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Program Support the Library of Congress

Gifts in Wills

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden welcomes children from Brent Elementary school. Photo by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress.

Including the Library of Congress in your will, trust or other estate plan is a meaningful way to create a lasting legacy that ensures people for generations to come are enriched by the nation’s greatest resource of history, culture, and imagination.

Ways to Support

A gift in your will or trust

Designating the Library of Congress as a beneficiary in your will or trust is simple, costs you nothing now and creates a lasting legacy for the nation. Learn more about how to make a future gift to the Library and download information on gift planning (PDF, 71KB).

Beneficiary designations

Your retirement plans, life insurance policies, and annuities can be used to create a lasting impact on the people who connect to our nation’s Library. To include the Library, contact your retirement plan administrator or life insurance company and complete their beneficiary designation form.

If you are a Federal employee, you can designate the Library as a beneficiary of your Thrift Savings Plan using this form (PDF, 252KB).

Qualified charitable distributions

If you are 70 ½ or older you can donate up to $100,000 directly from your IRA without income tax implications. Download our sample letter (PDF, 67KB) to fill out and share with your IRA administrator.

Sample gift language

“I give, devise and bequeath to the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., $_______ (or _______%) of my residuary estate for the general support of the Library of Congress without reference to general regulatory and prohibitory statutes applicable to public funds.”

The Library of Congress is an agency of the United States government and gifts are tax-deductible under 26 U.S.C. 170(c)(1).

Federal tax identification number: 53-6002532

Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20540-1400

Tell Us About Your Gift

Many of our supporters have included the Library in their will. If you have already included the Library of Congress in your plans, please let us know! We would love to thank you for your gift. You can download our confidential gift intention form (PDF, 91KB) and return it to saka@loc.gov.

If you have a collection or personal papers that you would like to donate to the Library through your estate, please contact us so that we can insure the Library can fulfill your wishes.

If you have questions or want to learn more about how to create a lasting legacy at the Library of Congress, please contact

Sara Karrer
Email: saka@loc.gov
Phone: 202-707-6150.

The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor.

Gifts in Wills Resources