Support the Ringling

Ringling Now and Forever
The Museum has embarked on a multi-year $50 million endowment campaign,
Ringling Now and Forever. For more information contact our Advancement Office by email at   or by telephone at (941) 359-5700, Ext. 5803.

Unrestricted Gifts
Unrestricted gifts are particularly helpful for the Museum and are used to support myriad operational and programmatic costs. Unrestricted gifts can be made by cash, credit card, check, or through donation of stock or other means. Contact   by email or call (941) 359-5821 for answers to questions about unrestricted gifts.

Restricted Gifts
These gifts support specific programs or efforts specified by the donor. Choices can include exhibitions or education programs, special events, or specific departments such as the library or archives. Restricted gifts can be made by cash, credit card, check, or through donation of stock. Contact   by email or call (941) 359-5821 for answers to questions about restricted gifts.

Employer Matching Gifts
Matching gifts are a wonderful way to significantly increase the benefit your contribution has for the Museum and be recognized for both your support and your company’s. A partial list of some matching gift companies can be found by selecting the PDF icon below.  More than 7,500 companies in the United State alone match gifts, so for more information, send an email to , or telephone the Museum's Membership Office at 941-360-7330.

Partial List of Matching Gift Companies

Download PDF

Grants and Gifts
If you are involved in a private or family foundation, corporate foundation, or public entity that grants funds or makes gifts to charitable and educational institutions such as the Ringling, we would be pleased to speak with you and provide you with information about what we do. For more information, please contact  by email or call (941) 359-5700 x3802.

Stock Gifts
Gifts of stocks can be made to the Museum through SunTrust. The Museum is notified of the stock gift by SunTrust then directs them to sell the stock. The day on which the donor’s gift is given to the Museum via SunTrust determines the value of your donation, the proceeds of which can fund membership(s), an unrestricted gift, a restricted gift, or a gift to the Ringling Now and Forever Campaign. If you have interest in making a gift of stock to the Ringling Museum, please contact Ursula Jones at SunTrust at (941) 951-3275.

Sponsorship
The Ringling Museum is pleased to offer exciting opportunities for sponsorship of special events. The Museum recognizes that mutually beneficial partnerships provide community outreach and offer the sponsor maximum visibility among key constituents. For more information about sponsoring the UnGala, the Museum’s annual fundraising event each October that kicks off the Sarasota social season, contact . For information about sponsoring other Museum special events, contact events@ringling.org.

Planned Gifts
These gifts involve the expertise of a professional (CPA, financial planner, attorney, etc.) with the donor’s direction, and are a promise by a donor (during his lifetime or as the result of a bequest) to contribute a specified amount of money, and/or certain types of tangible personal property or art, to a charity or public institution such as the Ringling. For more information about different kinds of planned gifts, contact Advancement Office at   or call (941) 359-5821.

Gifts In Kind
There are many examples of what can be considered a gift in kind, which are gifts of products and/or objects, and we have outlined the most popular types below. Gifts of artwork to the Ringling require special attention. Although a work of art might be valuable, it may not be appropriate for the Museum's collection. If you are considering donating a work of art to the Museum, you should first contact the curator of the appropriate department. The Museum has curators or specialists for its Art Collection, its Archives, its Library, the Ca’d’Zan, and the Circus Museum. Contact information is outlined below.

Art, Artifacts, Props, and Ca’d’Zan
TBA

Archival Materials and Historical Circus Objects
Deborah Walk

Books
Linda McKee

Tangible personal property, such as jewelry, antiques, stamps, coins, vehicles, and the like, may be donated to the Ringling Museum during your lifetime or by bequest. Gifts of real property also can be donated. The Museum must give special consideration to such gifts before it can accept them. If you are contemplating donating tangible personal property or real property to the Museum please email our Advancement Office at or call (941) 359-5821.