
FY2022$1.5M
FY2023$1.6M
FY2024$1.6M
FY2025$1.4M
Expenses
$1.2M
FY2021▼ -11%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.3M
FY2021$1.2M
FY2022$1.3M
FY2023$1.8M
FY2024$1.8M
FY2025$1.5M
Net assets
$815K
FY2021▲ +42%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$576K
FY2021$815K
FY2022$1.0M
FY2023$955K
FY2024$712K
FY2025$653K

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending June 2021) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Oct 1950.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

72 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 72% · $854K Management & general 28% · $333K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

23 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Carol Ember’s $8K as President is at the 0th percentile of top reported officer pay among 145 $1–10M social science nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2020
Carol Ember$7,819$83,457$51,348$20,941$35,001

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Human Relations Area Files Incorporated executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Grants universities and colleges access to archaeology and ethnography research databases for students and faculty.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $854K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Ehraf Archaeology

A full text database of the archaeological traditions of the world subject indexed by paragraph.

$553Kprogram expense
02

Membership support

$226Kprogram expense
03

Ehraf World Cultures

A full text database of the cultures of the world subject indexed by paragraph.

$75Kprogram expense

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.4M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.1M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$181K
Other incomeLn 4–11$135K
Money outPt IX
$1.2M
Ln 25
Programscol B$854K
Managementcol C$333K
Owns and owesPt X
$815K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$519K
Total assetsLn 16$1.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$820K
PeoplePt VI, VII
23
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a22
IndependentVI 1b22
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$181K
Government grantsLn 1e$141K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.1M
Investment incomeLn 3$81
Other incomeLn 4–11$135K
Total revenueLn 12$1.4M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$205K
SavingsLn 2$314K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$519K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$162K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$78K
Other assetsLn 15$578K
Total assetsLn 16$1.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$820K
Net assetsLn 32$815K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$326K$519K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$162K$162K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$89K$78K
Total assetsLn 16$1.3M$1.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$713K$820K
Net assetsLn 32$576K$693K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$576K$415K$162K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$130K$115K$15K
Accounting feesLn 11c$36K$36K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$124K$124K
Office expensesLn 13$49K$49K
Information technologyLn 14$14K$14K
TravelLn 17$16K$16K
InterestLn 20$5K$5K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$177K$163K$14K
InsuranceLn 23$12K$12K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$47K$7K$40K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.2M$854K$333K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.4M$1.5M−$61K$653K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.6M$1.8M−$208K$712K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.6M$1.8M−$166K$955K 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.5M$1.3M$209K$1.0M 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $1.4M$1.2M$242K$815K 990 PDF
FY2020 $1.4M$1.3M$38K$576K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,305,876 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $323,918$181,267
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,016,292$1,111,664
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$81
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $27,967$12,864
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,368,177$1,305,876
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $750,462$705,890
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $579,788$480,749
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,330,250$1,186,639
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $37,927$119,237
Part VI · Governance 22 of 22 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body22
VI-1b Independent voting members22
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,305,876 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$141,267
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$40,000
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$181,267
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $1,111,664$1,111,664
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $81$81
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $12,864$12,864
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $1,124,528 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $81$1,305,876
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,186,639 across 11 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $414,619 · Management $161,654$576,273
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $114,620 · Management $14,997$129,617
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $36,021$36,021
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $124,132$124,132
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $48,963$48,963
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $14,340$14,340
IX-17 TravelPrograms $15,901$15,901
IX-20 InterestManagement $4,635$4,635
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $163,329 · Management $14,056$177,385
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $12,410$12,410
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $7,070 · Management $39,892$46,962
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $854,011 · Management $332,628 · Fundraising $0$1,186,639
Part X · Balance sheet $1,512,336 assets, 15 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearing$205,111
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $325,531$314,384
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $22,392$108,602
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $61,865$66,820
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $89,391$77,721
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $161,542$161,620
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $628,306$578,078
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,289,027$1,512,336
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $26,296$70,272
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $536,763$476,834
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $150,000$272,620
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $713,059$819,726
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $575,968$692,610
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $575,968$692,610
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,289,027$1,512,336
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $692,610 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,305,876
XI-2 Total expenses$1,186,639
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$119,237
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$575,968
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$2,595
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$692,610

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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