Museum of Danish America

As a SHOP: Discover unique gifts…

Celebrating Danish Roots and American Dreams. Every purchase supports the Museum of Danish America. Merchandise is catalogued within these collections: * Books & Media * Fashion * Home Décor * Jewelry * Kids * Kitchen & Dining, and * Novelties.

Support the Museum of Danish America …by simply purchasing your specialty merchandise here:
https://www.danishmuseum.org/shop

Be a DONOR: Show that you care…

As a private, non-profit institution, support comes exclusively from members and contributors throughout the U.S. and other countries. Please support the Museum of Danish America’s day-to-day operations. There are multiple ways to do so.

Membership:

Membership is the most direct way to support the museum’s programs, collections, and the preservation of Danish heritage in America. Memberships at specified levels are offered: * Active * National * Organizational * Contributing * Sustaining * Sponsoring * Benefactor, and * Patron.

Donations:

Help the museum continue to grow by making a donation. From memorials to special projects, there are several ways to personalize your gift:

• Operating Support: As a private, non-profit institution, our support comes exclusively from members and contributors throughout the U.S. and other countries. Help support the Museum of Danish America‘s day-to-day operations.
• Matching Gift: How can you increase the amount of your gift? Many companies will match their employees’ contribution to the Museum of Danish America. Please inquire with your Human Resources office and submit a matching gift form with your donation.
• Planned Giving: Planned gifts are a way for special friends and members to provide for the museum and support its mission. Estate provisions can be made through a will or trust, gifts of securities, annuities, or beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement plan. Members who designate planned gifts to the museum will be named on the Heritage Builders Plaque.
• Endowment: The Museum of Danish America Endowment represents gifts by individuals, organizations, and corporations that wish to ensure the long-term financial stability of the museum. The endowment is invested by fund managers with oversight by the Endowment Committee and the museum’s Board of Directors. Because only an annually designated portion of the earnings may be distributed each year, gifts to the endowment continue to grow and provide a permanent source of income for the museum. Annual giving to the Museum of Danish America, member contributions, memorials, and special donations will always be the primary source of funding for the annual operating budget. Contact the Museum’s director to learn how you can make a gift to the Museum of Danish America Endowment. Gifting to the endowment gives you the satisfaction of knowing that you have created a legacy that will allow future generations to celebrate the Danish and Danish-American story.
• Lifetime Legacy Giving: Members of the Lifetime Legacy Giving (formerly known as Lifetime Leadership Society) are recognized for cumulative gifts of $25,000 or more to the Museum of Danish America (f/k/a The Danish Immigrant Museum). Their names are listed on the Lifetime Legacy Giving recognition display board located within the museum. There are five levels of recognition, based upon total LIFETIME contributions:
• Wall of Honor: The Danish Immigrant Wall of Honor. Many of the 360,000+ Danish immigrants who left their homeland for a new life in the United States are recognized on The Danish Immigrant Wall of Honor at the Museum of Danish America.  Donor provides the year(s) of immigration as well as the city & state representing the principal location of residence. The Wall of Honor provides families and friends with a way to memorialize those who immigrated to America from Denmark. To date, over 4,400 immigrants are recognized on this memory wall. Their stories contribute to the growing repository of family histories at the museum and its Genealogy Center. The museum occasionally shares and interprets these stories in exhibits.
• Commemorative Pavers: A unique opportunity to leave a lasting impression at the Museum of Danish America with an engraved paver. * Honor the memory of loved ones * Recognize individual achievement * Celebrate an occasion * Recognize an individual, club or business.
• Naming Opportunities: For a more permanent legacy at the Museum of Danish America, we are pleased to offer a variety of naming opportunities. Support our vibrant and sustainable institution and help to preserve your Danish heritage, while ensuring that your generosity will be recognized for years to come. A range of naming opportunities are available for individuals, families, organizations, and corporations, enabling donors to pay tribute to their relationship with the museum or to honor and recognize someone special in their lives.
• Honor and Memorials: Would you like to recognize a friend or honor a loved one? Perhaps you would like to commemorate a particular occasion or event. A contribution to the museum in the form of a memorial or special occasion gift is a thoughtful way of celebrating people or events that have made a difference in your life. At the same time, your gifts will help the museum grow as a place where you and future generations may continue to learn about and enjoy the rich Danish-American heritage.
• Museum Artifacts: Donations to the museum’s artifact collections follow a very specific process which is in accordance with standards and guidelines supported by the American Alliance of Museums. When a donation is offered, the donor must complete a Temporary Artifact Receipt. This does not transfer ownership to the museum, but gives us permission to consider the gift for the collection. Once a month, our Collections Review Committee meets to consider all new donation offers. We evaluate them based on their connection to our mission, whether there is significant documentation and history for the artifact, and whether the piece is a duplicate of something we already have in our collections. Other criteria specific to each donation are also considered. If accepted, the donor signs a Deed of Gift, thereby transferring ownership to the museum and completing the donation.
• Library and Archive Materials: The Genealogy Center (formerly the Family History & Genealogy Center) is the Museum of Danish America‘s research library. We collect a wide variety of books and print material pertaining to Danish immigrants, their families and descendants, Danish-American communities, churches and institutions, as well as background information on immigration and Danish local and national history and culture. We are particularly interested in family, church, and institutional histories, and Danish local histories and genealogical compilations.

Volunteer: Foster an appreciation for Danish history, culture and heritage. Volunteers enjoy participation in special events, social gatherings, a monthly newsletter, and continuing opportunities to learn about Danish history. They also develop lasting friendships. Tell us your availability and interests. The Museum of Danish America Genealogy Center always welcomes new volunteers, especially individuals living locally with genealogical research experience and those able to translate from Danish to English; the ability to read the old Gothic print and script is particularly valuable. Each year Genealogy Center volunteers attend in-service sessions and take trips to visit local resources relevant to Danish-American heritage and genealogy. They also attend some fun get-togethers.

Support the Museum of Danish America… by simply joining, giving, and volunteering here:
https://www.danishmuseum.org/get-involved/donate/ways-of-giving