Thank you for your interest in supporting the Emily Dickinson Museum. There are several ways you can ensure that the legacy of Emily Dickinson and her family continues.
Purchase Our NEW 2008 Poster
Contribute to the Annual Fund
Join a Donor Society
Help to Recreate the Dickinson Family Libraries
Support Restoration Projects
Rollover an IRA
Make a Planned Gift
Purchase Our 2008 Limited Edition Poster
The Emily Dickinson Museum is pleased to release its 2008 season poster, created by nationally acclaimed illustrator,
Penelope Dullaghan. Posters are $12 and can be purchased at our Tour Center or via mail. If ordering by mail, please send a check for $15 (includes $3 for shipping and handling) to:
Emily Dickinson Museum
Tour Center
280 Main Street
Amherst, MA 01002
Our 2007 season poster is still available for sale.
Contribute to the Annual Fund
While the Emily Dickinson Museum is owned by Amherst College, the Museum has its own board of governors and is responsible for raising its annual operating budget as well as capital funds.
An unrestricted gift to the Museum is often the best gift you can make because it allows the Museum’s staff and board members to allot money based on the institution’s current needs. Contributions sustain the Museum’s growing array of tours, lectures, discussions and special events in addition to supporting conservation projects associated with the houses and collections.
In past years, successful annual fund drives resulted in redesigned guided tours of both homes, the introduction of a new poetry discussion series and the opening of the Evergreens second floor nursery to the public.
This year, the Museum’s Annual Fund support will fund three exciting projects: the creation of an architecture tour, a production of a new audio tour of the grounds, and design of “My Verse is alive,” a special exhibit that focuses on the early years of Dickinson’s posthumous publishing history, part of Museums10’s Bookmarks fall initiative.
Join a Donor Society
The Emily Dickinson Museum recognizes donors whose gifts to the Annual Fund illustrate their unwavering support.
The Humming Bird Society ($500)
Emily Dickinson sent “ A Route of
Evanescence,” a description of
a Humming Bird, to six different friends.
With such wide distribution, the poem
seemed to be one of her personal
favorites.
The Humming Bird Society recognizes
individuals and couples who contribute
$500 or more each year to support the
Museum’s operating budget. Members
are invited to an annual program with a
behind-the-scenes peek at the Museum’s
current projects.
The Indian Pipe Society ($1,000)
Emily Dickinson called the Indian Pipe “the preferred flower of life.” The painting of Indian Pipes given to her by Mabel Loomis Todd adorns the first edition of her Poems First Series.
The Indian Pipe Society is a new giving
distinction that recognizes individuals
and couples who contribute $1,000 or
more each fiscal year to the Museum’s
operating budget.
Indian Pipe Society members gather
yearly in Amherst to enjoy a special
program in appreciation for their
support.
The Cupola Society ($2,500)
The Cupola Society of the Emily Dickinson Museum recognizes individuals
and couples who contribute $2,500 or
more each fiscal year to support the
Museum’s operating budget. The cupola
at the Dickinson Homestead afforded
Emily Dickinson and her family
views of The Evergreens, Amherst
College, the town, and the Pelham Hills
to the east.
Cupola Society members meet
annually in Amherst to learn about
museum activities and to lend counsel
and support to the enterprise. Members
are knowledgeable and enthusiastic
advocates of the Museum.
Support Restoration Projects
In June 2006, the Emily Dickinson Museum announced the completion of the Museum’s first capital campaign. Having successfully raised $705,000, staff and board members set to work planning and completing a series of restoration projects. These projects laid the groundwork for even larger preservation work that lies ahead. Some of the Museum’s initial accomplishments include:
- Returning the Homestead’s exterior to the ochre and off-white color scheme it wore during Dickinson’s lifetime
- Commissioning a Master Plan that charts the preservation and restoration of the Museum’s structures and landscape
- Improving the electrical and fire prevention systems inside both historic houses to protect the structures as well as the treasures within
- Improving water drainage and other infrastructure issues in both homes
The Museum may have met its initial goal of $705,000 but more projects are already in the works. To find out about specific projects and how your gift to the Campaign for the Emily Dickinson Museum might move those projects forward, call 413/542-2154.
Rollover an IRA
In 2006 and 2007 only, donors over 70 ½ years old will be able to give up to $100,000 directly from their traditional or Roth IRAs to one or more charities without the distributions being considered taxable income or subject to withholding or penalties.
Donors who are interested in learning more about this one-time opportunity should ask their accountants about the Pension Protection Act of 2006. Information is also available at the Internal Revenue Service’s website.
Make a Planned Gift
Planned giving is one of the most important ways you can guarantee the long-term success of an institution that has been meaningful to you in your lifetime.
There are a number of ways you can support the Emily Dickinson Museum through careful planning. Each person’s situation is unique and the best plans take into account donors’ special circumstances and desires.
Whether you’re interested in naming the Emily Dickinson Museum in your will, creating a gift annuity that pays you interest throughout your lifetime or reducing your tax burden through the creation of a trust, there’s a planned giving option for every donor.
To find out more about planned giving, call the Museum’s development office at 413/542-2154. As always, all inquiries are completely confidential.
Have a quick question that doesn’t require a phone call? E-mail your questions about giving to
info@emilydickinsonmuseum.org.
