Institute for Aegean Prehistory
The Institute for Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP) is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Established in 1982, it supports research into the civilizations of the Aegean and related areas, from the Paleolithic period to the beginning of writing in Greek, traditionally dated to 776 BC.
Institute for Aegean Prehistory at a glance
In short: Institute for Aegean Prehistory gave $1.5M across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $99K), top state Pennsylvania. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,486,008
- +0.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- -25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $99,067
- +33.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $45,092,421
- +1.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (7% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Institute for Aegean Prehistory
- How to Apply
-
The website identifies Publication Team Grants as the exception to its pause on other grants. The website offers a downloadable Publication Team Application; questions go to info@instap.org.
- Contact
Application contact: Konstantinos Chalikias
Mailing address: 2133 Arch Street Suite 301, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 387-4911
Website: https://aegeanprehistory.net
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Institute for Aegean Prehistory funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Instap Study Center for East Crete ($1.2M). Together the top 9 received $1.4M.
Organizations only. It also paid 5 grants to individuals ($103,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
176 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 158 grants of 176 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
INSTAP’s stated activities include sites in Greece and the Mediterranean. Its website describes research into the Aegean and related areas. The 2025 filing’s listed grants include recipients in Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, and Rhode Island, as well as grants with no recipient location specified.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Institute for Aegean Prehistory gives
- Giving fell 33% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.5M (2024) to $3.0M (2020). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $1.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Instap Study Center for East Crete | General Operations, Various Projects | $1,202,764 |
| The University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | Teaching | $101,608 |
| 5 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $103,000 |
| University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | Scientific: Aegean Scripts | $22,500 |
| J Driessen Cincinnati, OH | Excavation: Sissi | $20,000 |
| T Carter | Excavation: Stelida | $13,600 |
| M Eaby | Excavation: Chryssi Island & Vainia Stavromenos | $8,000 |
| T Strasser Providence, RI | Excavation: Megalos Peristeres | $5,000 |
| U GNKEL-Maschek | Publication preparation: "gesture, stance, and movement. Communicating bodies in the aegean bronze age" | $4,697 |
| F Sciavo | Publication preparation: "minoans, mycenaeans and cypriots in sardinia and the mediterranean" | $3,780 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $45,092,421 | $3,488,872 | $4,191,121 | $1,486,008 | 15 | $2,184,190 | $2,633,444 |
| 2024 | $44,262,464 | $1,434,972 | $4,195,649 | $1,482,403 | 20 | $2,182,478 | $863,940 |
| 2023 | $44,103,710 | $6,450,292 | $4,782,835 | $1,857,975 | 33 | $2,784,002 | $3,732,641 |
| 2022 | $42,432,801 | $6,586,978 | $5,023,682 | $2,226,361 | 58 | $3,141,617 | $6,000,328 |
| 2021 | $52,392,450 | $97,562 | $4,744,683 | $1,960,986 | 50 | — | $179,928 |
| 2020 | $43,403,444 | $4,040,162 | $5,896,315 | $3,017,880 | 120 | — | $3,488,013 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
INSTAP supports research on Aegean prehistory. Its website describes funding excavation, field surveys, scientific analysis, conservation, artifact and assemblage study, publication, and the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete. It also describes support for technological approaches including petrography, paleobotany, GPR and GPS, C-14 analysis, DNA analysis, and dendrochronology.
In statements on its 2024 filing, INSTAP says it supports excavation projects, field surveys, and scientific analysis of sites in Greece and the Mediterranean; aids conservation and archaeological research; subsidizes conferences and symposia concerning interactions among Aegean, ancient Near Eastern, and Egyptian civilizations; and supports publication through INSTAP Academic Press. Its website says it has awarded more than 4,000 grants to individual scholars and organizations in more than 15 countries.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, INSTAP reported 15 grants totaling $1,486,008. Grant amounts ranged from $1,059 to $1,202,764, with a median of $12,000. The largest awards included $1,202,764 to the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete for general operations and various projects; $101,608 to the University of Pennsylvania for teaching; and $60,000 to an individual recipient for Minoan Kydonia excavations. Other listed awards supported Aegean scripts research at the University of Texas at Austin ($22,500), a librarian fellowship ($21,000 to an individual recipient), and excavation projects.
