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Join Our Planned Giving Society
The Otis Society honors donors who include Historic New England in their estate plans. This treasured group reflects the extraordinary impact of planned giving on the future of Historic New England.
Planned giving offers you a variety of charitable gift options to integrate your support of Historic New England with your personal financial goals now or after your lifetime. Your gift may provide valuable tax benefits and/or lifetime income for you, your spouse, or loved one.
Benefits of making a planned gift include:
There are a number of ways you can make a planned gift. The most common gifts are made as bequests of cash or other assets, such as stocks, real estate, or gifts to the collections and archives. Other popular giving options include charitable trusts and charitable gift annuities. Historic New England’s development staff or your financial advisor can assist you in structuring the planned gift that best meets your goals and needs.
Legal name and address:
Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities
d/b/a Historic New England
141 Cambridge St
Boston, MA 02114-2702
Tax ID: 04-2104937
Mailing address:
Historic New England
Attn: Development Office
151 Essex Street
Haverhill, MA 01832
Please let us know if you have any questions or have already included a gift to Historic New England in your will or beneficiary designation. You can email us below or call 617-994-5951.
Historic New England encourages its supporters and friends to provide for the future of the organization by including Historic New England in their philanthropic estate plans. Bequests may be made in the form of cash, securities, specific property, or by naming Historic New England to receive a specific percentage of the estate or the residue of the estate after the payment of all taxes, other bequests, and expenses.
A donor may name Historic New England as a beneficiary of their will or revocable trust, donor-advised fund (DAF), IRA, retirement plan assets, or life insurance policy.
A charitable gift annuity is an agreement between Historic New England and the donor in which the donor transfers cash, securities, or other assets to the organization and, in return, the organization agrees to pay the donor a fixed amount per year for the life of the beneficiary/ies. Upon the death of the income beneficiary/ies, the remaining balance is distributed to Historic New England. The minimum dollar amount which may be donated to create a charitable gift annuity is $10,000.
A deferred gift annuity is similar to a charitable gift annuity except that the donor defers commencement of the fixed income payment to a predetermined point in the future. The minimum dollar amount which may be donated to create a deferred gift annuity is $10,000.
Charitable remainder trusts are planned giving vehicles that provide income to beneficiaries for life or for a term of years. They are personalized in that the donor and the organization agree upon the payout rate and term. Upon the death of the income beneficiary/ies or completion of the term of years, the remainder is distributed to Historic New England. Historic New England may agree to act as trustee for charitable remainder trusts.
A charitable lead trust is a planned giving instrument wherein the donor pays the “lead” interest to Historic New England and, after a number of years based on a term or a lifetime, the remainder is returned either to the grantor or to someone other than the grantor, such as the grantor’s heirs or other beneficiaries. Historic New England may agree to act as a trustee for a charitable lead trust where the organization is the irrevocable charitable beneficiary.
Historic New England accepts gifts of real estate, both improved and unimproved, including gifts subject to a retained life estate, only after a thorough review of the criteria for acceptance. The donor must submit a letter of intent regarding the gift of real estate before Historic New England will conduct its own due diligence and market analysis. The existence of any and all mortgages, prearranged sales agreements, deeds of trust, restrictions, reservations, easements, mechanic liens, and other encumbrances and limitations of record must be disclosed. No gift of real estate will be accepted unless and until all encumbrances have been discharged, except in very unusual cases. Should a retained life estate gift be accepted, the donor will continue to be responsible for taxes, insurance, and maintenance on the property. If the donor wishes to sell the property prior to death, the donor and Historic New England will jointly negotiate the terms of the sale. The split of sale proceeds will be divided between the donor and Historic New England.
Historic New England accepts gifts of life insurance policies if the organization is made owner and irrevocable beneficiary of 100% of the policy. Individuals considering a planned gift are unique in their giving goals, financial means, and outstanding obligations. Please consult your estate planning attorney or financial advisor to determine which of these options is right for you.
About Historic New England
Historic New England, founded as the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities in 1910, is the largest and most comprehensive independent preservation organization in the United States, and welcomes the public to thirty-eight exceptional museums and landscapes, including several coastal farms. The organization operates a major collections and archives center in Haverhill, Massachusetts, and has the world’s largest collection of New England artifacts, comprising more than 125,000 decorative arts and objects, and 1.5 million archival documents including photographs, architectural drawings, manuscripts, and ephemera. Engaging education programs for youth, adults, and preservation professionals, and award-winning exhibitions and publications are offered in person and virtually. The Historic New England Preservation Easement program is a national leader and protects 125 privately owned historic properties throughout the region.
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