The Bethel Historical Society is committed to building on its reputation as a premier regional history center that will continue to enrich the educational and cultural life of its community for generations to come.  Donations made to the Bethel Historical Society, whether in the form of funds in support of its programs, general operations, endowment, or Capital Campaign, are always welcome, as are items for the Society's museum and library collections.  The following information provides some basic guidelines about making such donations to the Society.

Annual Fund
Members and friends of the Bethel Historical Society can make tax deductible contributions to the Society's Annual Fund Campaign.  Such gifts help support the Society's special events, exhibitions, publications and other important programming.  Annual Fund gifts in any amount may be made throughout the year and should be mailed to the Society at P.O. Box 12, Bethel, Maine 04217.  Acknowledgements for Annual Fund gifts will be promptly mailed to donors and listed in the Society's quarterly newsletter.

Stocks, Bonds, or Tangible Property
The donation of stocks, bonds, or securities is an important and useful way of supporting the Bethel Historical Society.  If you are interested in making a donation of this type, please contact your broker and ask them to arrange the transaction.  Donations of real estate or other personal property are also welcome.  If you are interested in making a gift of tangible property, please call our main office (207-824-2908 or 800-824-2910) to speak to the Society's Director, Dr. Stanley R. Howe.  The Bethel Historical Society is a private, non-profit organization, and gifts such as those described above are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Bequests and Trusts
Donors are encouraged to make charitable gifts to the Bethel Historical Society in the form of a bequest in a will, the establishment of a trust, or other similar financial arrangements.  Such gifts can be structured to support the Society's mission while, at the same time, assuring the security of the donor or the donor's family.  For more information, please contact the Society by calling our main office (207-824-2908 or 800-824-2910), by writing to us at P.O. Box 12, Bethel, ME 04217, or by sending a note via email to info@bethelhistorical.org (attention Dr. Stanley R. Howe).

Historic Items
If you are interested in donating items to the Bethel Historical Society's museum or library collections, please contact the Society's Curator of Collections, Randall H. Bennett, by mail (P.O. Box 12, Bethel, ME 04217) or email (info@bethelhistorical.org) to discuss this donation and its possible relevance to the Society's collecting criteria (as outlined in the Society's Collections Policy).  Please note that, for the protection of the donor, the Bethel Historical Society cannot conduct appraisals for tax purposes; such valuations should be arranged by the donor before the item is transferred to the Society.  The value of such gifts made to the Bethel Historical Society is deductible for federal income tax purposes within the limits of the Internal Revenue Code.