Northwoods Children's Museum
Donations of Goods or Services

Businesses and individuals sometimes can't donate cash - but support the museum through the gifts of goods and/or services.

Annual Auction Item Needs - The annual benefit auction is the first Tuesday in Auction and is the museum's largest fund raising event.  Items donated range from restaurant, store and resort gift certificates, to unique art and collectible items from local artists, businesses and individuals.  A successful auction needs 100 live auction items ranging in value from $50.00 to $35,000.00 and 200 silent auction items ranging in value from $10.00 to $1,000.00.  Donated items are deductible at their retail value - not at what they bring at auction.  Donors receive an acknowledgement of their donation in the form of an in-kind receipt which states the type of item received and the fact that the item was  donated for the auction.  Donors are responsible for providing the Internal Revenue Service with proof of value for items valued over $400.00.
 

Donate Services and/or Materials - Donations of goods and services helped significantly in getting the museum's doors open in 1998.  Since then, businesses have continued doing what they can, when they can to help the museum make learning fun and strengthen families.  Donors often give materials used in the day-to-day maintenance of the museum as well as materials for exhibit construction and upkeep such as wood, electrical, paint, tools and more.  Volunteers and businesses give skills and services to keep the museum in good repair such as painters, builders, plumbers and snow plowers. 
 

Becoming A Business Booster
Local businesses have found a number of unique ways to help support the museum.  For instance, businesses have;
- donated cash through planned giving programs
- collected cell phones which the museum can turn into cash
- hosted museum donating dinos to collect spare change
- set up their own methods for collecting spare change
- donated items to the annual benefit auction
- created periodic special promotions, designating a portion of the earned proceeds to the museum
- run food fund-raisers to benefit the museum
- donated items used in the museum's facilitated craft workshops
- matched employee donations to the museum
- donated items or food to the museum's annual birthday party celebration
- made their parking lots available for selling parking during major festivals
- donated goods and/or services needed for the museum's daily operation
- and more.
Contact the museum for more information on how your business can help make learning fun for Northwoods children and families!

All donations are acknowledged publicly unless the donor specifically requests anonymity.  Donors are listed in the annual report and on the inkind, cash or volunteer plaque.  Inkind donations are acknowledged with receipts which can be used if you choose to itemize taxes.