Quote:
Originally Posted by Winnisquamguy
I am confused why you're upset your donating something correct? You're not loaning it to them? You could use it as a tax write off after donating it. The key word is donate not loan.
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From a gift standpoint, you're right. Ownership officially changes hand, assuming that the transaction is agreed to in writing. But according to museum professional best practices and ethics, this takes place within the donor assumption of institutional stewardship in perpetuity.
In plain English, you gift stuff to a museum with the expectation that it will help fulfill an educational mission. Sale of the stuff is potentially a betrayal of that covenant.
In terms of the tax write off piece - museums ethically can not do appraisals. They can only verify the transfer of property, without mention of $$$. So the whole write off thing hangs on a 3d party appraisal or the donor improvising value putting the writeoff at risk of being an auditable.
I have visited many but all of the museums in the Lakes region and doubt that any fully appreciates the due diligence involved in committing to this kind of donor-institutional relationship.