Artifact Donation FAQ

 

Artifact Donation Frequently Asked Questions

Click on a question below to learn the answer to a frequently asked question.

How do I donate artifacts or documents to the Maine Military Historical Society?

  If you have artifacts or documents that you believe would add to the Maine Military Historical Societies collection please use the donation form on this website to transmit a description of your proposed donation. If you are unable to complete the online form, please email  the Maine Military Historical Society and request that a copy of the donation form be mailed to you. Please try to include a photograph and measurements of the object or document with your form. You may mail back your completed form to the address below or send it via fax.

 
Curator
Maine Military Historical Society
33 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0033
 
Fax: 207-626-4553
 

Once the form is received, your proposed donation will be assigned to the curator who will evaluate it as a new addition to the collection and contact you within four weeks. You may also be contacted by volunteer curatorial assistants for additional information about your donation. If the curator chooses to accept your donation, the donated material will be recommended to the Collection Committee for consideration at its monthly meeting. Following the meeting a curator or collection manager will contact you regarding next steps. If you have questions, concerns, or issues or you wish to check on the status of your proposed donation, please contact us.

   Fill out our donation form online

Can I mail or drop off a donation?

The Museum cannot accept unsolicited donations through the mail or in person without your submission of an Artifact Donation Form and follow-up communication from the Museum staff.

How are potential donations reviewed?

Donation offers are reviewed first by the curatorial staff that makes recommendations to the Museum’s Collection Committee. The committee is made up of staff knowledgeable in both the scope of the Museum’s collection as well as the conservation issues associated with artifact and document care.

The committee uses its current collecting goals, to guide its decisions. It also takes into consideration the condition of the object and the availability of Museum resources required to store and care properly for the artifact or document as well as cataloging the material to make it accessible. The sensitive nature of materials or ownership of copyrights may also factor into acquisitions decisions.

How long does it take for the Maine Military Historical Society to review proposed donations?

Typically, the process takes about two months. If a curator accepts your donation, it will be submitted to the Collection Committee, which meets monthly, to review donations proposed during the previous month. However, regular reviews may be postponed when staff time is otherwise committed to the development of exhibitions or special programs. If your proposed donation is accepted by the Collections Committee, you will be contacted by the curator or a collections manager to arrange to have the donated materials shipped, picked up, or dropped off at the Maine Military Historical Society. The final step is issuing a Deed of Gift for the donation, which legally transfers the property to the Maine Military Historical Society.

Will the Maine Military Historical Society appraise my donation for its monetary value?

The Maine Military Historical Society does not provide appraisals of the monetary value of materials proposed for donation or for any other reason because the Internal Revenue Service regards museums and libraries as interested parties. Monetary appraisals prepared for donors by such institutions are subject to question or disqualification.

However, professional appraisers will perform this service for a fee. To find a licensed appraiser in your area, contact one of the following organizations for a referral.

American Society of Appraisers
http://www.appraisers.org/

International Society of Appraisers
http://www.isa-appraisers.org/

Appraisers Association of America
http://www.appraisersassoc.org/

Can I take a tax deduction for my donation?

The Maine Military Historical Societyi s recognized as a qualified charitable organization, thus the fair market value of your donated materials is generally tax deductible. To take advantage of your deduction, you must file tax form 1040 and, depending on the value of your donation, tax form 8283.

To ensure that you receive the maximum tax benefit, it is recommended that you consult with your own accountant, attorney, and/or the Internal Revenue Service. You may also consult Internal Revenue Service Publication No. 526, Charitable Contributions, and Publication No. 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property.

Will the Maine Military Historical Society exhibit the artifacts or documents in my donation?

The Maine Military Historical Society cannot guarantee that any objects or documents donated to its collection will be exhibited unless expressly collected for that purpose. Only a small fraction of the collection is on view at any given time. Documents are typically made accessible for research purposes in the Maine Military Historical Society Research Center.

However, the Maine Military Historical Society does allocate a significant portion of its annual budget to maintaining optimal conditions in its storage areas and galleries to insure the long-term preservation of all collection materials.

Objects from the collection are occasionally loaned to other institutions for temporary exhibitions, and many artifacts and documents in the collection are made available for research purposes.

If I donate artifacts or documents to the Maine Military Historical Society, will they be returned to me at my request?

The Maine Military Historical Society cannot return accessioned collection materials to the donor. Once the Collection Committee accepts your donation for the collection, you will be asked to sign a Deed of Gift, which legally transfers ownership of the materials to the Maine Military Historical Society.

Can artifacts and documents be removed from the Maine Military Historical Society collection?

The Maine Military Historical Society may, with approval from the Board of Directors, remove objects and documents from the collection through a process called deaccessioning. Artifacts or documents that are damaged beyond repair, have a condition that puts other parts of the collection at risk, are duplicative of other items in the collection, or are outside the scope of the collection may be considered for deaccessioning. Deaccessioned material may be donated to another museum or cultural or educational organization, destroyed, or sold. Any proceeds from the sale of deaccessioned material are placed in a restricted collection acquisition fund.

Does the Maine Military Historical Society accept long-term loans?

The Maine Military Historical Society does not accept long-term loans. While it does accept loan materials on a short-term basis in conjunction with exhibitions and other programs, the Maine Military Historical Society prefers to commit its resources to the storage and preservation of materials in the collection.

How do researchers access artifacts and documents in the Maine Military Historical Societies collection?

The Maine Military Historical Society makes most of the prints, photographs, archives, manuscripts, architectural drawings, and published materials in its collection available to the public for research through its Research Center.

Access to other artifacts, including  paintings, sculpture, works-on-paper, uniforms, weapons, and other objects is extremely limited and is available to researchers by appointment only.