Donations & Contributions

Click here to donate money to the Gore Center for on-going preservation needs, exhibit work, and other projects.

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Gifts of Historical Materials (Documents, Photographs, Recordings, Memorabilia, etc.)

The Albert Gore Research Center actively seeks historical materials to add to our collections, usually by donation. If your materials fit one or more of the collecting areas detailed in our Collections Policy and does not duplicate our current holdings, then it is likely we will accept your gift with gratitude. If we find that it does not fit the center’s collections, we will assist in finding a proper place for the materials.

Note to potential donors: Space limitations make it impossible for staff to accept all materials offered for the center’s collections. We no longer accept modern newspapers, genealogical materials, and books. Exceptions may vary.

Donations of materials to the center may qualify for a tax deduction for income tax purposes. For more information, please consult this gift in-kind information from the MTSU Foundation [a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization] and your tax advisor. Those who wish to receive a receipt from the MTSU Foundation must complete the gift in-kind form and submit it to the director of the Gore Research Center for processing.

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Monetary Gifts for Short-Term or Ongoing Needs

If you would like to make a donation in support of a particular program, or to the center’s general needs, you may do so in the following ways:

• By credit card by following this link to the MTSU Foundation secure site for online gifts.
• By cash in person at the center. You will receive a receipt from the MTSU Foundation.
• By check by mailing your donation to the center at the address in the right column of this page. Please make your check payable to the MTSU Foundation. You will receive a receipt for tax purposes from the MTSU Foundation.

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Monetary Gifts for Permanent Endowments

Should you be interested in making a larger gift to the center to establish a permanent endowment in support of one of our programs, we invite you to contact the director to discuss the gift. There is currently a $25,000 minimum to establish an endowment in the MTSU Foundation, which can be built over time with sequential contributions. Donors may name funds in honor or memory of a person or persons of their choosing.

The Albert Gore Research Center’s strategic plan sets forth these programs for creation of endowed support:

Acquisition Fund for MTSU Archive: $25,000 (or more) endowment to produce annual income for purchases of materials related to MTSU. Though most of our materials enter our collections through donations, we often find opportunities to acquire materials through local stores or online auctions.

Research Travel Fund: $25,000 (or more) endowment to produce annual income to award through a competitive process travel grants for students and other scholars to travel to MTSU from a distance to use the center’s materials. Can be designated for use of a specific archive or collection, if the donor wishes.

Veterans History Project: $25,000 to $500,000 (or more) endowment to produce annual income to ensure the continuation of the center’s participation in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. At the lower amount, income would support supplies and transcription services for interviews. At higher amounts, enough annual income would be generated to support a graduate assistant or part-time or full-time professional staff member to devote to the project.

Middle Tennessee Oral History Project: $25,000 to $500,000 (or more) endowment to produce annual income to enhance and continue the MT Oral History Project, which focuses on recording the stories of those associated with MTSU and of residents of Middle Tennessee. At the lower amount, income would support supplies and transcription services for interviews. At higher amounts, enough annual income would be generated to support a graduate assistant or part-time or full-time professional staff member to devote to the project.

Educational Outreach Specialist: $500,000 to $1 million (or more) endowment to produce annual income to fund a professional staff educator to work with Tennessee school children and MTSU students in the teaching of history, government, and other subject matter. Depending on the endowed amount, annual income would support a part-time or full-time educator on staff and expenses associated with her or his activities.

The director is eager to speak with potential donors interested in supporting these initiatives or in creating endowments in support of other programs or projects within the center.