Art collections often carry sentimental value. So when an individual is working on something close to the heart or gathering collectibles, there needs to be a clear plan on what to do with it when you can not take responsibility any more. One ideal approach is considering it for donations. However, there are only a few charity centers and donation stores that accept art collections such as a few in the US and some Clothing Donation Bins in Melbourne, Australia.

If you make up your mind to donate the items to an ethical art collector, the process of finding and connecting can be quite tiring and it requires legal expertise too.

Here’s How It Works

As surprising as it may come, donating art pieces requires a lot of paperwork and negotiations. Needless to say, the process is quite different as compared to walking up to a, let’s say, Goodwill drop off donation bins and simply putting away anything you want to donate. A UBS Report has highlighted that, “Ideally, a donor and charity will openly discuss their objectives and priorities in order to understand the parameters and expectations surrounding the gift and come up with mutually satisfactory gift agreement. Often collectors looking to donate artworks for cultural prestige or tax benefits, approach a museum only to find that what they are offering doesn’t mesh with the museum’s needs. Moreover, The cost of storage, insurance, and conservation can make a bestowed artwork more trouble than what it is worth”

You will have a better experience with art donations if you are aware of important contractual language and terms used by art collectors, managers, or those involved in charitable art donation centers.

Statement of Intent: It is a written agreement that a donor can back out of a donation under certain circumstances. It is basically the first step any party needs to carry out for charitable artwork donation.

Gift Agreements: It is a contract that both parties have to sign to execute a donation. Prior to this, it is advised that the donor is made aware of gift acceptance policy. Also note that the policy can differ from one center to another and, therefore, the agreements will also vary across institutions. You may find some standard clauses, nonetheless.

Pledge Agreement: This type of contract is required for long-term donations only as to deal with the matters after a donor passes away. Keep in mind that institutes can call donors to court if they are able to uphold the terms of the pledge so be careful what you agree with. Moreover, it can be difficult to change the clauses later on to discuss any major point with a financial advisor beforehand.

Donor Recognition and Rights: It is compulsory to enlist a donor attribution line even if the donor does not want to be known publicly. Furthermore, only sizable donations give donors the right to have their name displayed prominently in exhibition wings and curatorships.

The Strategy To Keep In Mind

Donating an art piece usually has one of the two intentions: To donate a piece or a collection solely out of good gesture or to sell it for gathering funds that can be sent to charitable organizations.

If you are doing the former, it is better to get in touch with someone, an individual of a public institute that will enjoy the artwork. On the other hand, if the goal is to support art organizations financially then donating a piece or collection to a museum is not likely to help. Furthermore, in this case considerations like tax reductions should be taken into account as well. Engaging a tax professional may help determine the amount that will be deducted.

It is also extremely important to find the right organization to donate to. There are more than 30,000 art museums in the US alone. Although most of them accept donations of artwork as public charity, make sure their offerings align with your needs. Also, bring key partners into the negotiations as early as possible. This includes hiring a legal counselor, tax professional and art advisor that can guide you on how to proceed during the talks and help prepare appropriate paperwork as well.