Many Ways to Give

Giving to the Library can be as simple as making a donation online or sending a check in the mail, yet there are other, equally gratifying ways to expand your Library legacy.

Dennis Gurtz is a financial adviser, a map enthusiast and the chair of the Geography and Map Division’s Philip Lee Phillips Society. He has supported the division since 1998, and, when he qualified two years ago, began giving through his Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

“Qualified charitable distributions from an IRA are the best way to give to charity,” Gurtz says. “They count towards your required minimum distribution for an immediate tax benefit. The Geography and Map reading room has a lot of demands with limited resources; it’s important to have support to allow Library resources to be accessed.”

Susan Troccolo, another longtime donor, decided to make a planned gift after years of utilizing Library resources, including as a student at George Washington University.

“I walked into the Main Reading Room,” she says, “and was blown away by the magnificence of the architecture and the ease of locating the book, requesting it, then sitting at a desk waiting for magnificent art books to be placed in front of me.”

After retiring from the Foreign Service, Troccolo became involved with the Library’s Poetry and Literature Center and began making special, earmarked donations.

“Quickly this morphed into including the Library in my will as a legacy donor, and I have never stopped,” she says. “The LOC was fundamental to my development as a person as well as a bibliophile. If I wanted to have a legacy in this world it would be to ensure others have a similar opportunity.”

Gifts to the Library leave a lasting impact and sustain access to its services for years to come, however you choose to give.

The Library does not provide tax or legal advice. We recommend that you consult with an estate planning attorney familiar with the laws of your state for specific advice.