The Denver Art Museum’s mission is to enrich the lives of present and future generations through art. If you are passionate about bringing inspiration and creativity to our community, we encourage you to help sustain the museum for years to come through a planned gift. By doing so, you are recognized as a member of the Helen Dill Society with our gratitude today for your future impact!
We invite you to talk with us about how you’d like to make your mark at the DAM! Please contact Mary Beth Polce, Associate Director of Development, at mbpolce@denverartmuseum.org or 720-913-0035.
Helen Dill Society
In 1932, the bequest of a schoolteacher named Helen Dill enabled the museum to establish a transformational fund which led the acquisition of art that was transformational for the museum, allowing for the purchase of works like The Water Lily Pond by Monet and Summer by Arcimboldo. The Helen Dill Society honors those who continue her commitment with a bequest or other estate plan benefiting the Denver Art Museum. Members enjoy an annual recognition event, estate planning information, and recognition in our annual report. Become a member of the Helen Dill Society by supporting the museum in your estate plans.
Ways to Plan Your Gift
Bequests
The simplest way to make a planned gift is through a bequest in your will. Undesignated bequests allow the museum to use the funds where they are most needed. Please talk with us if you are interested in directing a bequest to support a specific fund or to endow a specific program or art collection.
Review our guide for sample museum bequest language.
Retirement Plan Assets and IRAs
Bequeathing retirement assets to the museum allows you to fulfill your charitable objectives while preserving more of your estate's value for family members. Designating the museum as the beneficiary of your retirement account or IRA may help your estate bypass multi-tier tax exposures, preserve the value of your estate, and protect your heirs from potential tax burdens.
Life Insurance
Giving a life insurance policy is a great way to transform a modest gift into a dramatic one. You can transfer ownership of a fully paid policy to the museum, reassign ownership and beneficiary status for a policy on which premiums are still being paid, or establish a new policy and designate the museum as applicant, owner, and beneficiary.
Charitable Gift Annuities
Charitable gift annuities provide beneficiaries with a fixed income for life in exchange for a gift of cash or marketable securities to the museum. The rates of return are generally higher than those from savings or money market accounts, and you can choose whether to receive income immediately or wait until retirement.
Charitable Remainder Trusts
Contribute to the future of the museum, secure lifetime annual payments for yourself and/or other beneficiaries, and generate substantial tax benefits with a charitable remainder trust. A trust of this kind provides beneficiaries with income for life or a specified length of time and then distributes the remaining assets to the museum. An income tax deduction is available immediately.
Charitable Lead Trusts
With a charitable lead trust, you make a significant multi-year gift to the museum and maximize the value of assets for your heirs. This type of trust pays an annual amount to the museum, with the assets ultimately passing on to another beneficiary. You can decide whether to receive an income tax deduction or pass savings on to your estate.
Gifts of Art
The Denver Art Museum welcomes inquiries about possible art gifts, either today or planned for the future. Because gifts of art require careful consideration, please contact us to ensure that the museum can accept your gift. Email us at giftofart@denverartmuseum.org to get started.
It is helpful if you could provide the following information in your inquiry:
- An image (or images) of the work(s)
- Object information (artist, title, dimensions, and media)
- Provenance history (history of ownership)
From there, we will be happy to directly connect you with the appropriate curatorial department for discussion. Please consult your tax advisor for tax questions regarding charitable donations/gifts.
