Cobb Institute Funds
The Cobb Institute has a variety of funds (listed below) that support all aspects of our mission – including research, fieldwork, education, and outreach. Donations are tax deductible and can be made via check, money order, or online with a credit or debit card – see the “How to Donate” section at the bottom of the page. For additional giving options, including planned giving, bequests, securities, real estate, personal property, etc., please contact Derek Anderson (Cobb Outreach Coordinator) at dta49@msstate.edu or by phone at 662-325-3826.
- Cobb Advancement Fund (#310806) - General fund to promote the advancement and development of Cobb faculty and staff, and related student projects. This fund can be used to support equipment enhancements, classroom and laboratory upgrades, research projects, specialized analyses, travel for fieldwork and conferences, etc. to ensure growth and development within the Institute.
- Early Americans of the Southeast (EASE) Fund (#312978) – Supports travel, fieldwork, and research on late Pleistocene and early Holocene sites and assemblages throughout the Southeastern United States.
- Israel Research Fund (#401736) – Supports travel, fieldwork, and archaeological research in Israel – specifically, the site of Khirbet Summeily, a small Iron Age site east of Gaza.
- Black Prairie Archaeological Research Fund (#312998) - Supports the study of archaeological remains in the blackland prairie of northeast Mississippi in general, and in the Starkville area in particular.
- Caribbean Research Fund (#312977) - Supports archaeological and ethnographic travel, fieldwork, and research in the Caribbean, with a focus on pre-Columbian archaeology and sustainable fishing practices.
Other Giving Possibilities
Donations of material goods
As one of the largest endowed archaeological institutes in the region, the Cobb is proud to facilitate research and fieldwork for MSU students, faculty, and staff, as well as a wide variety of collaborators and partners worldwide. If you are looking for a new home for a research library, archive of field notes and data, a legacy collection of archaeological materials, or even unused lab and field supplies and/or tools, please contact us about making a donation. We cannot provide an appraisal value for donated objects, but in many cases we can work with the MSU Foundation to process items at their declared value for tax purposes.
Mississippi State University also provides opportunities for many other types of giving that would directly benefit the Cobb Institute, including many different naming opportunities. These include (but are not limited to):
- New buildings (or upgrades to existing structures) – this could include a third floor or a museum/library wing for the Cobb Institute.
- New or updated laboratories, classrooms, conference rooms, etc.
- Endowed faculty positions, including named chairs, professorships, and fellowships.
- Named lectureships and/or lecture series.
- Student scholarships and fellowships.
Please contact us if you are interested in discussing any of these (or other) possibilities.
How to Donate
If you would like to donate to one of the specific funds listed above, there are two easy ways to do so. All donations are tax deductible, and a receipt will be mailed to you by the Mississippi State University Foundation for tax purposes.
Donations by check or money order can be mailed to Derek Anderson, PO Box AR, Mississippi State, MS 39762. Please make the check out to “Cobb Institute of Archaeology”, and write the name and number of the fund that you would like to donate to on the MEMO line.
Donations by credit or debit card, Paypal, or Venmo can be made online via the MSU Foundation’s secure website
Scroll to the “I would like to give to” heading.
- - Below the "Select a priority" dropdown menu, click in the box that says "Search for a fund"
- - Enter a fund number (see list above)
- - An additional dropdown menu will appear that says "We found [x number of] matching funds". Click that box and scroll to the fund that you would like to donate to.
Once your chosen fund has been selected, scroll further down the page to "Select your gift amount". You can choose any of the pre-populated options, or type in a custom amount. To proceed, click the button that says "NEXT: GIFT OPTIONS >"
You will be able to confirm all information before submitting your payment, and an automated response will be emailed to you immediately after you finish.
Thank you for supporting the Cobb Institute!