How You Can Make a Difference
An investment in the Institute of Human Origins helps to fund student scholarships, support research in laboratories and field sites and meet the growing needs of our researchers and students.
The Institute of Human Origins invites you to share in the excitement of discovery, the pursuit of new knowledge and the public discussion of the enduring puzzle of how we "became human."
Make a one-time investment to any area of research or, become a "Friend of IHO" by making reoccurring annual donations. Learn more here.
Areas to invest in
Institute of Human Origins General Fund
You have the opportunity to support world-renowned research at the Institute of Human Origins. Your gifts allow our student scientists to conduct innovative research in paleoanthropology, genetics, primates and cultural evolution. Our scientists are connecting the human past to the global future and working to answer important questions about human existence.
From Africa to the Philippines, our researchers continue to make discoveries that are changing the world. Your investment helps us conduct work in 20 state-of-the-art laboratories and exploration at multiple field sites.
Founder's Research Fund
The Institute of Human Origins has established a new research funding program for its faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, thanks to a generous donation made by IHO Executive Board member David Deniger, and Mara Michelle-Batlin.
Donald C. Johanson Paleoanthropological Research Endowment
Donald Johanson, IHO Founding Director, created this endowment to inspire and contribute to training the next generation of human origins researchers. Learn more about Johanson's legacy here.
Bill Kimbel Impact Fund
Established by Bill Kimbel's friends and colleagues upon his passing in 2022, this fund will support an annual lecture series in Kimbel's name and, in the future as the endowment grows, it will support a student research and scholarships. Read more about Kimbel's Legacy here.
Kay Reed Scholarship Endowment
This new endowment supports undergraduate and graduate student research and contributes to a shift towards the gender equity needed in the research community. Read more about this endowment here.
IHO Gombe Chimpanzee Research Project
The Institute of Human Origins houses the physical materials of the Jane Goodall Institute Gombe Chimpanzee Research Archive — over 60 years of handwritten observations of wild chimpanzees in Gombe National Park.
Elizabeth H. Harmon Research Endowment
This visionary endowment gift was established in Elizabeth Harmon’s memory by her parents, Dr. Frank and Judy Harmon, and supports graduate student research relevant to human evolution in Africa. Learn more about Elizabeth's legacy here.
Connect with us
The study of how and where humans developed on Earth has never been more vibrant than today. We are seeking visionary partners to join our mission to advance the science of human origins and explore the ongoing challenges of our field and laboratory research.
Yohannes Haile-Selassie, Director