Donations to LancasterHistory are accepted online, over the phone, or by mail. Donations support LancasterHistory's annual operations, including our roster of educational programs and tours and the preservation of our collections. Donors are recognized in our Annual Report. Gifts of $1,000 or more receive automatic enrollment in The 1729 Society, a distinguished donor group who receive invitations to special behind-the-scenes events.

DONATE ONLINE

Donate Over the Phone

Please call Cindy Madara at (717) 392-4633, Ext. 122. LancasterHistory accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express credit cards.

Donate By Mail

To donate by mail, please download a LancasterHistory Donation Form [PDF, 213kb] and mail it with your check to:

LancasterHistory
230 North President Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17603

Notice About Recurring Donations

If you chose to opt in to set up a recurring donation or pledge to LancasterHistory, you can cancel or adjust your recurring electronic payment any time by calling LancasterHistory at (717) 392-4633, ext. 122.

Have a Lancaster treasure in your own collection?

Gifts of historic objects, documents, photographs, or books result in the improvement and evolution of our collections over time and are also valuable tools for researchers. LancasterHistory's decorative and fine art holdings and archival collections continue to grow through the donation of items that fill gaps in the collection. Gifts of this type are tax deductible at their appraised value.

How To Donate Items to LancasterHistory

LancasterHistory maintains a collection of materials which represent the history of Lancaster County, the life and legacies of President James Buchanan, Thaddeus Stevens, and Lydia Hamilton Smith, and the decorative arts traditions of Lancaster County.

New items are acquired in a number of ways, including donations from the public. Before an item is acquired for our collections, it undergoes a rigorous review process.

Object Donation FAQ [PDF, 202kb]

Potential Object Donation Form

Click to Fill Out Online Form

Download a paper version of this form to submit. [PDF, 192kb]

Make Your Gift Count Twice!

Many corporations will match the gifts their employees make to non-profit organizations. Check with your Human Resources department to learn more about whether your employer will match your gift to LancasterHistory.

Make a Gift of Stock

With the stock market regularly breaking records at the closing bell, many of your investments are likely worth more today than what you originally paid for them. Time to sell? If you do, you might have to pay capital gains taxes. There is a better option that provides you with valuable tax incentives as well as the satisfaction of supporting a cause close to your heart: Give your stock to LancasterHistory.

When you give appreciated securities that you have owned for more than one year, you will receive two tax benefits:

• You are entitled to a federal income tax deduction based on the current fair market value of the securities, regardless of their lower original cost.
• You will be exempt from paying capital gains taxes on any increase in value—taxes you would pay if you sold the stock.

Most transfers are made electronically and with ease by your broker.

• Instruct your broker to electronically transfer your intended shares; and
• Ask your broker to notify us once the transfer is complete.
• Have your broker call Robin Sarratt with any questions: 717-392-4633, ext. 117

If you have the physical securities:

• Hand-deliver them to us; or
• Mail us the stocks and stock power in separate envelopes for your protection.

Know someone who loves Lancaster history? Make a gift in their honor! Tribute gifts are a meaningful and unique way to recognize someone dear to you or memorialize the passing of a loved one. Donations to LancasterHistory in lieu of gifts for your wedding or other celebration are also welcomed. Tribute gifts can be made by calling Cindy Madara, Development Information Systems Manager, at (717) 392-4633, Ext. 122.

If you are on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube, you can help us online by liking, commenting, sharing, and following our various social media accounts! "Word of mouth" on social media is extremely beneficial to us to get the word out about our organization, programs, and other offerings to those who may not know about them.

Our accounts are:

@lancasterhistory on Facebook

@lancohistory on Instagram

@lancohistory on Twitter

LancasterHistory on YouTube

Membership Matters!

Members of LancasterHistory enjoy a variety of benefits such as complimentary general admission, shopping discounts, special invitations, and much more! A variety of levels are also available to fit your family size and your budget all while helping preserve Lancaster County's history for future generations.

To learn more about our membership benefits and levels, please visit our Membership page to learn more and join today.

Make a Donation: Leave a Legacy

As a strong supporter of LancasterHistory, your annual contribution—whether through membership, the Annual Campaign, or support of a specific project or event—makes a difference. Yet while 90% of us make a gift to organizations like LancasterHistory, only 7% of us make a provision to keep our giving going through our will or estate plan. If you would like to extend your support of LancasterHistory to make a perpetual and lasting impact, consider leaving a legacy through a planned gift. Donors who contribute through a planned gift or make a provision for LancasterHistory in their estate plans are eligible to join the 1729 Society (see below for more information).

What is Planned Giving?

 It is the means of leaving a gift known as a charitable bequest to a museum or organization through your will or living trust.  You can also provide a Planned Gift by naming the organization as a beneficiary in your insurance policy or retirement plan.

By including a charitable bequest to LancasterHistory in your will or living trust, you are ensuring that we can continue our mission for years to come. Your gift also entitles your estate to an unlimited federal estate tax charitable deduction.

You may arrange for LancasterHistory to receive:

• A specific dollar amount
• Specified assets, such as securities, real estate, or tangible personal property
• All or a percentage of the remainder of your estate after all other obligations
• A bequest that supports a specific area of the organization, such as the endowment fund or collections acquisition fund; that supports a specific department, such as the library or Wheatland; or that helps to further the general purposes of LancasterHistory as needed. We are happy to discuss these options with you at any time.

Naming LancasterHistory as a beneficiary in your retirement plan or life insurance policy is another simple option that will similarly provide resources to the organization after your lifetime. You can name an organization as a beneficiary just as you would a relative or a friend.

There is no minimum amount for a planned gift.  Whether you are providing a bequest of $1,000 or $1,000,000, your gift benefits the mission of LancasterHistory.

If you wish to include LancasterHistory in your will or estate plan, please contact Robin Sarratt, Vice President, at (717) 392-4633 or robin.sarratt@lancasterhistory.org.

Here in Lancaster County, our history is all around us—in our businesses and churches, in our neighborhoods and across our farmlands. As a sponsor and partner with LancasterHistory, your business will play an active role in preserving the legacy of this place we call home for future generations, while providing authentic educational experiences for the residents of Lancaster today.

If you'd like to see how your business or organization can help sponsor a LancasterHistory event or program, please contact Annie Weeks, Development & Events Manager, at (717) 392-4633, ext. 134 or annie.weeks@lancasterhistory.org.

Volunteers Make History!

Volunteering is a generous and impactful way to support LancasterHistory and its work to preserve and interpret history. Our volunteer corps help make history happen through volunteering their time, hard work, and talents in many departments and committees across the organization.

To learn more about what opportunities are available and to complete a volunteer application, please visit our Volunteer webpage.