Planned Giving at Walker Art Center
Skip to main content

Planned Giving

A groupd of children plan on large tubular sculpture outside on a sunny day.
School tour stops to play at the Nairy Baghramian sculpture Privileged Points in the Wurtele Upper Garden at the Walker Art Center, 2018. Photo by Carina Lofgren. Courtesy Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.

T. B. Walker founded the Walker Art Gallery in 1927 with the gift of his extensive art collection. Since then, many generous donors have honored his philanthropic impulse by making planned gifts to the Walker, establishing a legacy of their own while ensuring access to world-class contemporary art for future generations.

Planned gifts help support the Walker’s annual operations and the Endowment Fund, allowing the institution to flourish artistically and become a model for museums around the world. The principal of the Endowment Fund is invested to increase over time, and the Walker uses the income it generates to support general operations and innovative, multidisciplinary programming.

Planned gifts ensure that artistic excellence, from new work to new scholarship, will continually be upheld at the Walker. By planning a future gift to the Walker, you too can make a crucial difference in upholding a sound foundation for the future growth and vitality of the Walker Art Center.

Ways to Leave a Planned Gift

The following are examples of ways to make a planned gift to the Walker and leave a legacy for future generations:

Include a gift to the Walker in your will or revocable trust. You can choose a specific dollar amount or percentage of your estate, and the gift can consist of cash, stock, bonds, or other property. The Walker can also be named as a contingent beneficiary and receive your estate when you have no other beneficiaries. Testamentary gifts like this typically qualify for an estate tax charitable deduction. Naming the Walker as a beneficiary requires that you add specific language to your will or trust agreement. Sample language is available upon request.

Designating the Walker to receive a portion or all of your retirement assets can provide an important gift at considerable tax savings. Upon death, beneficiaries (other than a spouse or charity) may pay tax on gifts of retirement benefits. These assets are non-probate assets or exist outside of establishing a will. Naming the Walker as a beneficiary is accomplished by updating the change of beneficiary form provided by your account custodian.

Naming the Walker as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy will provide the Walker with substantial resources and is revocable should your family’s needs change. Life insurance policies are non-probate assets or exist outside of establishing a will. This change can be accomplished by updating the change of beneficiary form provided by your life insurance company. You can also purchase a new policy to benefit the Walker.

Life income plans enable you and/or another designated beneficiary to receive income throughout your/their lifetime. These types of planned gifts allow you to obtain an income tax deduction, reduce your estate taxes, and protect your financial security while making a charitable gift to the Walker.

A Charitable Lead Trust will provide annual payments to the Walker for a period of years. Upon termination, the remaining trust property will be distributed back to you or designated heirs, potentially saving them considerable gift and estate taxes.

A Charitable Remainder Trust will provide you with annual payments during your lifetime. Upon death, any remaining property will benefit the Walker. This type of gift provides you with an income tax charitable deduction upon creation, reduces your taxable estate, and provide a reliable stream of income during your lifetime.

A Charitable Gift Annuity provides fixed income as well as charitable income tax deduction in exchange for gifted cash or securities to the Walker. The rate is determined by your age, and you can choose whether to receive income immediately or wait until retirement.

These tools can also be structured to provide benefits for a spouse or children.

You can create a lasting legacy by naming your loved ones as a successor to your donor-advised fund (DAF) to continue to recommend grants to the Walker or name the Walker as a beneficiary to receive all or part of the fund after your lifetime. Naming the Walker as a beneficiary is accomplished by updating the change of beneficiary form from your DAF advisor.

Assure the continued appreciation of beloved works by designating a part, or the entirety, of your collection. The Walker’s collection holds more than 13,000 works, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, and prints as well as video installations, films, artists’ books, digital artworks, and objects in many other forms. Each year the museum’s collection grows through purchases and gifts. Artworks are purchased through a portion of the income from endowment funds dedicated to art acquisition. Gifts of art come from collectors who generously make their treasured works available for all to enjoy. Both gifts and purchases undergo rigorous review to determine whether they are appropriate additions to the collection. If you are considering donating a work of art to the Walker, please contact us first with details about your proposed gift.

Joining the Legacy Circle

The Legacy Circle honors those who have remembered the Walker Art Center in their estate plans. In addition to the potential tax deductions, Legacy Circle members enjoy special benefits such as invitations to exhibition tours and lunches at the Walker several times a year as well as recognition in Walker publications and on-site (if desired).

We invite you to join the Legacy Circle and be a part of sustaining the Walker’s financial foundation for generations to come. If you would like more information or have made this commitment and are ready to notify the Walker, please complete the Legacy Circle Confirmation form or contact Michelle Poss, Gift Officer, at 612-375-5838.

Additional Information on the Walker Art Center

Thank You, Legacy Circle Members

The Walker Art Center gratefully acknowledges the ongoing generosity and sustaining support of the Legacy Circle: