Open Forum

 View Only

  • 1.  Future Bequest Policy/Procedure

    Posted 10-16-2018 12:46 PM
    Hello,

    My museum was recently contacted by a donor advising us that he wanted to bequest us artifacts in his will but wanted to know in advance if they were items we would actually want to collect. This situation has not come up for me before and our current collections policy doesn't have a stipulation for it. I've seen other museums encourage donors to advise them in advance of a potential bequest but am wondering how they handle those situations once they arise. I'm assuming some record is kept of the initial assessment of the collections committee? Is there any sort of statement generated clarifying that such an assessment is only a prediction of what may be collected when the bequest actually comes to pass? Is it appropriate to ask to see the will verbiage? I see the New England Regional Art Museum offers donors guidance on verbiage:
    http://www.neram.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/NERAMbequestWebA4.pdf

    Any insight would be very much appreciated.

    Thank you!

    ------------------------------
    Michelle Nash
    Elkhart County Historical Museum
    Bristol IN
    ------------------------------
    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 2.  RE: Future Bequest Policy/Procedure

    Posted 10-17-2018 08:43 AM
    Dear Michelle - we do this regularly.  I would advise some sort of inventory be done either by the donor or the museum, with photographs.  Next, the collections committee should consider and approve.  Finally, a letter should go to the donor confirming acceptance of the bequest (by the way, the verb is bequeath, not bequest) and the donor should be thanked profusely, told that the museum assumes this will be far in the future... etc. etc. and advises the donor to retain the letter with their other important papers, especially their will.  It may be necessary to have the objects appraised now.  If there will be estate taxes, the other heirs will be grateful for the appraisal.

    Vivian F. Zoë, Director
    Slater Memorial Museum
    108 Crescent Street, Norwich CT 06360
    860-425-5560 vox
    860-885-0379 fax

    "Inspiration is for amateurs - the rest of us just show up and get to work," Chuck Close, 2003


    Please note:  The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments hereto is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the designated recipients.  If the reader/recipient of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this e-mail and all attachments hereto in error and that any review, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail or any of its attachments is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and destroy the original message received.  Thank You.



    Original Message
    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


Related Content