San Diego Air & Space Museum

Planned Giving

Share Your Passion for Air & Space – Leave a Legacy That Inspires Generations

By including the San Diego Air & Space Museum in your estate planning, you ensure your passion for aviation and space exploration lives on. Your generosity creates a future gift to sustain world-class exhibits, innovative STEM education programs and unforgettable family experiences for years to come.

To honor those who make this meaningful commitment, the Museum established the Legacy Circle, recognizing donors who believe in preserving both the history and future of air and space through a planned gift. Your generosity ensures that this legacy endures. When you include the Museum in your estate plans, you are welcomed as a member of the Museum's Legacy Circle. To participate, simply let us know of your intentions so we recognize your generosity appropriately and include you in Legacy Circle events: Intent Form

Testimonials

Robert Parker
"I earned my private pilot license while attending college and went on to obtain a commercial pilot license in my twenties. After a couple successful careers, I began volunteering in the Museum’s Restoration Department about 18 years ago.I have led one restoration, two new aircraft builds and many other restoration undertakings. It is important to me to support a non-profit organization focused on doing good things in the community.

My time at this Museum has convinced me that my legacy giving supports worthwhile projects and programs that preserve aerospace history and culture. It is also important to me that any organization I donate to uses a large portion of that money for projects and not for administration costs. I think the fact that I give both time and money to this Museum shows how much I believe in what they are doing for this community."

Janet Westling
"Growing up in a household centered on the nation’s race to the Moon was an extraordinary experience for my sister and me. Our father, Dale D. Myers, played a pivotal role in putting astronauts on the Moon - first at Rockwell and later at NASA, where he oversaw Apollo missions 13 through 17, among other significant programs. Over the course of his career, he received three NASA Distinguished Service Medals. His induction into the Museum’s International Hall of Fame in 2016 was particularly meaningful for our family. By including the Museum in my estate planning, I am ensuring that the heroes of aerospace are celebrated for generations to come."

Ways to Give

Beneficiary Designations are easy to arrange. Usually signing and filing a beneficiary designation form obtained from your plan or account administrator is all that is needed to designate a retirement plan, life insurance policy, bank account or brokerage account.

Bequests through a will or living trust allow you to make a meaningful legacy gift without incurring any significant cost during your lifetime. It's very easy to amend an existing will or living trust through a simple codicil. The Museum can provide sample bequest language that can be adapted by your legal counsel to fit your individual circumstances.

Other Smart Giving strategies include Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trust, Donor Advised Funds and gifts of personal or real property. Every donor situation is unique, and a financial professional can advise you what direction is best for you.