Support Us
Your gift keeps the Keys' history alive
Annual giving sustains the only comprehensive history center in the Upper Keys. The Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Why we are here
Three pillars guide everything your gift does
The Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation mission is to conserve the history, culture, and ecosystems of the Keys by inspiring current and future generations to discover our islands through dynamic exhibits, innovative programs, and community events.
Conserve
The history and ecosystems of the Florida Keys, and the record of both.
Inspire
Every child in the Keys through hands-on discovery of these islands.
Engage
Our community by making the museum a gathering place for events, exhibits, and programming.
Takes you straight to our secure gift form. Card details are handled by Neon and never pass through this website.
December 1, 2026
Giving Tuesday · Give for the Keys
Why your gift matters
A long table, a pile of craft sticks, and a child who decides to look closer
At the start of camp season, a room full of Keys kids settles in at a long table with a pile of craft sticks, a jar of specimens, and no idea yet that by Friday they will be explaining to a parent how a coral head grows. Someone glues. Someone laughs out loud. Someone asks a question that takes the whole group somewhere new.
None of that arrives on its own. The digital microscopes, the specimen jars, the crayons, the name tags, the counselor who kneels down and looks through the lens with you — every one of them is paid for by a gift. Admissions and shop sales help carry the day. They are not what makes the whole year possible. Gifts are.
A gift is a camper who otherwise could not come. It is a conservator's hour spent coaxing a hurricane-era photograph back from the edge of decay. It is the research behind an exhibit that takes two years to get right, and the lecture series that fills a ballroom on a Wednesday night.
Conserve is a photograph that survives another fifty years. Inspire is a child who leaves believing she is the kind of person who figures things out. Engage is the reason a family four generations in the Keys, a retired teacher, and a visitor passing through all end up in the same room, looking at the same object.
What your gift becomes
Your gift is what turns a single camp day into a habit.
It stays here, in the Keys, working — in the camperships that fill a table, the collections that outlive all of us, and the exhibits and programs that bring people back to the same gallery year after year.
Make a gift
One gift does all three
A single gift preserves a photograph, fills a campership, and keeps the gallery doors open to everyone who walks in. Choose an amount below — you'll be taken to our secure donation form to complete it.
Make a gift
Give online — and see the shares your gift earns
Gifts are made through our secure Neon donation form, which records your gift directly in our donor records — so your designation, recognition, and Heritage Shares are credited automatically. You only enter your details once.
A gift of $500 earns 1 Heritage Share.
Donate now →Already a member? Log in first and your details will be filled in for you. Opens our secure donation form with your amount selected. Card details are handled by Neon and never pass through this website.
Ways to give
Give by mail
Checks payable to Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation, Inc. — P.O. Box 1124, Islamorada, FL 33036-1124
Tax-smart giving
We accept donor advised fund grants, appreciated stock, IRA qualified charitable distributions, and bequests.
Multi-year pledges
Pledges of three to five years are welcome and are recognized at the level of the total commitment.
Matching gifts
Many employers match charitable gifts — ask your HR team to multiply your impact.
Every way to give
Pick the path that works for you
Mail a check
Payable to Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation, Inc. — P.O. Box 1124, Islamorada, FL 33036-1124.
See details →Stock, IRA & donor advised funds
Tax-smart gifts and legacy gifts through your will or estate.
Legacy & planned giving →For businesses & sponsors
How sponsors help
Local businesses keep our doors open and our programs free or low-cost for Keys families. Sponsors are recognized by name and logo on our sponsor page.
- Sponsor a lecture — underwrite a night of the Lecture Series.
- Sponsor an event — galas, tasting nights, and community parties.
- Sponsor kids' camp — fund camperships for Keys children.
- Support an exhibit — help bring Keys history to life.
- Advertise in the cookbook — ads and sponsored recipes in From Soil to Sea.
- In-kind gifts — services, supplies, or event donations.
Why it matters
Help preserve and share the story of these islands
Your gift preserves the railroad workers' sacrifice, the hurricane survivors' resilience, the coral reefs' wonder, and the everyday heroes who shaped these islands. Gifts are recognized for the calendar year in which they are received.
Heritage Share opportunity
Every gift of $500 or more earns Heritage Shares — one share for every $500.
Shares accumulate for a lifetime, never expire, and are marked with a framed Heritage Share Certificate at every Mile Marker. See how the program works
Annual giving levels · effective FY2027
Core levels
Published and open to all donors.
