Sharon Smith Theobald
Museums in the United States, and the public they serve, benefit immensely from the generosity of donors. The tax incentives available to those who give art, historic objects and many other types of collectible material to qualified not-for-profit institutions encourage this philanthropy. The synergetic relationship between donor and museum has built many invaluable museum collections over the decades, from Paul Mellon's famous "gift to the nation" that established the National Gallery of Art in the 1930s to George Gustave Heye's collection of Native American material, Dominique and John de Menil's Modernist art, the Walt Disney-Tishman Collection of African art, and countless others. It is not an exaggeration to state that without the vital partnership between donors and museums, many museums in this country could not sustain their operations.Here is a new guide, intended for museums and donors alike, on the donation process, current standards and best practices, ethical and legal issues, and IRS updates and valuation considerations, including "The Charitable Giving Changes" under The Pension Protection Act of 2006.
To Give and To Receive: A Handbook on Gifts and Donations for Museums and Donors