Planned Giving
You can help ensure a bright future for the Connecticut Science Center by making a planned gift through your will or estate and becoming a member of the Albert Einstein Society – named for Time Magazine’s Person of the 20th Century. Members of the Albert Einstein Society ensure the long-term sustainability of the Science Center. You can be a part of this important effort while potentially securing financial and tax benefits for yourself and your family.
There are many ways you can make a difference through a planned gift. Consider joining a group of individuals who deeply care about the future of the Connecticut Science Center by making a transformational gift through your estate plan.
Direct Bequest
An unrestricted gift enables the Science Center to allocate funds to its most pressing needs. Simply bequeath a specific sum of money or another asset to the Science Center in your will. Our Board of Trustees will determine how your gift can best help the Science Center and those it serves.
Percentage or Residue
You may choose to leave the Science Center a percentage of your estate or the “rest, residue, and remainder” of your estate after all other bequests, debts, and taxes have been paid. A percentage will compensate for any changes in the value of your estate over time.
Memorial Funds
You can establish a permanent memorial fund in your name or that of another person, with the income to be used as you direct (in consultation with the Science Center). The principal will be invested and will continue to provide support to the organization in perpetuity.
Life Insurance
Life insurance can be a powerful asset for charitable giving. Donating a life insurance policy allows you to support a meaningful cause without reducing the value of other investments or assets reserved for your loved ones. This type of gift may be ideal if your policy is fully paid or has significant cash value, there are no outstanding loans against it, and your family's financial needs are already well covered.
Charitable Lead Trusts
Income from these trusts would flow to the Science Center for a designated amount of time (not to exceed 20 years or for the lifetime of the donor). At the end of that time, the assets would be returned to you, your heirs, or any other persons designated. In this manner, you can direct a sizeable amount of annual income for the Science Center while guaranteeing that your heirs will ultimately benefit from the asset.
Charitable Remainder Trusts
Under this trust, you (or your beneficiary) receive the trust income during your lifetime, after which, the Science Center receives the trust assets.
Henry Link: Improving Life Through Education
Henry Link is an environmental engineer, a longtime Connecticut Science Center supporter, and now a member of the Albert Einstein Society, a group of dedicated advocates who have included the Science Center in their estate plans. A believer in the power of education and one of the organization’s first members, Henry is the embodiment of the Science Center’s mission. Henry, himself, is dedicated to inspiring lifelong learning and developing the minds of the future generation to solve problems of the future. He hopes that the children who visit the Science Center will be encouraged to think bigger, and improve life for people all over the globe.
As Henry points out, STEM professionals create the innovations people use every day. He hopes that the Science Center will continue to make an impact on its visitors, as well as make STEM education accessible for many years to come.
Support
Consider making a gift to the Connecticut Science Center Endow Hartford 21 Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. Gifts to this endowment fund create a long-term resource that helps to sustain our mission during periods of revenue fluctuations. While annual support remains crucial, as it is every year, we simultaneously recognize the need to build for our future.
Your support will help the Connecticut Science Center continue providing engaging, interactive, and innovative experiences that explore our changing world through science and open the minds of future thinkers and inventors. To participate, visit EndowHartford21.com for information on how to make your gift by check, credit/debit card, or stock to the Connecticut Science Center Endow Hartford 21 Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
The Connecticut Science Center is grateful to the many supporters of the Endow Hartford 21 Fund.
- Andrew J. & Joyce D. Mandell Family Foundation, Inc.
- Anonymous
- Budd Family Fund at Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
- Sueyoung Chi
- Carmen Cid
- Patrick and Arlene Dempsey
- Kate and Rick Deurloo
- Erika and Brian Evanko
- Jerry Fan
- Matt Fleury and Irene O'Connor
- Michael and Nancy Garceau
- David and Robin Gelles
- Andrew and Mary Glassman
- David and Michelle Glidden
- Rona Gollob
- David and Lori Hess
- Martin and Jacqueline John
- Diane and Jeff Kurtzman
- Hernan and Evelyn LaFontaine
- Charles Lee
- Linda S. Lee
- John Lundgren and Tamara Adler Lundgren
- William Malugen and Nancy Martin
- Carl and Meryl Mallery
- The McQuade Family Charitable Fund
- Marie and Thomas O'Brien
- Darcy O'Connor
- Jane E. Ondovcsik
- Orr Family Fund at Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
- David and Teri Parekh
- April Paterno
- The Petit Family Foundation, Inc.
- Kwesi and Christin Quaye
- Mark and Frances Rabinowitz
- Michael and Rhonda Rawlins
- David Sacharko
- Louis and Cheryl Saloom
- Debra J. Shulansky
- Gregory and Lindsay Sergi
- Nicholas and Jen Sergi
- Theodore and Barbara Sergi
- Vincent and Debra Sergi
- Robert and May Cook Villanova
- Cynthia Vodopivec and Eric Felkel
- Len and Robyn Wolman
- Zachs Family Foundation, Inc.
- Lizabeth and Richard Zlatkus
April Paterno
(860) 520-2129
apaterno@ctsciencecenter.org
Support Us
Your support powers discovery, learning, and inspiration every day. Whether you're driven to give, eager to get involved, or simply exploring how you can help shape our mission, we’re here for you. Connect with our Development team today—and be the spark that ignites real, lasting impact.