Make a Bequest or Planned Gift
A planned gift can be an excellent way to secure your own finanical future while also providing financial support for MHS. We can guide you through your planned giving options.
Bequests
Twin Pine Camps at Daicy Pond c. 1931, from the collections of Maine Historical Society on www.mainememory.net
The work of collecting and preserving Maine's cultural history is important not just for ourselves, but for those who come after us.
By including a gift for Maine Historical Society in your estate plans, you make a promise to future generations that the artifacts and stories of Maine’s heritage will always be there. Your support will live on, leaving a legacy that will enrich the lives of generations to come.
You can make a bequest to Maine Historical Society through your will or trust in any of the following ways:
- A percentage of your total estate: In using this approach, your gift adjusts with changes in the size of your estate.
- The residue or a percentage of the residue of your estate: After your specific gifts to loved ones have been made, you may designate that the entire residue or a percentage of the remainder shall go to one or more charitable organizations. With this approach as well, your gift adjusts with changes in the size of your estate.
- A gift of a specific amount: You specify a dollar amount to be given to one or more organizations. With this kind of gift, it is especially important to keep your will or trust up–to–date.
Sample bequest language for your attorney:
I hereby give [________% of my estate] or [________% of the residue of my estate] or [$_______] to Maine Historical Society Inc., a Maine nonprofit corporation, for its general uses and purposes. Maine Historical Society is located at 489 Congress Street, Portland, Maine 04101.
Planned Giving with Charitable Gift Annuities
A gift annuity is a simple, contractual agreement between a donor and Maine Historical Society in which you transfer assets to us in exchange for our promise to pay one or two annuitants income payments for life. By donating through a gift annuity, you are allowed a tax deduction for a portion of the amount transferred to the gift annuity and for a period of years only part of the payments will be taxed as income. The size of payments is fixed and based on the age(s) of the income recipient(s) at the time of the gift. Annuity rates are based on life expectancies, and as a result, higher for older annuitants and lower for younger annuitants. The minimum amount required to establish a charitable gift annuity at Maine Historical Society is $10,000.
For example, an 80 year–old donor who establishes a $25,000 charitable gift annuity at Maine Historical Society would receive a fixed annual income of $2,000 (an 8% return) for life. For a number of years, a portion of the income would be considered tax–free. The donor would also receive an immediate charitable income tax deduction of $12,982 at the time of the gift. For a confidential illustration based on your age, please contact the Development Office.
There are a variety of tax advantaged vehicles to incorporate Maine Historical Society into your estate planning, such as charitable remainder trusts, gifts of real estate, life insurance, and retirement plans. The Development Office staff is available to assist you and your financial advisors in making the kind of gift most appropriate for your needs and circumstances. You can reach us by phone at (207) 774-1822, or email info@mainehistory.org.
This information is based on our present understanding of Federal tax regulation. You are encouraged to consult your own tax advisor in connection with the tax consequences of any gift.
Anne Longfellow Pierce Society
Portrait of Anne Longfellow Pierce c. 1830, from the collections of Maine Historical Society on www.mainememory.net
The Anne Longfellow Pierce Society was created to recognize the foresight and generosity of individuals who have made a planned gift or included Maine Historical Society in their estate plans. This special recognition society has been named after Anne Longfellow Pierce, who in 1895 decided to bequeath the home occupied by three generations of family to the Maine Historical Society as a legacy to the memory of her brother Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
When Anne died, the house passed to the Maine Historical Society along with many household items and artifacts original to the Wadsworth and Longfellow families. Because of Anne's vision, the Wadsworth–Longfellow House opened in 1901 as the first historic house museum in Maine—one of the very first in the nation—and has welcomed visitors to this National Historic Landmark ever since. As part of her bequest, Anne stipulated that a permanent home be built adjacent to the house for the Maine Historical Society and its growing collections, previously based at Bowdoin College. Today, this building hosts the MHS Library—now the most comprehensive resource in the state for the study of Maine and New England history.
"Over the years, MHS has received bequests from many members and friends—these gifts have included important historical artifacts, as well as crucial funds that support the work of preserving Maine's history," explains Richard D'Abate, Executive Director of MHS. "While we are truly grateful for these gifts, our only regret has been not having an opportunity to thank these individuals for their generosity and foresight. Many have been a complete surprise to us. We hope the creation of the Anne Longfellow Pierce Society will encourage individuals to let us know of their plans in advance so we may express our gratitude."
If you have made a provision for Maine Historical Society in your estate plans, thank you. To be recognized in the Anne Longfellow Pierce Society, please call or write the Development Office. Each year, members of the Anne Longfellow Pierce Society will be listed in Maine Historical Society's Annual Report to Donors published in November. Members also have the option of being listed anonymously. Individuals who have made a planned gift to Maine Historical Society are also eligible for membership in the Anne Longfellow Pierce Society.