Donate to the Collections

We depend on the generosity of individuals.  Donations by the public of photographs, letters and papers, diaries, books, uniforms, insignia, equipment, weapons, wartime souvenirs and personal belongings, etc. constitute the museum’s greatest source of artifacts.  In fact, more than 90% of the items in the collection have been donated by civic-minded private citizens.  Donating artifacts is one of the most important ways you can ensure the preservation of Minnesota’s military history and heritage for future generations.    

The museum is selective about what we accept based on relevance, rarity, and condition. Please do not be offended if we cannot accept certain items. Donations made to the museum become permanent unconditional gifts and may or may not be exhibited, depending on the current exhibit needs.  

The value of your donation is tax deductible. 

To inquire about donating artifacts, library materials, or archival materials to the museum, please contact the museum at 320-616-6050, e-mail connect@mnmilitarymuseum.org.

Thanks to all our donors—past, present, and future. WE SALUTE YOU!

Our Specific Needs

We are currently looking for the following: 

Equipment (in good condition if previously used)

Small office safe
Bike racks
Cross-cut document shredder
Dog tag machine

See our Amazon Gift List!

Personal Papers 
The personal papers of veterans and their families are essential documents in telling the story of our past. This means not just the papers of well-known or prominent generals and officers, but also the personal papers and collections of infantrymen, airmen, or sailors of all ranks. Types of documents include letters, diaries, albums/scrapbooks, memoirs/reminiscences, photographs, professional files, genealogical information, films, videotapes, and audiotapes.

Organizational Records 
We accept records from all service branches and veteran organizations. Articles of incorporation/constitution/bylaws, correspondence, planning documents, architectural records, legal documents, diaries, minutes of meetings, reports, memoranda, newsletters and other publications, directories, financial documents, press releases, membership records, and research and subject files.

Artifacts
The museum seeks artifacts to fill holes in its collection and to tell the stories of Minnesota's veterans. While the collection has many artifacts, many specific pieces too numerous to be individually listed are being sought. Just because you don't see it on this Wish List doesn’t mean we can't use it, but these things, in particular, are currently being sought:

  •  Items from Ft. Snelling 1820s to today.

  •  Items from the Civil War or the early frontier forts.

  •  Native American items.

  •  Early militia/National Guard items (there are many variations of early militia uniforms and accruements not in our collection; while we recently acquired several nice Spanish-American War items, more are sought, such as blankets, shoes, hats, and other uniform items, photographs, and documents).

  •  WWI ration items, hobnailed boots, posters, photographs, and helmets with painted insignia or decals.

  • Panoramic photographs of Minnesota units taken between 1900 and WWII.

  • Pre-WWII Navy uniforms, especially work uniforms. WWII-Vietnam Navy dungarees. Items related to the ships USS Minnesota, USS Minneapolis, and USS Saint Paul.  Items related to the Minnesota Naval Militia.

  • Combat uniform items from WWII, especially specialized forces like Mountain Troops.

  • Fatigue uniforms with all insignia worn by Minnesotans in Vietnam through any of the post-9/11 deployments, accompanied by photographs and stories illustrating their use.

  • Foreign items from friends and foes—from Confederates to the Afghans—uniforms, insignia, field gear, etc.

The Legal Agreement Necessary for Donation

Donors are asked to sign a donation gift form, also known as a deed of gift, the legal document that governs a donation of materials to the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum. A deed of gift is required for every donation no matter what the size, or who the collection came from. Archives staff can supply sample deeds and will work with donors to define the terms of the gift. The deed addresses physical ownership, ownership of intellectual property rights, and by default provides no restrictions to a collection. Under extremely special circumstances will the museum grant restrictions to a donated collection and only with a specified sunset date upon which they will end. Accordingly, a donor cannot choose for restrictions to end upon your death because that is not a specified and knowable date.

Restrictions

The three most common restrictions are:

  1. Retention of copyright

  2. Restricting access to the collection

  3. Specifying that all unwanted material be returned to the donor

Most often the donor will own little or no copyright in the collection (e.g.. when the collection consists of works written or created by other people). In these cases, donors only donate the copyright that they own. Researchers will still need to obtain permission from other copyright holders to publish material.

Please be aware that we are not asking for copyright transfer in order to profit from your collection. Rather we do this to facilitate our researchers' work far into the future when the donor and the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum may have lost touch and the donor cannot be located again.

Note: Also that if you are donating papers as a current or former officer of an organization, the papers may be subject to restrictions placed by the organization. You should discuss this matter with the organization.

Monetary Appraisals for Tax Deductions

In certain circumstances, it may be possible for a donor to take a tax deduction for the donation of a manuscript collection to he Archives. Donors are encouraged to speak with their tax accountants or attorneys about this possibility. By federal law, Archive staff cannot give tax advice or appraise the monetary value of a collection. It is the donor's responsibility to arrange for and bear the cost of any appraisal. The relevant IRS publications are:

  • Publication 651, Determining the Value of Donated Property

  • Publication 526, Charitable Contributions

  • Instructions for an Form 8283, non-cash Charitable Contributions

 These publications and forms are available at www.irs.gov or by calling 1-800-TAX-FORM

Transfer of Materials to the Museum

Before packing material, donors should call the Museum to provide a brief description of the material. The staff may then give the donor further advice on which items to send.

To: (Staff Name)
Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum
15000 Hwy. 115, Camp Ripley
Little Falls MN 56345

Description and Preservation of Collections

Collections are arranged and described by a professional library, archive and curator staff. They prepare descriptive guides and inventories which are used by researchers to select materials to study. Collections are kept in environmentally-controlled, secure, closed vault areas, and many do not circulate outside of the museum. Materials are used in a supervised reading room. When the museum is closed, the facility is protected by an electronic security system and by the security staff of the Camp Ripley military base. Providing physical and intellectual control of valuable collections is expensive. Donors who are able to do so are encouraged to provide financial support for the arrangement, description, and preservation of their material donations.