The Providence Athenæum is one of Providence’s enduring cultural treasures, and we are committed to keeping our wide-ranging programs free and open to the public.

Memorial and honor gifts are a wonderful way to pay tribute to a friend or family member. You may wish to consider a gift in memory of someone who cherished the library and the humanities during their lifetime, or in honor of someone who is a loyal member or supporter, perhaps to mark a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion. When you make your gift, we will inform the person being honored or the family of the person you are remembering of your thoughtfulness. Memorial and honor gifts are also specially acknowledged in our Annual Report.

Planned gifts are a wonderful way to ensure that the Athenæum will continue to thrive as it serves and inspires future generations. By including the Athenæum in your estate plans, you are contributing to the ongoing legacy and long-term financial stability of our historic library. Options include a bequest gift or naming the Athenæum as a beneficiary of a retirement plan or life insurance policy. Discussions with your financial or legal advisors will inform you of the potential tax benefits associated with the different giving options.

All those who inform us of the Athenæum’s inclusion in their estate plans will become founding members of our legacy group, the Athena Society. Benefits include recognition on our website and in publications including the Annual Report and newsletter, as well as invitations to special Athena Society events.

To learn more, please click here. To join the Athena Society or to discuss making a legacy gift, please contact Executive Director Matt Burriesci at 401-421-6970 x11 or matt@provath.org.

In-Kind Donations
Services: If you are a consultant or expert in a relevant field who would be interested in providing your services as an in-kind contribution, please contact Executive Director Matt Burriesci at matt@provath.org or 401-421-6970 x11.

Rare books: If you are in possession of what you consider to be rare books and would like to see whether they might fit the collection’s areas of focus, please contact Director of Collections & Library Services Kate Wodehouse at collections@provath.org or 401-421-6970 x26.

Other books: Limited space restricts us from being able to accept large donations of books. If you have ten or fewer titles, we’ll happily accept your donation for our Book Sale Shelf, the proceeds of which support the library. If you have questions, please call the library at 401-431-6970.

Stock Donation & Wire Transfer
Please notify Executive Director Matt Burriesci at 401-421-6970 x11 or matt@provath.org, in advance of any stock donation or wire transfer to ensure proper acknowledgement of the gift can be made.

Stock Donation
Send gifts to: Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fener & Smith, Inc.
Account name: Providence Athenaeum
Account number: 850-03206
DTC number: 8862
Please advise Mr. Josh Frankel at (212) 382-8482 in advance

Wire Transfer
Bank of America, Dallas, TX, ABA # 026009593
Account Name: “Trust Dept TX Funds Transfer/Wire” Acct # 000180019810
For further credit to: The Providence Athenaeum-Gift, Acct # 80-16-200-3745627
Please advise Mr. David Maxwell at (617) 434-4551 in advance

Matching Gifts
Some companies, especially large corporations, match charitable gifts made by their employees. Please check with your human resources department to see if your employer has a matching gifts program. If so, request a matching gift form, enclose the completed form with your gift, and mail to The Providence Athenæum, Attn. Development, 251 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903.

United Way
Ask your human resources department if your company participates in United Way’s Workplace Campaign, which allows employees to make tax-deductible donations to non-profits via payroll deductions. Alternatively, you may wish to support the Athenæum via a United Way Philanthropy Account if you have one.