additional ways to give

Some forms of giving offer added flexibility, long-term impact, or opportunities to align your support with specific interests. The options below highlight meaningful ways to deepen your connection to the Detroit Historical Society while supporting our mission in ways that fit your goals.

• Gift of Appreciated Securities
• Real Estate
• Donor Advised Funds
• Memorial & Tribute Gifts
• Endowed Gifts
• Charitable Lead Trusts

Gift of Appreciated Securities

A Tax-Wise Way to Grow Your Impact
Donating stocks, bonds or mutual funds that have increased in value—and that you’ve held for more than one year—is a smart and meaningful way to support the Detroit Historical Society. These gifts allow you to advance our mission while receiving valuable financial benefits.

When you contribute appreciated securities to the Society, you can reduce or even avoid federal capital gains taxes that would otherwise be owed if you sold the assets. You may also qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction based on the full fair market value of the securities at the time of the gift.

Securities are commonly used to support our work in the following ways

Real Estate

Transforming Realty Into Impact
Want to make a gift to the Detroit Historical Society without touching your bank account? Consider giving real estate—such as a personal residence, vacation home, farm, commercial property or undeveloped land. This generous type of gift helps sustain our mission for years to come. And it can benefit you as well. When you donate appreciated property you’ve held for more than one year, you may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction and potentially reduce or eliminate capital gains tax. You also relieve yourself of maintenance costs, property taxes and insurance.

Another advantage: you don’t need to deal with selling the property yourself. You can deed the property directly to the Detroit Historical Society, or your attorney can include a few sentences in your will or trust to complete the gift.

Ways to give real estate

Donor-Advised Funds

Simplify Your Giving
A donor-advised fund (DAF)—often described as a charitable savings account—gives you the flexibility to recommend how much and how often grants are made to the Detroit Historical Society (DHS) and other qualified nonprofits. You can recommend one-time or recurring grants to support DHS today, or you can use your DAF to plan future charitable gifts that align with your long-term goals.

You can also create a meaningful legacy by naming DHS as the beneficiary of all or a percentage of your DAF. Naming a percentage allows you to support both DHS and your loved ones, who can be appointed as successor advisors and continue recommending grants to charitable organizations beyond your lifetime. Contact your DAF sponsor or fund administrator for a beneficiary designation form.

Memorial & Tribute Gifts

Honoring a loved one by making a gift to the Detroit Historical Society (DHS) is a powerful way to celebrate their memory—or celebrate a special person in your life—and support our mission for future generations. A memorial or tribute gift to DHS allows you to turn gratitude, admiration, or remembrance into a living legacy.

You can make a tribute gift in someone’s name using different types of assets—such as cash, stocks, or real estate. These gifts can be directed to the DHS fund or program that means the most to you, whether unrestricted or dedicated to a special project or endowment.

Example
After her grandmother, Leona, passed away, Marcus wanted to honor her lifelong passion for Detroit’s history. He made a gift to DHS in Leona’s name using appreciated stock. Not only did he create a lasting memorial for his grandmother, but he also received a tax deduction for his donation—and Leona’s spirit now lives on in the society she cherished.

Endowed Gifts

Make a gift that lasts forever. An endowed gift to the Detroit Historical Society (DHS) is invested permanently, and the earnings are used to support DHS’s mission year after year. Unlike a one-time donation, an endowment creates a sustainable source of funding for exhibitions, education, collections, or programs that matter to you, in perpetuity.

Example
After decades of supporting Detroit’s preservation efforts, Alberta Elder decided she wanted to make a lasting contribution. She established the “Alberta Elder Endowed Fund” at DHS to support youth programming at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Her gift will be invested, and now, every year, a portion of the fund’s earnings goes directly to youth camps—ensuring her passion for history continues to change lives in her name.

Charitable Lead Trusts

A Charitable Lead Trust (CLT) is a powerful tool that allows you to provide support to the Detroit Historical Society (DHS) for a fixed term—while also planning for your family and minimizing estate taxes. With a CLT, the trust pays income to DHS for a set number of years, after which the remaining assets go to your heirs (or other beneficiaries).

Example
James and Rita love preserving Detroit’s rich history. They created a Charitable Lead Trust that pays support to DHS for 15 years. In that time, the trust makes annual distributions to DHS to fund public exhibits and children’s programs. At the end of the 15-year term, the trust’s remaining assets transfer to their three children. They achieve their philanthropic vision, reduce their estate tax, and pass on wealth to their family—all in one thoughtful plan.