Harvard Art Museums / Make a Gift

An Encounter at a Well (detail), c. 1745, India. Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum. More

Annual Appeal
Building and Renovation Support
Endowment Gifts
Planned Giving
Works of Art
Corporate Support

The Harvard Art Museums are grateful for the support of members, Fellows, and community members who help fund our exhibitions and programs, and make it possible for us to realize our educational mission. Among the benefits you will enjoy as a donor is the personal satisfaction in knowing that your generous contribution to the Harvard Art Museums helps to support three of the most vibrant teaching museums in the world. Gifts of all shapes and sizes are appreciated; learn more about the giving opportunity that best suits you.

Annual Appeal

A gift to the Art Museums’ Annual Appeal makes an immediate difference by providing crucial support for everyday operations while also ensuring that the museums will thrive for future generations. A successful Annual Appeal allows us to sustain the wide variety of programs we offer.

Every gift counts! For more information about the Harvard Art Museums’ Annual Appeal, please contact our membership office at 617-495-4544. You can also give online.

Building and Renovation Support

The Harvard Art Museums are undergoing a major renovation of its physical facilities at 32 Quincy Street, originally built in 1927. The project is being designed by internationally renowned architect Renzo Piano. When completed, the transformed museum will consolidate all three of Harvard’s art museums—the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Arthur M. Sackler—on one site in a state-of-the-art complex housing new and expanded exhibition galleries, the Straus Center conservation laboratory, classrooms, seminar rooms, a lecture hall, public education space, and visitor amenities. Central to the transformation is a new study center complex with study centers and seminar rooms where visitors will be able to view original works of art in personal, intimate settings for study, learning, inspiration, and enjoyment.

Philanthropic support is needed to help fund this major transformation. Named gift opportunities are available for interested donors. If you would like further information, please contact Brad Voigt at 617-496-6934.

Endowment Gifts

Gifts to endow programs and projects in perpetuity are also welcome at the Harvard Art Museums. A permanent named endowment fund can be established at a minimum level of $25,000. Endowment funds are managed by the Harvard Management Company, and annual income from each fund is designated for a specific purpose, as agreed upon between the donor and the Art Museums. Funds can be endowed for a wide variety of purposes, including:

— Exhibition funds
— Curatorial department funds
— Publication funds
— Curatorship (full, associate, or assistant)
— Conservation funds
— Key administrative positions
— Acquisition funds for the purchase of works of art

If you would like to explore the establishment of a permanent named endowment fund, please contact Brad Voigt at 617-496-6934.

Planned Giving

Planned giving is designed to maximize benefits for both you and the museums. The Harvard Art Museums welcome support from donors through a variety of planned gifts and estate planning vehicles. By making a planned gift, you can expand your giving potential, influence the work of the Harvard Art Museums for generations, and gain financial benefits for you and your family. The Harvard University Office of Planned Giving works in partnership with the Art Museums to provide a full range of planned gift opportunities that include:

— Bequests
— Donor Advised Funds
— Pooled Income Funds
— Charitable Gift Annuities
— Charitable Lead Trusts
— Gifts of Real Estate
— Charitable Remainder Trusts

If you would like to explore a planned gift to benefit the Art Museums, please contact Brad Voigt at 617-496-6934.

Works of Art

Many donors choose to give or bequeath works of art to the Art Museums, so that future generations can study and appreciate them. The Art Museums welcomes gifts of works of art that help advance our teaching mission. Donors who are considering a gift of tangible property may be connected with the proper curator to discuss the artwork. If you would like to discuss a gift of a work of art, please contact the Registrar for Collections at 617-495-3902 and we will be happy to guide you through the process.

Corporate Support

The Harvard Art Museums welcome inquiries about ways to develop mutually beneficial partnerships with interested corporations. Corporate support opportunities are available for a variety of exhibitions, public programs, and research activities. Museum facilities are also available for corporate events. For further information, contact Brad Voigt at 617-496-6934.

Contribute online:

Harvard Online Giving