Planned Giving, Special Gifts, and Legacy Societies
Myrtle Wreath Society members enjoy a private tour of the exhibition American Made: 250 Years of American Art at the MFAH. Photography by Jenny Antill.
2010 Myrtle Wreath Society Luncheon
An inspired giving plan has a time horizon of more than one lifetime. It allows you to provide for loved ones while also investing in the charitable institutions that are meaningful to you. Clearly stating your future intentions brings peace of mind, knowing your wishes will be fulfilled.
Including the MFAH in your legacy plan will ensure that the Museum can continue its mission of excellence in collecting, exhibiting, preserving, conserving, and interpreting art for all people. Your future gift may provide unrestricted financial support, or strengthen a specific area of interest such as the Museum’s endowment, Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, Rienzi, the Glassell School of Art, conservation, education, or one of the Museum’s curatorial departments. These gifts have a lasting impact and inspire future generations.
There are many ways to make a planned gift to the MFAH that may provide benefits to you and the Museum, including:
- Naming the Museum in a will, estate plan, or trust
- Designating life insurance proceeds or donating an insurance policy
- Making the MFAH a beneficiary of your retirement plan, IRA, 401(k), or 203(b)
- Establishing a charitable trust with the MFAH
- Transferring real estate to the MFAH through a life estate
- Promising a gift of a work (or works) of art that the Museum has agreed to accept
Designating any type of planned gift to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, qualifies you as a member of the Myrtle Wreath Society or the Ima Hogg Society for Bayou Bend.
Planned Giving Societies
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, honors those who make an intention to remember the Museum in their estate plans through two planned giving societies: the Myrtle Wreath Society and the Ima Hogg Society.
Members are recognized in print materials such as the Annual Report and enjoy a variety of benefits including invitations to the formal annual luncheon and other exclusive programs. No fees or dues are associated with membership in either society, but there is an enrollment process. Details regarding your future gift are not required. Follow the links below to learn more about these societies.
Special Gifts
Please know that we treat every gift and donor individually. To learn more about MFAH policies and procedures surrounding all gifts, please refer to the Gift Acceptance Policy. Should you have a specific question or wish to make a unique gift, we would be delighted to speak with you.
Named Endowments
An endowment fund is a protected investment principal in which withdrawals from the invested capital are used to support general or a specific purpose. The MFAH offers many opportunities to contribute to existing endowments and to establish new named endowments. Gifts of $100,000 or more allow you to establish a permanent endowment fund to support a specific area of interest in perpetuity. Endowment funds may be named for the donor, or for someone the donor wishes to honor or memorialize, creating lasting and meaningful tributes.
Outright Gifts of Art
The Museum’s encyclopedic collection continues to grow, in part, because of the bequests of generous collectors. The Museum welcomes outright and future gifts of art that fit within the institution’s collecting priority. All proposed gifts of art to the Museum’s collections must be recommended by the curatorial staff and approved by the director in accordance with the provisions of, and procedures set forth in, the Museum’s Collections Management Policy and By-Laws.
Inquiries
To learn more about making a planned or special gift to the MFAH, please contact:
Julia Oettinger Smith
Senior Development Officer, Special Gifts
Email: jsmith@mfah.org
Phone: 713.353.1587
Fax: 713.639.7595
Mailing address: MFAH, P.O. Box 6826, Houston, Texas 77265
All inquiries are confidential and will not obligate you to complete a gift. Please consult your adviser(s) when considering your philanthropic objectives.
Legal Name and Address
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
1001 Bissonnet St
Houston, TX 77005
Tax ID #74-1109655
The official bequest language for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston:
“I, [name] of [city, state, zip], give, devise, and bequeath to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77005 [written amount or percentage of estate] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”