Planned Giving
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” — Pericles
Organized in 1904 and incorporated in 1927, the Bibliographical Society of America (BSA) is the oldest scholarly society in North America dedicated to the study of books and manuscripts as physical objects. Member gifts have played an important role in advancing BSA’s scholarly mission over the past century. Contributions and legacy gifts from BSA members have provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote the study of books and manuscripts as textual artifacts and have furnished important financial support to early-career bibliographers and scholars.
In 2020 Bibliographical Society of America established a Legacy Society named after distinguished bibliographer Margaret Bingham Stillwell (1887-1984). Our intent in founding the Margaret B. Stillwell Legacy Society was to recognize the long tradition of giving at BSA and to ensure a vibrant future for tomorrow’s bibliographic scholars.
About the Stillwell Society
Margaret B. Stillwell Legacy Society members ↑
We celebrate our Stillwell Society Members for their generosity and hope their leadership inspires you to join them in making a similar legacy gift to BSA. These unrestricted gifts fortify the long-term stability and financial security of BSA and will allow us to promote bibliographical study and to expand our scholarly community in the years to come.
In the Fall of 2019, BSA appealed to our membership to become Founding Members of the newly-formed Stillwell Legacy Society. As a result, more than twenty individuals proffered promised future gifts from their estates. Founding members are marked with an asterisk (*).
Anonymous (1)*
Anonymous (1)
Martin Antonetti*
R. Dyke Benjamin in honor of Dr. Barbara A. Shailor*
John Bidwell*
G. Scott Clemons*
Bruce & Mary Crawford*
Elizabeth Denlinger in honor of Erin McGuirl*
Jeremy B. Dibbell
Thomas A. Goldwasser
Joan M. Friedman*
John Neal Hoover*
Wallace Kirsop*
Mark Samuels Lasner
Erin McGuirl in memory of Joan Cullen Palattella*
John T. McQuillen
Jennifer Lowe & Gregory Pass*
Andrew & Eleanore Ramsey Nadell*
Justin G. Schiller*
Caroline Schimmel in honor of Miss Stillwell*
Alice Schreyer
Barbara A. Shailor in memory of Marjorie G. Wynne*
Daniel J. Slive*
Kenneth Soehner*
Peter Stallybrass in honor of James N. Green
William P. Stoneman*
David J. Supino*
Jacqueline M. Vossler*
How do I join the Margaret B. Stillwell Legacy Society? ↑
There are no minimum financial requirements for joining—you may pledge any amount that inspires your philanthropy and brings you personal reward. All gifts help to further our mission.
Please let us know by letter or email that you have remembered the Bibliographical Society of America in your estate plan and we will be honored to recognize you as a member of the Margaret B. Stillwell Legacy Society according to your wishes.
How do I include a gift to BSA in my Estate Plan? ↑
Becoming a Stillwell Legacy Society member is easy—simply list the Bibliographical Society of America as a beneficiary the next time you update the beneficiaries of your retirement plan(s) and/or life insurance policy. Learn more about donating retirement assets.
Or, please consider including the Bibliographical Society of America in your estate plan when you are drafting or updating your will or living trust.
How will my gift be acknowledged? ↑
Members of the Margaret B. Stillwell Legacy Society will be acknowledged in the PBSA Journal and on the BSA website, with their permission. Legacy Society members are also invited to gather together annually for special lectures, exhibition tours, and other bookish events.
Your membership can be acknowledged in your name. You can also join the Stillwell Legacy Society in honor of—or in memory of—someone close to you. Should you wish, you may choose that your membership remain anonymous.
The Bibliographical Society of America does not provide tax or legal advice. This information is for educational purposes only and does not provide individually tailored advice. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. The appropriateness of a specific strategy will depend onan individual’s circumstances and objectives. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Individuals should consult with their attorney for matters involving estate planning and with their personal tax advisor for matters involving tax planning.