Ways of Giving

Founded in May 1898, the State Historical Society of Missouri has preserved your history for over 125 years. When you give to SHSMO, your investment directly supports our mission of preservation and education. 

Make a Difference

Thank you for joining SHSMO in its commitment to protect and showcase Missouri history! Gifts to the State Historical Society of Missouri provide essential support for ongoing efforts to collect and preserve the record of Missouri's history and cultural heritage. They also fund SHSMO's growing slate of educational programs, providing learning opportunities for all ages. Supporters like you make the Society's mission of preservation and education possible. Thank you!

Planned Giving

Do you want to make a difference through a gift to SHSMO, but don’t want to tap into cash reserves? One way to ensure your legacy and support SHSMO is through an estate gift. Often, such gifts from your estate lessen the tax burden on your loved ones, and in addition, they allow you the opportunity to show your commitment to collecting, preserving, and sharing Missouri’s history. 

Estate gifts to SHSMO are crucial for our ongoing success and long-term future. Your choice to designate gift assets from your estate shows your dedication to sharing Missouri's rich cultural heritage with future generations.

Next Steps

  1. Contact us at (573) 882-7083 or GivingToSHSMO@shsmo.org for additional information about different options for including SHSMO in your will or estate plan.
  2. If you include SHSMO in your plans, please use our legal name and federal tax ID.
  3. Remember that planned gifts through SHSMO are revocable and can be changed at any time. Please let us know if your plans change.

Legal Name: The State Historical Society of Missouri
Address: 605 Elm Street, Columbia, MO 65201
Federal Tax ID Number: 43-6035196

Documented gifts (sometimes referred to as “planned gifts”) grant you membership in the 1898 Society

Please consult your legal and fiscal advisors when preparing legal documents.

 

Ways to Give Include:

Cash Gifts

The easiest and most common way for you to support SHSMO is with a gift of cash. Outright cash, check, credit card, or money order gifts allow us to carry out our mission and meet our most urgent needs on a daily basis. If you itemize your taxes, you can receive a federal income tax deduction from your gift.

SHSMO accepts cash gifts online via credit card or direct debit from a bank account. Gifts can be one-time or reoccurring. Make a gift online now. Check and money order gifts can be mailed to:

The State Historical Society of Missouri
Attn: Advancement
605 Elm Street
Columbia, MO 65201

Will (Bequest) or Trust

Including SHSMO in your will or trust allows you to control the funding property during your lifetime and provide future support to SHSMO. You can alter your bequest or trust designation at any time. A bequest or trust designation that gifts SHSMO is not subject to federal estate tax.

Example language: "I give The State Historical Society of Missouri (federal tax ID: 43-6035196) located in Columbia, MO, [fixed dollar amount or percentage of estate]."

Life Insurance

Life Insurance Policy Beneficiary

A beneficiary designation is the simplest way to provide SHSMO with the death benefit proceeds from your life insurance policy. While it doesn't offer the kind of tax advantages that come with gifting a policy, it does reduce your estate by the amount of the death benefit.

Naming SHSMO as a beneficiary also ensures the privacy of the donation, which can be important if you wish to keep your gifting intentions private. The transfer of a death benefit to the listed beneficiary is also difficult to contest, making it unlikely anyone would be able to stop the donation from occurring. 

Contact the holder of your life insurance policy for instructions on how to modify the beneficiary of your policy.

Life Insurance Policy Donation

While a bit more involved to set up, a life insurance policy donation can be a great option. With this kind of gift, your costs are the tax-deductible premiums paid while the gift to SHSMO is the entire face value of the policy. You can gift an existing life insurance policy, like one that was started to cover a need that no longer exists, or begin a new policy for the purpose of gifting.

Contact us at (573) 882-7083 for more information about donating a life insurance policy.

Retirement Plan Assets

Donating your IRA or other assets directly to SHSMO allows your estate to benefit from no income tax on the distribution of those assets and provides a tax deduction for the contribution, which can be used to offset estate taxes.

To name SHSMO as a beneficiary of an IRA or 401(k), fill out the beneficiary form through your employer or plan administrator. For married donors, you will need to know if your spouse’s signature is required as some states have this regulation. These assets will not go through probate but instead pass directly to the beneficiaries.

IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution

If you are 72 or older, you can contribute up to $100,000 per year from your IRA directly to SHSMO and avoid paying income taxes on the distribution. For married couples who file joint returns, the limit for an IRA charitable transfer is $200,000 per year so your spouse can contribute an additional $100,000 from their IRA, if desired. This contribution also satisfies your required minimum distribution for the year it takes place. Qualified charitable distributions are limited to IRAs.

Contact us at (573) 882-7083 for more information about IRA qualified charitable distributions.

Appreciated Securities

Donating long-term appreciated securities like stock, bonds, or mutual funds may automatically increase your gift and your tax deduction. This can be a benefit to you, compared with donating cash or selling your appreciated securities and contributing the after-tax proceeds. Speak with your tax advisor or broker today, or call our office at (573) 882-7083 for more information.

Bargain Sale

A bargain sale is when you sell a good for less than the fair market value. Typically, donors use a bargain sale when they wish to make a charitable donation in a form other than cash, often with the sale of real estate. The difference between the fair market value and the sale price is considered a gift. Contact us at (573) 882-7083 for more information.