Support AAS

Thank you for considering a gift to the annual fund at the American Antiquarian Society. Through our mission, we engage broader communities with our incomparable collection of historical materials, not only to share in a feeling of wonderment and connection to the past, but also to allow for new perspectives and interpretations.

Annual fund donors support our work in acquisitions, preservation, and cataloging—adding and amplifying all American stories—while making transformative interactions with our materials possible. We hope we can count you among them!

Give Now

Benefits of giving

When you make your gift, you will become part of a community of generous friends providing critical support for everything the American Antiquarian Society does. Gifts at any level make a difference.

Core Benefits for All Donors*

• Listing in the Annual Report
• Copy of the Almanac, the AAS Newsletter
• Invitations to public programs

George Bancroft Circle, gifts of $250-$999

• All the above benefits
• A personal guided tour with an AAS staff member

Isaiah Thomas Circle, $1,000-$2,499

• All the above benefits
• Invitation to an annual post-program reception
• The opportunity to host an event at the Goddard-Daniels House

President’s Circle, $2,500+

• All the above benefits
• An annual reception with the AAS President

*Please stay tuned—we are updating our benefits for 2023!

Other ways to give

Gifts of stock and other assets

The IRA charitable rollover allows taxpayers aged 70½ or older to make tax-free charitable gifts of up to $100,000 per year directly from their individual retirement accounts to eligible nonprofits such as AAS.

To make a gift of stock or other securities, please contact the Society’s Advancement office at 508-471-2162 or email bkopley@mwa.org. It is essential that AAS receive notice ahead of time about stock gifts, including name of donor, stock name, and number of shares, since electronic transfers do not include donor information.

Planned gifts and bequests: The Esther Forbes Society

Legacy gifts have been critical to the growth of the Society throughout its history. For example, writer Esther Forbes left the literary rights to all her works to AAS; as her novel Johnny Tremain has never gone out of print, the Society continues to benefit from her forward-thinking generosity. The Esther Forbes Society includes all those who have provided for AAS through their estates or otherwise via planned gifts. For bequest language or to inform the Society of your planned gift, please contact Vice President for Advancement Beth Kopley at bkopley@mwa.org or at 508-471-2162. Members of the Esther Forbes Society are recognized in the Annual Report and are invited to occasional special events. Learn more.

Gifts to the collection

The Society’s collections have grown in large part thanks to more than two centuries of generous donations. Curators are always interested in considering gifts to the collections. The Society’s collecting policies can be found here. To discuss giving an object or a collection to AAS, please contact Lauren B. Hewes, Vice President for Collections, at lhewes@mwa.org.

The American Antiquarian Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. All gifts are tax deductible. For questions or to make restricted gifts, please call the Advancement office at 508-471-2162 or contact Beth Kopley, Vice President for Advancement, at bkopley@mwa.org.

Terms of Use, Statement of Privacy, Shipping and Return Policies