Our main goals are to expand Preservation Archaeology initiatives that lead to measurable increases in the protection of cultural resources in the American Southwest, and to inspire a broader audience of people engaged with the mission of Archaeology Southwest, which is to explore and protect the places of our past.

- Use big picture research projects to answer questions about the archaeology of the human experience in the American Southwest - Protect archaeological sites through outright landownership or the holding of conservation easements - Continue to use our Priority Planning initiatives to guide site acquisitions - Train other professionals in the preservation planning approach and priority planning - Education the next generation of professional archaeologists in a preservation ethic through our Preservation Archaeology Field School - Continue production of our award-winning quarterly publication, Archaeology Southwest Magazine - Expand the reach of the Hands-On experiential archaeology outreach program - Use digital modeling and virtual reality programs to bring the past to life for a broad audience - Provide a content-rich website full of useful information on southwestern archaeology and preservation efforts - Continue and expand public programming across the American Southwest

Our capabilities for meeting our goals are strong. We have a staff of 16 full-time employees, six of whom hold Ph. D. degrees in archaeology. Our staff has expertise in a wide variety of areas, including archaeological research, land conservation, digital media, communications, editing, marketing, graphic design, and fund development. We are led by a committed and growing volunteer Board of Directors. We have been highly successful in our fundraising efforts. As one example, Archaeology Southwest successfully competes with large university research institutions for funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF). By the end of 2016, we had received our 14th grant from NSF, which places us in the top one-third of all so-awarded institutions in the United States. We also have active partnerships with other organizations, including the Conservation Lands Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the University of Arizona, and Arizona State University. These types of partnerships allow us to work more effectively and accomplish more than any one organization could do on its own.

Archaeology Southwest is currently working under a three-year strategic plan that was completed in 2018. That plan contains specific action steps, time lines, and measures of success. The plan guides our annual operating plans and is used to measure whether we are making progress on our goals. Ultimately, an increase in the amount of archaeological resources under some form of protection is the measure of our success.

We have 783 acres of land containing archaeological resources protected through ownership or easements. We've trained 112 students in Preservation Archaeology through our annual field school. We are currently in the 33th year of our publicly-oriented Archaeology Southwest Magazine. We have supported seven PH. D. students through the Preservation Fellowship program. Our scholarship research has been published in a number of peer-reviewed publications, including American Antiquity and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. We are key members of coalitions working to protect the cultural resources in the Greater Chaco landscape of New Mexico, and within the newly established Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. We are striving to increase the protection of archaeological resources along the Great Bend of the Gila River in Arizona through the creation of a National Monument. Our website makes archaeological information accessible and useful to a worldwide audience. Looking forward we want to continue to improve our public education and outreach abilities, reach more people with our magazine, and in general, reach more people with our message of preservation.