Give to the Salem Athenaeum
Your Financial Support Makes an Impact
We exist today because members and friends like you have contributed generously to the Salem Athenaeum since 1810. Your financial support ensures this historic institution will remain a vibrant part of the community well into the future.
The Salem Athenaeum relies upon your charitable gifts and membership dues to sustain the library and collections, present educational programming, and care for the historic building and grounds.
We thank you for your continued generosity!
Give Online
Our online giving form is a simple, secure way to make a credit card gift. You will receive a tax receipt via email when your gift is processed.
Other Ways to Give
1. By Mail or In Person
Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted in person during open hours. Checks should be made payable to Salem Athenaeum.
You may also send your gift to our postal address:
Salem Athenaeum
337 Essex Street
Salem, MA 01970
2. Recurring Monthly Gifts
Automated monthly giving is the easiest, most efficient way to support the Salem Athenaeum. It provides a reliable source of funding while offering you the most convenient way to give.
When making a gift online simply check the box next to “Make my donation a recurring monthly gift” and the gift amount you selected will be charged to your credit card once a month. You may cancel your monthly gift anytime by contacting staff@SalemAthenaeum.net.
3. By Wire Transfer
Please contact: staff@SalemAthenaeum.net for wire transfer instructions.
4. Employer Matching Gifts
Many companies match charitable gifts made by their employees, amplifying the impact of any gift you make. Contact your employer’s Human Resources Department to see if they will match your charitable gift. If so, follow their matching gift process.
5. Gifts of Securities
When you make a gift of appreciated securities you help the Salem Athenaeum while potentially increasing your tax benefit with a charitable deduction and avoiding capital gains taxes. Please contact your own financial advisors for advice about making a gift of securities.
If you wish to make a gift of securities contact your financial institution and request that stock shares be transferred directly to the Salem Athenaeum. Salem Athenaeum Executive Director Jean Marie Procious for more details about the securities transfer process at Staff@salemathenaeum.net.
6. Donor Advised Funds (DAFs):
Recommending a grant from your DAF is an easy, flexible, tax-efficient way to support the Salem Athenaeum. Because your charitable dollars are already set aside in a DAF for giving, you can make an immediate and meaningful impact—helping sustain all that we do. Contact your DAF administrator to initiate a gift.
7. IRA Account Distributions:
Making a direct gift from your IRA can be one of the most tax-advantageous ways to give. A Qualified Charitable Distribution can satisfy part or all of your required minimum distribution and may lower your taxable income—allowing you to support the Salem Athenaeum without increasing your tax burden.
For more information about IRA required minimum distributions please consult your personal financial advisor and the Internal Revenue Service website at https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/retirement-plan-and-ira-required-minimum-distributions-faqs
The Kirwan Society
For those who give $2,500 or more in a calendar year, the Kirwan Society provides an opportunity for deeper engagement with the Athenaeum through exclusive events. Kirwan Society members recognize the value of philanthropy in moving the Athenaeum’s mission forward and play a prominent role by providing operational and project funding to sustain the Salem Athenaeum.
For over two centuries, the Salem Athenæum has been a cultural cornerstone of Massachusetts. As a member, you are an integral part of the Salem Athenæum’s mission to enhance quality of life in the community by encouraging the exploration of ideas and common understanding through literature and humanities programming in an inspiring setting. Moreover, your continued support is vital to sustaining this treasure for the people of the North Shore for the next 200 years.
Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Proprietors of the Salem Athenaeum is a 501c(3) tax exempt organization, IRS Section 170(b)(2)(iii) for both federal and state tax purposes. Our federal tax identification number is 04-1802590.