The website’s current statement is that, for the foreseeable future, INSTAP will offer only Publication Team Grants. A 2022 program document describes these as technical archaeological services for projects finished with excavation and preparing material for publication. It says eligible teams may receive services from specialists based at the Study Center for East Crete, including an artist, conservator, photographer, petrographer, or GPR team. The 2022 document says applicants should apply at least two months before the work begins and provide a detailed budget and project description; it gives no specific deadline. These are historical program instructions, not confirmation of current application procedures.
The 2024 filing states that applications must include a resume, project description, budget, references or recommendations, and relevance to Aegean prehistory. It lists no deadline and no award restrictions. The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jeffrey Soles as president and trustee; Malcolm H. Wiener as trustee; Susan Ferrence as vice president and trustee; Philip Betancourt as trustee; Gregg Buckbinder as secretary, treasurer, and trustee; Thomas Brogan as executor director and trustee; and Harvey Beker, Henry Davis, Catherine Ford, and Robert Koehl as trustees.
Institute for Aegean Prehistory is led by Jeffrey Soles, President & Trustee since 2023 (on filings since 2020); 3 of 10 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeffrey Soles
President & Trustee
Director → President & Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Malcolm H. Wiener
Trustee
Vice President & Director → Trustee & President, 2023
Trustee & President → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$24K (2020) → $24K (2025)
Philip Betancourt
Trustee
President & Director → Trustee & Vice President, 2023
Trustee & Vice President → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$120K (2020) → $0 (2025)
Susan Ferrence
Vice President & Trustee
Director → Vice President, Trustee & Director of Publications, 2023
Vice President, Trustee & Director of Publications → Vice President & Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$139K (2023) → $138K (2025)
Thomas Brogan
Executor Director & Trustee
Executive Director & Trustee → Executor Director & Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
$10K (2024) → $23K (2025)
Gregg Buckbinder
Secretary, Treasurer & Trustee
Secretary, Treasurer & Director → Secretary, Treasurer & Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Harvey Beker
Trustee
Director → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Henry Davis
Trustee
Director → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Ford
Trustee
Director → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Koehl
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Floyd McCoy (2020–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Carolyn S. Wiener (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Tom Brogan (2021–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $138K, to Susan Ferrence (VP/Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Institute for Aegean Prehistory
How much does Institute for Aegean Prehistory give each year?
Institute for Aegean Prehistory gave $1.5M across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.5M across 20 grants.
What is Institute for Aegean Prehistory's typical grant size?
Institute for Aegean Prehistory's median grant in 2025 was $12,000, and its average grant was $99,067, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Institute for Aegean Prehistory give grants?
Institute for Aegean Prehistory's top state is Pennsylvania, with 7% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Does Institute for Aegean Prehistory give general operating support?
Occasionally: 7% of Institute for Aegean Prehistory's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Institute for Aegean Prehistory's largest grantees?
Institute for Aegean Prehistory's largest 2025 grantees include Instap Study Center for East Crete ($1,202,764), The University of Pennsylvania ($101,608) and University of Texas at Austin ($22,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 5 grants to individuals ($103,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 89% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Institute for Aegean Prehistory?
Institute for Aegean Prehistory reported $45.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $3.5M.
What does Institute for Aegean Prehistory fund?
INSTAP supports research on Aegean prehistory. Its website describes funding excavation, field surveys, scientific analysis, conservation, artifact and assemblage study, publication, and the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Institute for Aegean Prehistory?
The website identifies Publication Team Grants as the exception to its pause on other grants. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Institute for Aegean Prehistory's EIN?
Institute for Aegean Prehistory's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3137391. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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