Support the Museum
Give OnlineYour tax-deductible gift provides essential support for our collections, exhibits, and educational programs so that we can preserve and share the natural history heritage of our region. Contributions to the Museum ensure we continue providing free high-quality interpretative programs for school children and the public and delivering outstanding exhibits.
Please Donate Online, or mail your gift today:
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History (payable to SCMNH)
1305 East Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz, CA 95062
TAX ID 94-2427733
Questions? (831) 420-6115 or development@santacruzmuseum.org
Ways To Give
Matching Programs
Many organizations offer to match employee donations. Check with your human resources department or corporate giving program for more details, and make the most of your investment.
Honor Friends and Family
Make a gift in someone’s name to commemorate a landmark birthday, anniversary, memorial, or accomplishment. We will work with you to best recognize your gift and the honoree.
Become a Member
Members enjoy exclusive program engagement throughout the year. In particular, those joining at the Club and Curator Circle levels contribute meaningfully to the Museum’s annual fund. Visit our Membership page to explore the full list of benefits.
Join our Curator Circle
Donors whose cumulative annual contributions reach $1,000 or more by the end of our July to June fiscal year will be welcomed to our exclusive Curator Circle! Don’t want to wait? You can also become a Curator Circle member with a single gift.
Business Partnerships
You can sponsor free visitation days, collection acquisition, curation, our programs for school groups and the public, and our exhibits and community programs. Your Museum sponsorship highlights that your business values connecting people with nature and science. Sponsors are highlighted at events, in print and in digital. Learn more.
Planned Giving: The Lightkeeper Society
What is a planned gift?
A planned gift is a deferred gift in any amount given to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, an independent nonprofit. The most common planned gifts are bequests through wills and living trusts and beneficiary designations on retirement plans and life insurance policies.
When you inform us that you have initiated a planned gift to benefit the Museum, you are entitled to become part of the Lightkeeper Society with exclusive benefits. You can choose to be recognized as a member of the Lightkeeper Society anonymously or by name.
Where do I start?
Designate the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History as a beneficiary of your retirement plan, insurance policy, or other financial assets. All non-charitable retirement plan beneficiaries are subject to income taxes on these assets, reducing the amount they would receive. The Museum, on the other hand, will benefit from every dollar.
A bequest creates a lasting impact on the organizations and work you care about. It can also provide potential tax and income advantages for you and those you love. With the help of an advisor such as your attorney, you can include language in your will or trust specifying a gift to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. You may bequeath a specific asset, a dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder of your estate after your other estate planning has been distributed.
These are made directly to the Museum from your IRA and are a great way for supporters 72.5 years and older to use IRAs to make charitable gifts. If you haven’t already, consider speaking with your financial advisor about making your required minimum distribution. There’s still time to do so before the end of the year.
