Thank you for your interest in donating archival materials to the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum.
Because unsolicited donations may be returned or disposed of without notice, we ask potential donors to contact our director before sending any items to the museum:
Acquisitions email: wendy@jfkhyannismuseum.org
Acquisitions voicemail line: 508-790-3077 x 2
Acquisitions mailing address: Director, John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, PO Box 2488, Hyannis, MA 02601.
We ask that you provide a detailed description of the material you wish to donate, the quantity, and your contact information. Please note that the Museum does not generally accept donations unless they are truly unique, related to the Kennedy family’s time on Cape Cod or of singular historical value.
All donation offers are handled during business hours Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and must be reviewed by museum staff before they can be accepted. A member of the staff will respond to your offer within ten business days if the material you wish to donate meets our collection development guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will you accept books or magazines?
A: Yes, we will consider new or used books, soft or hard cover, as outright donations. We will accept magazines. We may accept Cape Cod newspapers.
Q: What don’t you accept?
A: We generally do not accept the following categories of materials:
Newspapers, personal journals;
Tributes, poems, or songs;
Photocopies or digital facsimiles of original materials (including those from other archives);
Personal scrapbooks (including news clipping scrapbooks);
Materials that are too fragile to be of service to researchers or require extensive conservation; materials that have mold, mildew, pest, or other potentially harmful infestations; or organic materials.
Q: How much is my material worth? Is it authentic?
A: As a private institution, the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum cannot purchase materials, provide monetary appraisals or assessments, or recommend individual appraisers. If you would like to have your materials appraised, you must do so prior to donating them to the museum. The following websites provide the names of certified appraisers throughout the country:
www.appraisers.org/find-an-appraiser
Q: Do I need to sign anything?
A: We may ask you to complete a formal deed of gift or to provide a written statement confirming your intent to donate the materials. We do not accept materials for temporary loan or deposit, and materials donated to the Kennedy Hyannis Museum become the physical property of the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum Foundation, Inc. Donors are also expected to transfer to the museum’s foundation all copyrights they hold in the materials, making them in the public domain.
Q: How will I know you received my donation?
A: All pre-approved donations will be acknowledged formally upon receipt, usually by letter. Please note that unsolicited donations may not be acknowledged.
Q: Will my donation be exhibited?
A: We cannot guarantee that donations will be placed on display, and we are unable to accept donations requiring that stipulation.