Donations Step by Step (For Institutions)

The Donation Process Step by Step (For Institutions)

This article explains the Museum Exchange donation process from the institution’s point of view, from reviewing catalogue listings through matching and completing the donation.

Museum Exchange supports two phases of the donation process: Pre-Match and Post-Match.

The “pre-match” phase of a donation is all the steps that occur before a donor accepts a proposal and a match is made.

The “post-match” phase of a donation is all the steps that occur after a donor accepts a proposal and the donation process begins.

Phase 1: Pre-Match

The “pre-match” phase includes all steps before an institution and donor are matched.

During this phase, institutions browse catalogue listings, conduct internal reviews, and submit proposals for the listings they wish to receive as donations.

Step 1: Browse the catalogue

Museum Exchange publishes listings for museums in quarterly catalogues and for healthcare & education organizations on a rolling basis. During the catalogue cycle, institution staff may review available listings to identify works that may be a fit for the institution’s collection. Depending on your organization’s process, this may involve directors, curators, collection managers, administrators, or other staff members.

Step 2: Objects of Interest and Curatorial Review

Users identify listings of interest and save the listings to their Objects of Interest. The listing can then be saved to Curatorial Review if the user would like to present the listing to their colleagues and pursue the listing as a donation. Once a listing has reached Curatorial Review, it becomes eligible to be approved for formal proposal submission. Only users with admin privileges are able to approve listings for proposal creation. This is typically the Director and/or the Chief Curator.

This workflow helps institutions move from personal interest to shared institutional review before formally submitting a proposal to a donor.

Note: A listing must be added to Objects of Interest to be added to Curatorial Review.

Step 3: Submit a proposal

Once the institution has completed its internal review and is prepared to move forward with pursuing the donation, an admin user can approve the listing for proposal creation from their account. The user who submitted the listing to Curatorial Review will be notified, but any institution user can complete the proposal and submit it for admin review.

Proposals contain three components: Institution Profile, Justification, and who will assume the shipping costs.

Your institution’s Institution Profile must be completed and published in order to submit a proposal. This contains background information about your institution including your mission, history, facilities, and collection.

When drafting the Justification section in a proposal, explain your institution’s specific interest in the listing, including but not limited to the appropriateness of the listing for the institution's collection, exhibition program, and audience.

Once submitted, the admin users for that Institution will be notified by email and asked to review and submit the proposal for donor review. Only proposals that are submitted for donor review will be shared with the donor following the close of the catalogue cycle. Proposals must be submitted prior to the proposal deadline for catalogue cycle.

Note: A listing must be first added to Curatorial Review to be approved for proposal creation.

Step 5: Wait for donor decision

Once the catalogue cycle concludes and the listing expires, the donor receives the listing results to review. A donor may receive no proposals, one proposal, or multiple proposals. Donors are asked to make decisions and complete their Donor, Pick Up, and Packing Information Forms within 15 days. If the donor selects your institution, a match is made and the donation moves into the “post-match” phase of the donation process.

Phase 2: Post-Match

The “post-match” phase begins once the donor accepts a proposal.

At this stage, the focus shifts from selecting objects to donation processing. This includes confirming details, assigning internal responsibilities, arranging shipping, and preparing and signing loan and gift paperwork.

Step 6: Confirm the donation

Once a match is made, the institution will be asked to log in and review the donation details including the identity of the donor and the location of the object(s). The institution can assign a registrar to the donation who will receive notifications regarding the donation.

Step 7: Enter approval dates, if applicable

The registrar, or another institution user, will complete the Approval Dates Form. Depending on your institution’s internal review process, the object(s) may be presented for donation consideration at scheduled or unscheduled approval meetings. Completing these forms tailors the donation workflow to align with your process and helps set the donor’s expectations for the donation timeline.

At this stage, the institution may select:

• Whether there is a scheduled or unscheduled preliminary approval meeting and when (optional)
• Whether there is a scheduled or unscheduled ratification meeting and when (optional)

Step 8: Select pre-shipping requirements, if applicable

The registrar, or another institution user, will complete the Pre-Shipping Requirements Form. Depending on your institution’s policy, there may be requirements that must be met before the object(s) can be shipped.

