Donate

The generous support of individual donors allows the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art to continue its tradition of offering lifelong learning through the visual arts to an increasing number of visitors each year. There are many ways to make a tax-deductible donation to the Institute and a variety of areas to which you may consider directing your gift.

Current Project: Walker Mackenzie Art Education Studio Renovations

In 2001, the Institute completed renovations to its education annex, the Walker-Mackenzie Studio (c.1909), located directly behind Ware’s Folly. This facility added 4,000 square feet of ADA-compliant classroom space and has allowed the organization to significantly expand its visual arts curriculum.

We are currently raising funds to modernize the education annex. Updates and repairs will include painting the metal roof, fresh white exterior paint to match Ware’s Folly, a new front porch and railing, updated energy efficient interior lighting, exterior lighting for better security, and a new exterior sign. Please consider a donation to help us achieve our goal!

 

Donate

You Can Support GHIA in a variety of Ways

  • Become part of GHIA by joining as a member.
  • Contribute to GHIA’s Annual Fund.
  • Increase your contribution by taking advantage of your company’s matching gifts program.      
  • Honor a loved one with a special tribute or memorial gift.
  • Invest in the Institute’s future by making a planned gift.
  • Further secure the Institute’s future with a gift of stock or cash to the GHIA Endowment.
  • Your gift in support of the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art’s annual fund helps keep the Institute strong and vibrant in countless ways.

    As the primary funding for everyday activities and general operations of the Institute, your Annual Fund contribution goes towards:
    • Introducing the joys of making and appreciating art to thousands of children through our free outreach education programs
    • Ongoing maintenance and preservation of two historic buildings: Ware’s Folly (c. 1818) and the Walker-Mackenzie Education Annex (c. 1909)
    • Planning and developing an exciting schedule of exhibitions
    • Providing affordable studio art classes and workshops for children and adults
    • Making available the funding needed to present nationally- and internationally-recognized contemporary artist
    • Enriching, enlightening, and inspiring our community in many other ways!

    These endeavors, while sometimes behind the scenes, are critical to ensuring the Gertrude Herbert’s efficient operation and the opportunity for personal enrichment and lifelong learning for patrons in the current year. Your gift, in any amount, makes a measurable difference.

    For more information on making a fully tax-deductible donation to the annual fund, please contact us at by email at [email protected] or by phone at 706.722.5495.
     

    Matching Gifts

    To promote charitable giving, many employers sponsor matching-gift programs and will match their employees' contributions to nonprofit organizations— including the cost of memberships. Multiply the impact of your personal support for the Gertrude Herbert by participating in your company’s employee matching gift program.

    Contact your human resources department to find out if your company offers a matching gift program. If your company is eligible, send a completed and signed matching gift form in with your gift, and we will take care of the rest. The impact of your gift to the Gertrude may be doubled or even tripled!
     
    A tribute or memorial gift to the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art is an especially meaningful way to recognize friends, family, business associates, and special occasions, while at the same time supporting the exhibitions and educational programs of one of the region’s greatest treasures.

    Tribute Gifts mark special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, or holidays.

    Memorial Gifts express your sympathy or remember a loved one.
     

    Your contribution will be acknowledged with a personalized card sent to the honored individual or family. In addition, the name of the individual being honored will be listed in the Institute’s quarterly catalogue.

    To arrange a tribute or memorial gift, contact the Institute by email or 706.722.5495.
     

    Endowment Giving

    Gifts made to GHIA’s general endowment will support the Institute’s mission to serve the greater Augusta community in perpetuity. The Institute’s endowment is carefully managed by independent trustees. All endowment gifts will be added to the Institute’s endowment principal to ensure the continuation of the Institute for future generations. Donors who wish to endow a specific program or a staff position may choose to create a new endowment fund at GHIA.

    Please contact the Institute by email at [email protected] or phone at 706.722.5495 about making a gift to the Institute’s current endowment fund or establishing a new GHIA endowment fund.

  • Gifts of Stock

  • Gifts of appreciated securities, such as stocks and mutual funds, are excellent ways to support the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art. Such gifts are simple and may provide a greater tax benefit than an equivalent gift in cash. Please contact the Institute by email or phone at 706.722.5495 for additional information and proper procedures.

    Planned Giving

    Planned gifts such as a charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, retained life estates, retirement plan designations, life insurance designations, or bequests may be given to the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art. Since the founding of the Institute in 1937, planned gifts have played a significant role in sustaining GHIA’s artistic and financial vitality.

    Planned giving can be a powerful tool for donors who are committed to a strong and vibrant future for the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art. Planned gifts may also provide significant tax benefits for donors. Please consider including the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art in your estate plans.

    As a reminder, if you are over 70½ and are required to take withdrawals from an IRA or other qualified retirement account, you may want to consider making charitable gifts using all or a portion of your mandatory withdrawal amount. Giving in this way may result in little or no tax impact when you report the amount withdrawn along with an offsetting charitable deduction.

    We invite you to become part of the tradition of giving set forth by Olivia Herbert that built the Gertrude Herbert and has sustained it since 1937.

    For more information on planned giving or to notify us of your plans, please contact the Institute at 706.722.5495 or email us at [email protected].

    Bequests

    A bequest is one of the simplest ways to make a gift and a great way to help sustain the Institute. By including GHIA in your will, you can help ensure the quality of the Institute’s programs and the ongoing preservation of historic Ware’s Folly for generations to come. Whether you wish to provide general operating income or to support a specific department or program, your bequest expresses your lasting commitment to the Gertrude Herbert. Undesignated bequests allow the Institute to use the funds where they are most needed. A bequest may also help you meet your financial and estate planning goals, since your gift would be eligible for an estate-tax charitable deduction equal to the entire amount of the bequest.

    Charitable Remainder Trusts

    Contribute to the future of the Institute, secure lifetime annual payments for yourself and/or other beneficiaries, and generate substantial tax benefits with a charitable remainder trust. A trust of this kind provides beneficiaries with income for life or a specified length of time and then distributes the remaining assets to the Institute. An income-tax deduction is available immediately.

    Charitable Gift Annuities

    Charitable gift annuities provide beneficiaries with a fixed income for life in exchange for a gift of cash or marketable securities to the Institute. The rates of return are generally higher than those from savings or money market accounts, and you can choose whether to receive income immediately or wait until retirement.

    Charitable Lead Trusts

    With a charitable lead trust, you make a significant multiyear gift to the Institute and maximize the value of assets for your heirs. This type of trust pays an annual amount to the Institute, with the assets ultimately passing on to another beneficiary. You can decide whether to receive an income-tax deduction or pass savings on to your estate.

    Retirement Plan Assets

    Bequeathing retirement assets to the Institute allows you to fulfill your charitable objectives while preserving more of your estate's value for family members. Designating the Institute as the beneficiary of your retirement account may help your estate bypass multitier tax exposures, preserve the value of your estate, and protect your heirs from potential tax burdens.

    Life Insurance

    Giving a life insurance policy is a great way to transform a modest gift into a dramatic one. You can transfer ownership of a fully-paid policy to the Institute, reassign ownership and beneficiary status for a policy on which premiums are still being paid, or establish a new policy and designate the Institute as applicant, owner, and beneficiary.