Gifts and Donations  The University of South Alabama Archives is always pleased to receive donations. We accept both monetary and gifts in kind (manuscripts, photographs, rare books, etc.). These donations enrich the research experience for those who use our collections, and help us fulfill our mission of protecting and preserving the historical heritage of Mobile, the region, and the University as a whole. While most donations made to us are tax deductible, the University of South Alabama Archives does not preform appraisals. Individuals wishing to use their donation for tax purposes must obtain an appraisal from outside sources. For more on that see below.
For more information about contributing materials, or for questions or concerns about the donation process, please contact the archivist, Carol Ellis, at (251) 434-3800 or at cellis@jaguar1.usouthal.edu. Please follow the links below to read more about giving and types of gifts. Montetary Donations | Gifts in Kind | Acceptable Gifts | Appraisal and Tax Info Monetary Donations The University of South Alabama Archives welcomes and very much appreciates monetary contributions of any size. Donations can be made in person or by mail. They can also be made through the University's Development Office. However, in order for a donation made in that manner to be credited to us, the donor must indicate to the Development Office that such is his or her desire. You can also make a contribution toward the Archives' endowed fund. You can read more about how to make a donation through the Development Office at http://www.southalabama.edu/development/. Or you can find out more by emailing Development at development@usouthal.edu or or the Archives at archives@jaguar1.usouthal.edu. Gifts in Kind The University of South Alabama Archives appreciates the donation of unique and historically valuable materials. We would love to be able to save everything about Mobile and south Alabama. Storage limitations, however, prevent us from doing that. To determine the eligibility of your prospective gift, you are urged to contact a member of the Archives' staff at archives@jaguar1.usouthal.edu or cellis@jaguar1.usouthal.edu. Gifts that do not meet our collection criteria will, unfortunately, be refused. If desired and appropriate, however, the Archives' staff will work with you to find a more suitable location for your materials. For more about the kinds of documentation we seek, please see below. The Archives prefers that donations be made outright. Once done so, it is understood that they become part of the permanent collections of the University of South Alabama Archives and may be freely used by the Archives and by researchers according to the rules of the Archives. Acceptable Gifts Listed below are guidelines for the type of material sought by the University of South Alabama Archives. Individuals should contact the Archives' staff if he or she is uncertain whether or not his or her donation fits these guidelines. We can, if necessary, copy photographs and manuscripts for historical research and return the originals to their owners. Archival items that enhance our Special Collections:
Archival items that have relevance to the University of South Alabama such as:
Appraisal and Tax Info As the Internal Revenue Service considers the University of South Alabama Archives the recipient of your donation, and subsequently an interested party, it is legally disqualified to appraise gifts. If is the donor's responsbility to obtain, at your own expense, an appraisal for tax purposes. The Archives would welcome receiving a copy of that appraisal with the donation. If a donor wishes an official acknowledgment letter for tax purposes from the University's Development Office, the donation must be appraised. If there is no appraisal, the Archives can provide a proof of receipt letter that describes the item(s) donated. See IRS regulations and forms below for government
requirements regarding appraisal IRS Publication 561: Determining the Value of Donated Property. http://www.irs.gov/publications/p561/ix01.html IRS Publication Form 8283: Non cash Charitable Contributionswww.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8283.pdf IRS Publication Form 8283 instructions: Non cash Charitable Contributions. www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8283.pdf For donors wishing items appraised for tax purpose the short list of appraisers below may be helpful: American Society of Appraisers will provide a list of certified appraisers in your local area. www.appraisers.org/ Booksappraised.com will provide a formal, written appraisal of books for insurance, probate, or tax purposes. It will also do informal appraisals of between one and twenty-five books by email. www.booksappraised.com/ For more information about contributing materials, or for questions or concerns about the donation process, please contact the archivist, Carol Ellis, at (251) 434-3800 or at cellis@jaguar1.usouthal.edu.
|