These may include:

• Whether a Loan Agreement is required before the object is shipped
• Whether an inspection is required before the object is shipped

If your institution requires the object(s) to be on-site prior to completion of the Deed of Gift, you can select that a Loan Agreement is required and then a Loan Agreement section will be included in the donation workflow.

If your institution requires a condition report, conservator inspection, or shipper site visit, you can select the preferred type and then the Pre-Shipping Inspection section will be included in the donation workflow. The institution is responsible for any fees associated with the selected inspection type.

Step 9: Donor completes Donor, Pick Up and Packing Information Forms

After the match, the donor completes three forms gathering the below information. Once submitted, this information is accessible to the institution by clicking on View Donation Details” in the donation workflow.

Donor Information:

• If the user is the donor or a representative of the donor
• Donor type
• Donor name
• Signee name(s) and email address(es)
• Donor primary address
• Credit line
• Donation year
• Tax filing

Pick Up Information:

• Origin address
• Pick up contact name
• Pick up contact email
• Pick up contact phone number
• General availability
• Can the shipper pack on site?

Packing Information:

• If the object is framed
• Framed dimensions
• Glazing type
• Packing type
• Packed dimensions
• Packing Notes

Step 10: Upload a Loan Agreement, if required

If the object must be shipped to the institution before the Deed of Gift is completed, a Loan Agreement is required.

In this step:

• Institution generates or uploads the Loan Agreement to the Loan Agreement section of the donation workflow and assigns signers
• Donor(s) signs the Loan Agreement
• Institution countersigns the Loan Agreement

Until the Deed of Gift is complete, the object remains in loan status.

Step 11: Make shipping arrangements

The institution is responsible for making shipping arrangements to transport the object(s) from the pick up address to the institution’s facility.

There are two options to book shipping:

1) Book through Museum Exchange (powered by Arta) in the Shipping Arrangements section of the donation workflow. Institutions can select a shipping method and additional services, review quotes, book, and complete payment. Arta works directly with the donor to coordinate pick up. 2) Use their own shipping provider by providing the pick up and packing information to their preferred vendor. The institution can then add the pick up window to the Shipping Arrangements section of the donation workflow so the the donor can accept or reject the proposed pick up window. If the donor rejects the proposed pick up window, the institution submits a revised option. Note: the pick up and packing information can be found by clicking “View Donation Details” in the Donation Information section.

Step 12: Upload the Delivery Receipt

Once the object is received, the institution generates or uploads the Delivery Receipt to the Shipping Arrangements section of the donation workflow. This provides confirmation that the object has been received by the institution.

Step 13: Upload the Deed of Gift

A Deed of Gift is required for any object entering the institution’s collection. The institution will prepare the Deed of Gift once the donation has been approved and the object has been accessioned into the institution’s collection. This document transfers title and ownership from the donor to the institution.

In this step:

• Institution generates or uploads the Deed of Gift and assigns signees for the institution
• Donor(s) signs the Deed of Gift
• Institution countersigns the Deed of Gift

Step 15: Upload the Contemporaneous Written Acknowledgment

A Contemporaneous Written Acknowledgment is required for any donated object valued over $250 entering the institution’s collection where the donor is claiming a tax deduction.The document should be dated and signed no later than the date the donor files their taxes or the tax deadline. The document should include:

• Institution’s name and address
• Donor’s name and address
• Description of the object(s)
• Date of contribution
• Statement that no goods or services were provided in consideration of the gift

Step 16: Sign Form 8283, if applicable

Generally, a Form 8283 is required for donated objects, or groups of similar objects, valued over $500. If the donor is claiming a charitable contribution valued over $5,000, then the institution will be requested to complete Part V of the Form 8283\.

If Museum Exchange manages the appraisal for the donation, it will coordinate signatures from the institution and appraiser and upload the Form 8283 to the donation workflow once all required donation steps have been completed.

Step 17: Complete the donation

Once the required documents have been completed, the donation will be marked as complete and moved to the donor’s and institution’s “Archive” in the Donations tab. All related documents for the donation are available in the archive.