Investing in the Creativity of Future Generations

The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens is dedicated to its mission to engage and inspire through the arts, gardens, and education. Unrestricted gifts to the annual fund help the Museum to grow in strategic ways and continue to deliver on its mission promise. Directing your philanthropy in this way is a true investment in the future of the Museum and all its possibilities.

Gifts to the annual fund can be made as one-time gifts or pledge commitments.

Founded in 1996, the Ponce de León Society recognizes donors who have made an investment in the Museum at a higher level. The Society’s name was inspired by Ponce de León in Florida, a painting in the Museum’s permanent collection by Thomas Moran.

Society members enjoy exclusive benefits, social events, engagement opportunities, and a high level of access and service from Museum staff. Your support helps our team create an exciting and diverse calendar of exhibitions and programming for you and our community.

For more information about the Ponce de León Society, or to update your contact information, please contact Éres McKee at 904.899.6001 or donors@cummermuseum.org

Benefits:

• Patron: $1,250 to $4,999
  • Invitations to exclusive Donor Society events
  • Complimentary admission for two adults and two children under 18 for one year and two guest cards
  • Member discounts on all classes and events, and a 10% discount in the Cummer Shop and Café
  • Reciprocal membership to more than 1,000 museums and gardens through the:
    • Southeastern Reciprocal Museum Program (SERM)
    • North American Reciprocal Museum Program (NARM)
    • American Horticultural Society Program (AHS)
• Benefactor: $5,000 to $9,999
  • All benefits from Patron level plus:
    • Free admission for four to a garden concert of your choice
    • Director- or Curator-led Ponce de León group tour of the permanent collection and gardens
• Director’s Circle: $10,000 & up
  • All benefits from Benefactor level plus:
  • Personal Collection consultation with the Director or Curator

Support at the Ponce de León Level

The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens fulfills its mission of engaging and inspiring visitors through arts, gardens, and education through the exhibitions it presents to the community. All exhibitions present dedicated programming that allows our visitors to delve deeper and continue to explore the world-class art and gardens featured here.

If you or your business are interested in supporting an exhibition or program through sponsorship, please reach out to the Advancement Office at donors@cummermuseum.org

Memorial and Honorary Gifts are a wonderfully meaningful way to commemorate an occasion, honor the accomplishments or contributions of a friend or family member, or mark the passing of a dear one. You may also plan memorial gifts by establishing directives through your personal estate plans. If you are planning to make such directives, please contact the Advancement office to discuss potential options.

Click below to make a donation in memory of or in honor of a loved one. In the comment box on the form, please enter the following:

• Whether the donation is in honor of or in memory of, along with the name of the honoree.
• Name and address of the person you would like us to notify about your generous donation. The amount of your donation will be kept confidential from the recipient in the notification letter.

Honor or Memorial Donation

Congress has passed some important tax provisions that positively affect charitable giving. Most notable is the retroactive reinstatement of the IRA Charitable Rollover provision.

The IRA Charitable Rollover allows individuals 70½ or older to make a tax-free rollover using funds transferred directly from their IRA. This means you can donate up to $100,000 from your IRA without having to count the distribution as taxable income – and it counts towards your required minimum distribution. Since you will not be taxed on the income, no income tax deduction may be claimed. Consult your plan administrator for more details. Originally enacted into law in 2006, the Rollover has been permanently extended into the future.

Please consider a gift to the Cummer Museum as part of your annual IRA Rollover plans. If you have questions about this opportunity or would like to discuss other planned gifts to the Museum, please contact Éres C. McKee at 904.899.6001 or via email at emckee@cummermuseum.org.

The Ninah Cummer Legacy Society honors individuals who follow in Mrs. Cummer’s footsteps and make a planned gift to the Museum.

When the Museum first opened its doors on November 11, 1961, the historic event was the achievement of someone who knew the importance of planned giving. In her will, Ninah Cummer established a foundation to share a renowned art collection, a riverfront lot adorned with formal gardens to build an extraordinary institution, and more.

“This Foundation is created in the full knowledge that my bequests and the endowment make only a small beginning toward a large vision, but it is created, also, in the hope that others will share this vision and by their interests and contributions will help to establish here a center of beauty and culture worthy of the community.” – Ninah M. H. Cummer

Join the Ninah Cummer Legacy Society by notifying the Museum that you have included the Cummer Museum in your estate plans. Contact Éres C. McKee at 904.899.6001 or via email at emckee@cummermuseum.org.