The Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum is recognized as a qualified charitable organization. As such, the fair market value of your donated materials is generally tax deductible. To ensure that you receive the maximum tax benefit, it is recommended that you consult with your own accountant, attorney, and/or the Internal Revenue Service.

Donation offers are reviewed by the Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum staff. The staff is knowledgeable in both the scope of our existing collection, as well as various issues associated with the long-term care of objects. The staff uses the criteria outlined in the Collections Policy as a guide. We also take into consideration the condition of the object and the availability of resources required to properly store and care for the item. The sensitive nature of materials or ownership of copyrights may also factor into acquisition decisions.

The Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum staff typically can make a decision in a week or two but this may be delayed when staff time is otherwise committed to museum responsibilities, development of exhibits, or special programs. Some donations also require substantial research before the staff can adequately review them and render a decision. Due to the Center of Military History regulations, all potential donations must be approved by the Center of Military History's Collections Committee. The time taken by this Collections Committee varies. Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum staff will keep potential donors appraised during the process.

The Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum will not accept unsolicited donations through the mail or in person without prior written communication. Any unsolicited donations that arrive will be sent back to the donor, at their expense. If you have objects or archival materials that you believe would make valuable additions to our collection, we ask that you kindly submit your request in writing.

The Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum does not accept long-term loans. While we do accept loan materials on a short-term basis in conjunction with exhibitions and other programs, generally no more than 2 years, we cannot commit our resources to the long-term storage and preservation of materials that have not been permanently accessioned into the collections. If you are interested putting your objects on a short-term loan with the museum, please contact the museum to discuss options.

The Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum cannot guarantee that any objects donated to its collection will be exhibited unless expressly collected for that purpose. Only a fraction of the collection is on view at any given time. However, the Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum does allocate a significant portion of its annual budget to maintaining optimal conditions in its storage areas and galleries to ensure the long-term preservation of all collection materials. Objects from the collection are occasionally loaned to other institutions for temporary exhibitions, and most objects and documents in the collection are made available for research purposes.

The Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum cannot return accessioned collection materials to the donor. Once the Museum accepts your donation for the collection, you will be required to sign a Deed of Gift, which legally transfers all rights and ownership of the materials to the Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum.