Legacy Giving
A planned gift – from a will, trust, life insurance or other means – offers a flexible and often tax beneficial way to impact our future creative leaders.
How to plan your gift
Bequests
With a simple bequest, you can make a significant gift to benefit MIAD students today and in the future. A bequest is a gift made through your will or trust. It is one of the most flexible ways that you can support MIAD, and may lessen the burden of taxes on your family.
See our Guide to Making a Bequest for more details on types of bequests, how to make a bequest and more. To make a bequest, we encourage you to speak with your attorney and/or financial advisor.
Beneficiary designations
Not everyone wants to commit to making a gift in their will or estate. Some prefer the increased flexibility that a beneficiary designation provides by using:
- IRAs and retirement plans
- Life insurance policies
- Commercial annuities
To name MIAD as a beneficiary, follow these three simple steps:
- Contact your plan/policy administrator or financial institution for a change-of-beneficiary form.
- Decide what percentage (1 to 100) you would like MIAD to receive and name us, along with the percentage you chose, on the beneficiary form.
- Return the completed form to your plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution and return a copy to MIAD’s Advancement Office.
Memorials and tribute gifts
Establishing a memorial or tribute gift is a meaningful way to honor your loved one or to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary while supporting excellence in art and design education and making a difference in the lives of our students.
To make a memorial or tribute gift, fill out our online form (select Memorial/Tribute Gift), or contact us for more details.
More information
For assistance with making a planned gift, contact the MIAD Institutional Advancement Office. Additionally, if you have already included MIAD in your estate plan, please notify the MIAD Institutional Advancement Office. While this notification is not obligatory, it can help us to understand your wishes so we can use your gift as intended, as well as help MIAD plan for the future.
The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in examples are for hypothetical purposes only and are subject to change. References to estate and income taxes include federal taxes only. State income/estate taxes or state law may impact your results.
MIAD is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Gifts may be tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. If you have any questions about contributing to MIAD, please contact us.
News
Museum Studies class: Hands-on exhibition and career experience
Last fall’s Museum Studies class at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) has solidified a career choice for at least one of the 16 students who took it. The class was on the go all semester, visiting museums throughout Milwaukee, meeting with professionals and thinking critically about the role of museums in our society.
Jodi Eastberg: MIAD Vice President for Academic Affairs
A sabbatical year immersed in Japanese culture, language and the study of Ukiyo-e – images of Japan’s “floating world” – led Professor Chelsea Holton to two main “aha” moments and development of a new course for students at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD).
Haggerty Museum of Art features work by MIAD Fine Art professor
A towering column of life-size red-crowned cranes molded out of mulberry pulp has visitors to the Haggerty Museum of Art craning their necks to take in the sculpture. Work by Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) Professor Jason S. Yi is featured as part of the Haggerty Museum’s exhibition “This Side of the Stars: Rauschenberg’s “Stoned Moon” in the Company of Kite, Paglen, and Yi.”
MIAD Future Creatives supports high school students and educators
Digital design students at Franklin High School say their class project through the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design’s Future Creatives program provided new skills in teamwork while increasing their awareness of career pathways in design.
MIAD professor, alum named 2026 Mary L. Nohl Fellows
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) Communication Design professor Laura Farahzad Mayer and alum Nomka Enkhee ’25 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice) each received one of five Mary L. Nohl Fellowships for 2026. The recipients of emerging artist awards, Farahzad Mayer and Enkhee were selected from among 168 applicants.