The Providence Athenæum simply would not exist today without the foresight and generosity of centuries of past members.

The Athena Society was created to honor and recognize those who have included the Athenæum in their estate plans. The Athena Society is named for our patron goddess of wisdom, and pays tribute to the Athenæum as a center of intellectual curiosity and discovery. You can join the Athena Society by informing us in writing of the Athenæum’s inclusion in your estate plan.

Athena Society benefits and recognition include:

Ways of giving include, but are not limited to:

Bequest
Naming the Athenæum in your will or trust is the simplest and most common way to make a planned gift, and helps to reduce your taxable estate. A bequest can be a percentage of your estate, a specific amount, or what remains after providing for your loved ones. A bequest can be added to an existing will via an amendment (codicil) by your attorney.

Example bequest language:
“I give the sum of ____ dollars ($____) to the Providence Athenæum in Providence, RI for its general use and purposes [or, to be placed in its endowment].”

“I give ____ percent (____%) of my residuary estate to the Providence Athenæum, in Providence, RI for its general uses and purposes [or, to be placed in its endowment].”

Life Insurance
Transfer ownership of a paid-up life insurance policy to the Athenæum and receive a charitable tax deduction, or name the Athenæum as owner and beneficiary of a new policy.

Retirement Plan
Name the Athenæum as a beneficiary of an IRA, 401(k), or other qualified retirement plan, reducing the tax burden for your heirs.

Charitable Gift Annuity
You or a beneficiary will receive fixed payments for life, and the Athenæum receives the remaining funds when the annuity matures. You receive a current income tax deduction for a portion of your contribution, and the annual annuity payments you receive may be partially tax-free.

Charitable Remainder Trust
You or beneficiaries receive an annual income (a percentage of the value of the trust) for your lifetime or a term of years, and the Athenæum receives the remaining funds when the trust terminates. You receive a current income tax deduction for a portion of your contribution.

Charitable Lead Trust
Often described as the opposite of a Charitable Remainder Trust, this option provides the Athenæum with an annual payment for a specific term of years. Your heirs receive the remaining funds when the trust terminates and benefit from reduced estate taxes.

This is intended to provide general information, and is not intended as legal, accounting, tax or other professional advice, and should not be relied upon as such. For assistance with your particular situation, please consult an attorney, tax advisor, financial advisor, or other professional.

I have included the Athenæum in my estate plan to ensure the Athenæum’s important role as library and a community cultural organization. I am certain that my gift to the endowment will ensure additional support for the Athenæum and its operations and programs for many years to come. The Athenæum is fortunate to have an endowment that is a result of contributions of generous benefactors in the past; however, the endowment must grow in the years ahead to sustain the Athenæum’s first-class programs and library services and keep dues at a reasonable level, and I am pleased to contribute to it.

Deming Sherman, Former Board President

The Athenæum has been a constant in my life – from attending children’s programs and leaving with a pile of books on Saturday mornings, to getting scared as a teenager going through the haunted house in the old basement, to summers shelving books and working at the front desk, to introducing my own children to stories and books I had loved, to now attending Salons as the perfect end to a working week. The Athenæum has become an increasingly important part of the cultural landscape of Providence over that time, and I want to make sure it is there for future generations the same way it has been for me.

Garry Bliss

Whenever I walk into the Athenæum, I feel so grateful for the gift that past generations of members have given to us all. By including the library in my will, I not only honor that legacy, but I also pledge my support for the Athenæum’s future communities. And if heaven doesn’t turn out to look precisely like the Athenæum, then my gift will also ensure the comfort of my ghost. Look for me in the Art Room.

Board President R. Tripp Evans

For many years I have enjoyed the variety of interesting programs at the Salons which are a valuable gift to the community. The Providence Athenæum deserves our genuine thanks and generous support; therefore, I have made a bequest in my estate plan through the Rhode Island Foundation.

Lynne Hoppin-Fazzi

To join the Athena Society or to discuss any questions you may have about making a legacy gift, please contact:

Matt Burriesci
Executive Director
401-421-6970 x11
matt@provath.org
The Providence Athenaeum
251 Benefit Street
Providence, RI 02903