Gift Planning

Empty room with ornately decorated shelves displaying a number of blue-and-white ceramic vessels with a painting of a woman above a fireplace. On the right, a window with open shutters lets natural light into the room.

Charles Lang Freer Understood the Power of Legacy. What Will Your Legacy Be?

The story of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art began with a visionary bequest. In a 1904 letter to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, Charles Lang Freer offered the gift of his art collection, which at that time consisted of 9,420 objects, to the people of the United States, along with funds to build and sustain a sanctum of art and study on the National Mall. Freer conceived of the museum as a monument to the “points of contact” between ancient and modern, East and West. We uphold this vision today, allowing the universality of art to connect us all.

When you leave a charitable gift to the National Museum of Asian Art in your will, trust, or by beneficiary designation, you make a remarkable contribution to the future, just as Freer did in 1904. Your gift will steward beautiful objects, foster groundbreaking research, and help illuminate the intersections of Asian and American cultures through the next century and beyond. As global competence and connection become ever more vital, your vision will allow learners to engage with the diverse arts and cultures of Asia for generations.

Ways to Make a Planned Gift

Tailor Your Gift. Tailor Your Legacy.

Not all gifts are the same. The National Museum of Asian Art’s advancement office can work with you to tailor unique gifts that achieve your philanthropic goals. We will ensure your gift—whether gifts of real estate, IRA charitable rollovers, or other assets for which you would like to designate the museum—supports your goals for the future of the institution.

For more information about other ways to give, please email FSGA-Support@si.edu.

The National Museum of Asian Art Legacy Society

We hope to welcome you to the Legacy Society, which will cement your lifelong relationship with the museum. Legacy Society members share a love of learning, a sense of wonder about the world, and a vision for the future of this remarkable institution. By including NMAA in your estate plan or other planned gift, you are joining this special group of philanthropists who are committed to sustaining the Smithsonian and the National Museum of Asian Art for future generations. Your commitment affords you special opportunities to participate as a member of the Smithsonian community throughout your lifetime:

  • An invitation for two to a special annual reception for NMAA Legacy Society members
  • An invitation for two to an annual Smithsonian weekend of behind-the-scenes tours, noted speakers, receptions, and the Smithsonian Legacy Society Luncheon
  • Current information about gift planning, estate management, and tax issues

For more information about the Legacy Society, please email FSGA-Support@si.edu.

  • Three people standing in an art gallery observing a plate in a display case. The woman on the left gestures towards the object with her hands as she speaks to the other viewers.

    We’re Here to Help

    To tell us about a gift you have planned or to explore the best giving opportunity for you and your family, please contact us.

    Email Us