How Your Donation Impacts Our Community
The Museum of North Idaho is a vital cultural institution that plays a significant role in preserving the rich history and heritage of the region. By supporting the museum, you are not only contributing to the preservation of local history but also helping to promote education, tourism, and economic growth in the community. Your support helps to ensure that future generations can appreciate and learn from the unique stories and artifacts that the museum has to offer. Additionally, your contributions help to support local jobs, businesses, and tourism, making a positive impact on the community as a whole. By supporting the Museum of North Idaho, you are helping to create a better future for the community and preserving the legacy of the past.

Your Support Makes a Difference
Preservation
To keep our artifacts, photographs, and documents preserved for generations to come, we purchase special archival quality boxes, folders, and shelves. Every object is numbered, photographed, and entered into our database for proper record keeping. Donations help us ensure the continued care of North Idaho's most treasured historical items.
Exhibits
Every year the Museum of North Idaho produces two featured exhibits that showcase a wide range of stories about North Idaho's heritage. Our exhibits are professionally researched and designed so we can create an educational and entertaining experience for all of our guests.
Educational Scholarships
School age children in the Coeur d’Alene Region deserve the opportunity to learn and explore the rich history and culture of the area. Our educational programs enhance student performance, better preparing them for the future. Scholarships funded through donations are available for Title I Schools with limited financial resources. Support for the school field trip scholarship program is an investment in the next generation of citizens.
Programs and Events
From living history walking tours to our monthly lecture series, the Museum of North Idaho produces a variety of programs and events to engage the community in local history. Donations help pay for supplies such as costumes, A/V technology, and pamphlets.
Ways to Give
A cash gift is the simplest form of charitable giving. Your tax deduction is equal to the amount of cash you donated, minus the value of any goods or services you received in return. The Museum of North Idaho accepts cash, checks, and all major credit cards.
Sometimes called deferred gifts, the term planned gifts refers to specific strategies that benefit the charity at some point in the future, while offering immediate benefits to the donor. There are several types of gifts that fall under the category of planned giving, including bequests of life income gifts such as a charitable remainder unitrust. A planned gift enables you to make a larger gift to the Museum of North Idaho than you might have otherwise thought possible because these types of gifts offer unique income and tax benefits.
Legacy gifts, or planned giving, are one of the most significant contributions that you can make to secure the future of the Museum of North Idaho. Gifts may take the form of bequests, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, gifts of retirement plan assets and life insurance policies, and tangible personal or real property. Some legacy gifts have an impact now; some after your lifetime. Many offer tax benefits.
The J.C. White Society
For those who support the Museum of North Idaho through their wills, estate plans or life income arrangements, we have created The J.C. White Society. Whatever your stage in life, legacy giving can benefit you and your loved ones while helping to keep history alive for generations to come.
If you have already included us in your estate plans, are considering a planned gift, trust or other option, or would simply like more information about The J.C. White Society please contact Annette Nolting at development@museumni.org or 208.664.3448 x 4.
The Feel-Good Way to use your IRA! Your individual retirement account (IRA) is a smart way to ensure your dreams for retirement come true. But did you also know your IRA can support local history?
- IRA Charitable Rollover: Persons age 72 or older can roll over up to $100,000 from their IRA to a qualified charity like ours, which allows you to satisfy your required minimum distribution for the year and avoid taxes on the transfer. This may lower taxable income even for those who do not itemize deductions.
- Here's how it works: If you are 70 1/2 or older, you can use the IRA charitable rollover (also known as the qualified charitable distribution) to make a tax-free gift to MONI. Transfer any amount up to $100,000 per year, and you'll contribute to a legacy project for generations to come!
- Beginning the year you turn 72, you can use your gift to satisfy all or part of your required minimum distribution. It's a win for you AND historical preservation.
- How you benefit:
- You'll feel good seeing your gift preserving North Idaho's heritage.
- You'll pay NO income taxes on the gift. The transfer does not generate taxable income or a tax deduction, so you benefit even if you don't itemize.
Not 70 1/2 yet?
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When you reach the age of 59 1/2, you may withdraw funds from your IRA without penalty. You'll pay income tax on the amount you withdraw, but if you itemize your tax deductions, you are eligible to take an income tax charitable deduction for the full value of the gift.
One of the most tax-efficient ways to give is by contributing long-term appreciated securities, like stocks. There are two advantages to donating in this way.
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Since you are not selling your stocks, there are no capital gains taxes to be concerned with.
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Any of your stocks that were purchased over a year ago that have a current value greater than their original cost can be donated and become eligible for a tax deduction equal to the full fair market value of the stock.
The Museum of North Idaho has a brokerage account through Morgan Stanley. Contact Annette Nolting for more information by emailing development@museumni.org or calling 208.664.3448 x 4.
An asset you've had for generations can be a gift for future generations. By donating all or part of your acreage and/or personal residence (a house, cabin or farm) to the Museum of North Idaho, you may be able to reduce your capital gains tax, receive an income tax deduction, and you may be able to continue to use or live on the property rent-free for the rest of your life or a term of years. Best of all, your gift will preserve your legacy in North Idaho.
Contact your tax accountant for more information.
Endowed funds differ from others in that the total amount of the gift is invested. Each year, only a portion of the income earned is spent while the remainder is added to the principal for growth. Donations to the Museum of North Idaho's endowment are quite literally that gifts that keep on giving.
The Museum of North Idaho has a dedicated endowment fund with the Idaho Community Foundation. Donate to the Museum of North Idaho's endowment here.

Did You Know You Can Support Us Where You Shop?
Shop at Fred Meyer and a portion of every dollar you spend will be donated to the Museum of North Idaho. Here's how it works:
- Fred Meyer Community Rewards
- Create a digital account at Fred Meyer
- If you already have a digital account, login and continue to step two.
- Link your card to the Museum of North Idaho by searching for our name and then entering our NPO number
- Click Save
- Now you're ready to shop and support!
- Create a digital account at Fred Meyer