Guardian of the Black Country Living Museum
Guardians are people who are committed to helping the Museum preserve something of the past for future generations; Guardians have pride in this region, they want to celebrate and commemorate all the Black Country’s many achievements. But what is more, Guardians are those friends and supporters who have made gifts to our endowment fund - a pool of funds invested to provide an income used to help the Museum meet its future needs.
Why do we need an endowment fund?
We need an endowment fund to ensure that the Museum can use your gift where and when it is most needed by:
- preserving more historical buildings threatened with demolition;
- maintaining and properly caring for our exhibits and collections, some of which are rare and are virtually irreplaceable;
- continuing to educate visitors as to the importance of the Black Country and its industrial heritage;
- meeting any emergency challenges that the Museum may face.
Become a Guardian of the Black Country Living Museum by:
- donating a one-off gift to the endowment fund - perhaps when you receive a windfall or when an insurance policy matures, you might chose to donate this to the endowment fund.
- gifting some shares to the endowment fund - as part of their share portfolio, many investors accumulate small numbers of shares in a wider range of companies and keeping track of these can be time-consuming, often for very little return. By donating these shares to the Museum, they can be sold and the profits invested in the endowment fund.
- making a gift in memory of someone - when someone sadly passes away, families and friends may choose to make a collection in lieu of flowers; others may wish to mark their passing by making a commemorative gift to a chosen charity. Recognising how special a gift like this is, the Museum will make a special entry in the Book of Remembrance to mark such a gift. It may also is possible to site a bench or plant a tree in someone’s memory - please contact the Museum to find out more.
- leaving a gift in your will - for many people, funds may not be readily available to make gifts during their lifetime, but to be able to leave a legacy is the greatest gift that someone can make ensuring the long term survival of the Museum. A legacy gift may be the residuary of your estate, a set amount or a specific gift, for example, an antique item or property.
It is important that you seek professional, legal advice when writing your will - this is particularly important if you have family or others who are dependent on you.
If you already have a will, you can consider adding a codicil - a codicil is simply a form of wording that enables you to alter or amend to your original will.
Could you become a Guardian? Making a will is easy to do; it takes less than an hour, but could help make all the difference to the future of the Black Country Living Museum.
Download a codicil / pledge form
Whatever gift you can make, make your gift count even more.
Whatever gift you can make whilst you are alive, make sure that you take advantage of tax efficient giving.
If you are a UK tax payer, under the Gift Aid scheme, by simply signing a Gift Aid declaration, this allows the Museum to claim back an extra 28p in every £1 donated*. Don’t forget, you can also make your gift under the Gift Aid scheme if you pay capital gains tax on any income received.
