DECEMBER IS A GOOD TIME TO CONSIDER TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO ANA

December is the end of the tax year and a good time to consider making a donation to the American Numismatic Association (ANA), a tax-exempt organization.

"Every year at this time we encourage our members to consider making a contribution to the ANA so they can claim a donation on their tax returns filed next year," says ANA Executive Director Edward C. Rochette. "This year, however, is different. We are just beginning a fund drive (ANA Target 2001) to finance the remodeling of our Money Museum and Library. This is not just a bricks and mortar building project, but an expansion of our effort to bring the world of numismatics to an ever-greater audience of young and old alike."

When completed next year, the remodeled museum will pique visitors' interest in numismatics by providing portals to the world of history, art, geography, religion, economics, sociology, architecture. In addition the ANA web site (www.money.org) will carry virtual exhibits of the ever-changing displays to be exhibited in the museum.

ANA Governor and fund raising committee chairman Barry Stuppler says, "These are not visions of grandeur but achievable goals that will make the ANA better prepared to serve the needs of collectors today and in the new century. While ANA Target 2001 committee members are seeking major donations to this important project, every gift, no matter how small, is important, and right now is a good time to make a donation to the ANA so you can claim it on your tax return next year."

A number of donations for the building fund drive already have been received, including a $10,000 contribution from member Frank Patty Jr., who attended his first ANA Summer Seminar this year.

"It gave me a new appreciation for what the ANA does and how it goes about doing it," Patty wrote to Rochette. "I am excited about your plans for the expansion of the ANA building and thank you for your efforts as you continue to work toward making our great organization an even better one."

ANA Past President David L. Ganz says he transferred $1,000 from the David L. and Kathleen A. Ganz Endowment Fund to the building drive because, "I believe in the goals and objectives of the ANA to educate the collector. I would encourage other members to consider making contributions to this very worthwhile project. It will be a gift that will continue to give long after the hammers and paint brushes are put away."

ANA Museum Curator Robert W. Hoge says, "The Association's holdings, which belong to all the members, are among the largest in the world and constitute the largest permanent numismatic display in the country."

Hoge adds, "The ANA is a tax-exempt organization as defined under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All suitable donations to the Association qualify as charitable contributions. The ANA, however, is not a tax consulting service; for additional information about potential tax benefits of donations, donors should refer to relevant IRS literature or a tax advisor."

Numismatic material with a minimum value of $500 will be accepted in the building fund drive.

To make a donation, contact the American Numismatic Association, 818 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903-3279; telephone 719/632-2646; fax 719/634-4085; e-mail rochette@money.org.

For more information about ANA Target 2001, contact ANA Governor Barry Stuppler at 5855 Topanga Canyon Blvd., #330, Woodland Hills, CA 91367; fax 818/594-8599; or E-mail ANA2001@coinmag.com.