Pioneer
$500 – $999
Lobby donor display, website and annual report recognition
Navigator
$1,000 – $2,499
Adds the Curator's Dispatch, a twice-yearly letter on the collection
Mariner
$2,500 – $4,999
Adds advance invitations to special programs, events, and exhibit openings
Voyager
$5,000 – $9,999
Adds invitation to the annual donor recognition evening
Beacon
$10,000 – $24,999
Adds a seat at the annual Beacon Roundtable
$500
Preserves three historic photographs forever
$2,500
Sends five children to summer camp
$10,000
Funds 100 hours of expert conservation of fragile items
Leadership circles
By invitation and personal conversation
Lighthouse Circle
$25,000 – $99,999
Private briefing with the Director of Development and Fundraising; collections access
Cornerstone Circle
$100,000 – $249,999
Annual conversation with the Board Chair; may direct the gift
Keystone Circle
$250,000+
Presented alongside naming opportunities; advises on exhibit priorities
Leadership support is arranged through a personal conversation with our development team rather than a published price list. Start a conversation.
Every annual fund donor receives
- Name listing on the lobby donor display
- Listing in the annual impact report
- Recognition on keysdiscovery.com
- VIP courtesies at Foundation events
Membership ($75 – $300) is a benefits purchase and is not tax-deductible. Philanthropy begins at $500. Compare membership.
Multi-year pledges of three to five years are welcome; your annual level is set by what you give that year. We accept donor advised fund grants, appreciated stock, IRA qualified charitable distributions, and bequests.
The Keys Heritage Ledger
Recognizing a lifetime of support, not a single year of it
The Heritage Ledger is the permanent record of what a donor's total relationship with the Foundation has made possible. It is not another way to give — it sits above annual giving, sponsorship, naming, and campaign support, and counts every one of them together.
One Heritage Share is earned for every $500 in cumulative qualifying support.
Shares never expire. Mile Markers are never revoked. All documented past giving is credited from day one.
View the donor recognition page
How the Heritage Share program works
- 1
Give $500 or more
Every $500 in cumulative qualifying support earns one Heritage Share. Philanthropy begins at $500 — a $2,500 total earns 5 shares, $12,500 earns 25.
- 2
Your giving is added up for life
Annual Fund gifts, sponsorships, partnerships, capital and naming gifts, stock, DAF grants, IRA distributions, and realized bequests all count together. Documented past giving is credited from day one.
- 3
You receive a certificate at every Mile Marker
At 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 shares, we issue a framed Heritage Share Certificate, and a commemorative medallion at 10 shares and above.
- 4
Your name joins the Heritage Ledger Wall
Recognition in the lobby, in the annual report, and on this website — alongside an annual statement of your shares and your next Mile Marker.
1 share
$500 cumulative
5 shares
$2,500 cumulative
10 shares
$5,000 cumulative
25 shares
$12,500 cumulative
50 shares
$25,000 cumulative
100 shares
$50,000 cumulative
250 shares
$125,000 cumulative
500 shares
$250,000 cumulative
1,000 shares
$500,000 cumulative
2,000 shares
$1,000,000 cumulative
What earns Heritage Shares
- Annual Fund gifts, restricted or unrestricted
- Exhibit, education, and collections support
- Program and event sponsorship
- Community and corporate partnership
- Capital, Future Fund, and naming gifts
- Appreciated stock, DAF grants, and IRA distributions
- Realized bequests and legacy gifts
Not counted: membership dues, admissions, retail purchases, event tickets, and facility rentals.
How Mile Markers are honored
- Your name on the Heritage Ledger Wall in the lobby
- A framed Mile Marker certificate at every threshold
- A commemorative medallion at 10 shares and above
- A personal letter from the Board President
- Annual report listing by Mile Marker band
- An annual statement of your shares and next Mile Marker
- Recognition alongside your current giving level
Your place in the ledger
Every donor receives an annual statement showing gifts credited to date, Heritage Shares earned, and the next Mile Marker. Donors are recognized two ways: their giving level this year, and their Mile Marker for a lifetime — for example, Navigator, 37 Heritage Shares.
About Heritage Share certificates
Heritage Shares are honorary recognition units awarded by the Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation, Inc. They confer no equity, ownership interest, voting right, cash value, dividend, or transferable interest of any kind, and no right to participate in the governance or management of the Foundation. Share credit is a recognition calculation and is not a statement of tax-deductible value.
Conserve
History & ecology
Sustain accurate exhibits and interpretation connecting the islands' people, past, and waters.
Inspire
Kids' Discovery
Expand hands-on learning and access for young people throughout the Florida Keys.
Engage
Collections care
Conserve the archives, artifacts, photographs, and records that bring people together through every exhibit, program, and event.
Prefer to talk it through?
Whether it's a one-time gift, a multi-year pledge, a memorial contribution, or a gift in honor of someone, we'll help you make it meaningful. Businesses can also partner with us for visibility throughout the Keys — explore corporate partnerships.
Donors may decline benefits and request anonymous recognition. Any goods or services provided may reduce the deductible portion of a contribution; the Foundation's written acknowledgment will describe applicable benefits.
Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN 46-1936911.
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352), OR AT WWW.FDACS.GOV. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION #CH38469.