Secure your legacy! Make a planned gift.
Thank you for considering a planned gift to the American Musicological Society (AMS). The Society’s work would not be possible without the generosity of people like you. Please take a moment to help sustain and strengthen music and musicology. Make a contribution or pledge to the AMS today. (The AMS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and all contributions are tax-deductible.)
Planned giving allows you to support the AMS by incorporating your philanthropic goals into your financial or estate plan. It takes advantage of the provisions of the U.S. tax code to maximize the benefits for you, while allowing you to make a lasting and significant contribution to music education and research. Explore your planned giving options by requesting a consultation with a member of the AMS staff or Development Committee today. To request a planned giving consultation, email us at: ams [at] amsmusicology.org
“When you learn, teach. When you get, give.”
– Maya Angelou
Honoring a Lifetime of Service
The Robert F. Judd Fund was founded in 2019 following the untimely death of longtime AMS Executive Director, Robert F. Judd. Bob’s untimely death was met with an out pouring of grief and gratitude for his life of service. So, to honor his committment to the AMS, Bob’s family and friends endowed the Robert F. Judd Fund which provides crucial support for the AMS office and its operations. Support the Society’s mission and honor Bob’s lifetime of service. Make a donation or planned gift to the Judd Fund today!

Bequests
The simplest and most common form of planned gift is the bequest. You can leave cash, bonds, marketable securities, real estate, royalties, or a percentage of your estate to the AMS in your will. Your donation may be restricted for a particular purpose or unrestricted. To ensure that your gift will best achieve your goals, we encourage you to consult with a member of the AMS staff or Development Committee before finalizing your bequest. To request a consultation, email us at: ams [at] amsmusicology.org
For suggestions on how to structure your bequest, download our Bequest Template.
Tax-Deferred Gifts
Making a qualified charitable distribution is a tax-advantaged way to support the AMS and advance your charitable goals. If you are age 72 or older, IRS rules require you to take a required minimum distribution (RMD) each year from your tax-deferred retirement accounts. A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) is a direct transfer of funds from your IRA to a qualified charity. Qualified charitable distributions, up to $100,000, can be counted toward satisfying your annual required minimum distribution, and are excluded from your taxable income. Click the button below to learn more about RMDs and QCDs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Absolutely! The AMS gratefully receives gifts of stock from donors in support of Society programs. If you own securities in a brokerage account and would like to transfer shares to the AMS as a charitable donation, please contact us. We can give you instructions on how to transfer that stock to the Society. If you possess actual stock certificates, we can tell you how to sign those certificates over.
There are several benefits of supporting the Society through a gift of stock or securities, most importantly:
- You will receive a charitable income tax deduction equal to the fair market value of the shares regardless of what you originally paid for them
- You will pay no capital gains tax whatsoever on stock transferred to the AMS, even if it has gained significantly since it was purchased.
The AMS credits the high market price of the security on the day it came into our possession.
You can donate a specific amount of money, an item of valuable property, or give us a percentage of the balance remaining in your estate after taxes, expenses, and other bequests to family and organizations have been paid (i.e., a remainder bequest). You can also tell us how you want your bequest used, so that your gift goes to the AMS programs you value most. However, whatever bequest option you choose, we ask that you confer with the Society’s staff on all planned gifts. Planned giving consultations allow us to advise you on the Society’s most pressing needs, and help coordinate our fundraising strategy with anticipated sources of support.
Yes, you can make a gift of most assets, including paid up insurance policies providing coverage your family no longer needs. If you donate a policy during your lifetime, you receive an immediate income tax deduction for its current value.
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