Support the Museum
The options to the left show how you can support the only museum dedicated to airlift and air refueling history!
The AMC Museum Foundation Inc. is an IRS-approved, non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization that provides capital support to the Air Mobility Command Museum for facility improvement, expansion, educational programs and events, and projects for which U.S. Air Force funding is not available.
Why should you donate to the AMC Museum Foundation, Inc? Your tax-deductible donation helps preserve our U.S. Air Force history and heritage and funds aircraft restoration, new exhibits, and educational programs.
We have two major restoration projects—the C-119B Flying Boxcar and the KB-50J Superfortress—and we're obviously excited about both! As you've seen in recent Hangar Digests, our recently acquired C-119 is a Korean War hero, the only surviving plane that dropped portable bridge sections directly responsible for troops being able to survive the 1950 Chosin Reservoir Campaign.
Can't visit regularly? Many of our members live out of state and are unable to visit. In fact, less than 60% of our members live in Delaware. Our in-state and out-of-state friends are intensely interested and supportive of the work we do and like to keep in touch with the museum by enjoying our quarterly newsletter, Hangar Digest. So even though you might not able to visit us in person, you can show your support by becoming a member.
Your dues are used to maintain our collection of aircraft and artifacts, fund educational programs, and build new exhibits. Your membership dues are deductible in accordance with IRS regulations.
Have a question about becoming a member? Send an email to the Membership Manager at membership@amcmuseum.org
We invite you to be a Summer Fundraiser Sponsor to help fulfill the mission of the AMC Museum as an aviation and aerospace facility, providing education, scientific, cultural, historical, and inspirational exhibits for the general public and Air Force community.
Your tax-deductible gift will be used to restore and maintain our aircraft, care for our artifact collection, construct new exhibits, develop more educational programs and support our volunteers. It will also help to keep our Museum as the "must-see" free attraction in the state of Delaware.
With one brick you can accomplish two things: become a permanent part of history in the AMC Museum's Commemoration Park and join the AMC Museum Foundation in supporting the museum. Engraved bricks in Commemoration Park are a permenant path to history! Businesses and organizations may also have their logo engraved on a brick for an additional $25. Designs must be approved.
There are many ways to use your brick:
- offer tribute to or memorialize a loved one
- as a holiday or birthday gift
- to commemorate a special date
- as recognition for a special group
- to show your personal or business support for the museum!
Please pass the word along to your friends and family about this project!
The AMC Museum Foundation's Aircraft Bench Program allows you to share your story with others as to why a particular aircraft is important to you. Several of the museum's outside aircraft were chosen to have a bench installed next to them where visitors may rest. For a donation of $100 you can have an inscription added to a plaque that're affixed to the aircraft's bench.
Are you looking for an interesting way to spend some free time? Do you miss having the opportunity to use your special skills? Are you interested in planes? Here is the perfect place to put your enthusiasm and interest to work. The museum is always looking for people to support its work including helping hands for restoration projects and administrative needs.
But before you get started you should read over these frequently asked questions:
- Is there a training program for volunteers?
Yes. We will provide you with a book of background information concerning the history of the museum's aircraft and the history of Dover AFB among other subjects. We will arrange for you to attend a short briefing on safety and operating procedures as well as updates posted in the volunteers office. - How often do I have to work?
We prefer that volunteers come to the museum at least 4 hours per month so they can stay up to date on changes that occur here. We will work with you to accommodate your schedule. - What kinds of jobs do you have for volunteers?
You might want to work in the museum store; some of our volunteers restore and repair our aircraft. Many of our volunteers give guided tours for visiting groups. Several volunteers have specialized jobs such as our librarian and our archivist. We will attempt to match your interests with our needs to provide a mutually beneficial situation. - What do I get out of it?
Aside from the satisfaction of helping to preserve our aviation history and keeping active there are a number of benefits. We provide each volunteer with a distinctive AMC Museum shirt after 100 hours of volunteer work. There are incentive awards all the way up to 10,000 hours, and yes we have several people that have earned those levels. Volunteer hours are logged and each year we recognize our volunteer's contributions. We take group tours from time to time such as to the National Air & Space Museum . We have a volunteer recognition luncheon and a Holiday Dinner Banquet with prizes and surprises every year. One of the best benefits is you get to learn more about our history and you meet some really interesting people. - I'm not a military person or a mechanic. Can you still use me?
Sure, we can find a job that you already know how to do or teach you a new skill. We even taught a pilot how to work with tools. I know that's hard to believe but it's true! - Does volunteering here count toward school community service programs?
Yes. - What is a docent?
A docent is more than just a tour guide. A docent is someone that teaches visitors as they show them around the museum. Many of our volunteers have personal experiences they include in their tours but we provide you with in-depth information about all our aircraft . There are always others around if you get asked a question that you don't have an answer for. - Who do I work for?
As a volunteer you work for the AMC Museum. The store is a fund-raising operation of the AMC Museum Foundation but the store clerks are still museum volunteers.
Get in touch with our volunteer coordinator, Paul George, at (302) 677-5991 or toursamcm@comcast.net
The staff at the Air Mobility Command Museum greatly appreciates all offers from potential donors. We depend on the generosity of the public to provide the museum with artifacts to create and update our exhibits.
Our collection policy states that we may only collect artifacts that are relevant to airlift and air refueling history and the history of Dover AFB from 1941 to the present. We would not be able to accept, for example, a U.S. Navy artifact or WWI artifact because it falls outside our scope of collection.
If you wish to make a donation, you may be asked to leave the item at the museum so the Collections Committee can examine it and determine if it can be accepted into the museum's collection. You'll be given a Temporary Deposit Receipt identifying the item or items that you have left with us. If the Committee decides that the item or item falls within our scope, you'll be asked to sign a Proffer of Gift relinquishing all rights to the item. Donations are only accepted unconditionally which means that the donor may not place restrictions upon use or display of an item or request that the item be returned. It's also important to remember that artifacts acquired by the Air Mobility Command Museum are the property of the National Museum of the USAF, of which the AMC Museum is a part.
Air Force regulations prohibit the museum staff from appraising or making a valuation of a donation for tax deduction purposes.
We can make the best use of an artifact when we know as much as possible about its history. For example, if you're donating an Army Air Force-era Ike jacket; we would like to know who wore it and when, if the person was involved in any major campaigns, or anything else that may be known. A donor probably can't give us too much information!
Please remember that if the museum staff must turn down your offer of a donation, it's done only with the greatest reluctance. We appreciate the generosity of all those who wish to make a donation.
If you wish to make a donation, please call or email the Director, Johnny Taylor at 302-677-5942, johnny.taylor.2@us.af.mil.