Insider access to special events that celebrate art and the MFA’s mission.
Patron Program
Unknown artist, King Menkaura (Mycerinus) and queen (detail), Egyptian, Old Kingdom, Dynasty 4, reign of Menkaura, 2490–2472 BCE. Greywacke. Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition.
Join the Patron Program today!
Patrons’ support is at the heart of our ability to sustain the MFA’s mission and expand its impact. Patrons provide essential unrestricted funding for the Museum by contributing almost 7 million dollars annually. Patron support underwrites key exhibitions and programs that bring people and art together in a way that both opens eyes and lives. Join us today to experience the power of your philanthropic leadership at work!
Patron Program 2021–22 Season
View our full season of Patron events in our digital brochure.
Levels and Benefits
Patron members enjoy special benefits including:
Courtesy of Liza Voll Photography.
Patron Member
$3,000 to $5,999 / year
- Daily general admission for six adults and four youths (ages 7–17)
- Twelve free tickets per special exhibition
- Discounted tickets for additional guests
- Opportunity to learn more about the collections with Curators Circles
$340 per couple; $170 per person is not tax deductible
Patron Fellow
$6,000 to $11,999 / year
Deeper MFA access to intimate events including the annual Connoisseurship Seminar.
- All benefits at the Patron Member level
- Fourteen free tickets per special exhibition
- Invitations to all Patron Fellow events and learning opportunities
$500 per couple; $250 per person is not tax deductible
Patron Sponsor
$12,000 to $29,999 / year
Behind-the-scenes programs with curators and conservators at the Museum.
- All benefits at the Patron Fellow level
- Sixteen free tickets per special exhibition
- Invitations to all Patron Sponsor events and learning opportunities
- Ability to rent space at the MFA to host your private event with a 50% discount on the reservation fee
$700 per couple; $350 per person is not tax deductible
Director’s Circle
$30,000 to $49,999 / year
Visit a private collection in a Boston-area home and attend the Director’s annual Holiday Party.
- All the benefits at the Patron Sponsor level
- Unlimited admission for you and your guests and up to four youths (17 and under)
- Eighteen free tickets per special exhibition
- Invitations to all Director’s Circle events and learning opportunities
- Invitation to join the Ann and Graham Gund Director for a special travel opportunity*
- Ability to rent space at the MFA to host your private event with the reservation fee fully waived and to host a wedding at the MFA (as the couple or the parents of the couple)
$1,090 per couple; $545 per person is not tax deductible
President’s Circle
$50,000 to $99,999 / year
Philanthropic leaders of the MFA’s family.
- All benefits at the Director’s Circle Patron level
- Twenty free tickets per special exhibition
- A complimentary exhibition catalogue selected by MFA staff
$1,090 per couple; $545 per person is not tax deductible
Chairman’s Circle
$100,000 / year
Provide essential operating support to the MFA at the highest leadership level.
- All benefits at the President’s Circle Patron level
- Thirty free tickets per special exhibition
- Opportunity to host an intimate cocktail party for up to ten guests at the MFA with the curator and collection of your choice
- Complimentary valet parking
- Complimentary annual membership in a Curators Circle of your choosing
$1,090 per couple; $545 per person is not tax deductible
Advocate
Starting at $1,200 / year
The MFA invites you to sample the Patron experience through invitations to a select group of events and programs designed to bring you closer to the core of the MFA, its collections, and staff.
Curators Circles
Take a deeper dive into the MFA’s collections with curators, conservators, and fellow enthusiasts through Curators Circles! Each group offers programming on a specific area of the collection; provides behind-the-scenes access to exhibitions, recent acquisitions, and research; and features artists and outside scholars. As a benefit of elevated membership, Advocates, Patrons, and Museum Council Fellows and Patrons are invited to join.
Patron Program Events
Patrons receive insider invitations throughout the year to both online and in-person special events.
Patron Program Newsletter
The Patron Newsletter is a biannual chronicle of engaging gatherings, behind-the-scenes talks, curator-led excursions, and more.
MFA Travel
MFA Travel is a benefit of Patron membership. While trips are currently on hold, we hope you will join us in the future.
Ways to Give
Monthly Payments
Prefer to give a set amount each month? With monthly payment options, giving has never been easier!
Contact the Patron Program office at 617-369-3211 or patronprogram@mfa.org to set up your monthly installments.
Monthly payments range from $250 for Patron Members, $500 for Patron Fellows, to $1,000 for Patron Sponsors.
Automatic Renewal
Want to make renewing easy and paper free? Your gift goes further when you enroll in MFA Automatic Renewal.
Check the MFA Automatic Renewal box when renewing online or contact the Patron Program office at 617-369-3211 or patronprogram@mfa.org to set this up.
Matching Gifts Through Your Employer
Is your company a matching gift employer? Many companies will increase the impact of your gift to the MFA. Please check Matching Gifts to see if your employer will match your donation. Obtain a Matching Gift Form from your human resources department and send it in with your Patron Program reply card and payment.
Foundations, Donor-Advised Funds, and IRA Charitable Rollovers
The Patron Program is pleased to welcome grants for the full amount of Patron membership recommended from charitable foundations, donor-advised funds, or IRA charitable rollovers. Specific rules apply: Patron members who give through these channels and wish to attend events must “pay as they go” for benefits received at events. Donors will be prompted to pay the entire per person value of each event. Accompanying each event invitation is an RSVP insert with payment information to be filled out and returned to our office.
If you have any questions, please contact the Patron Program office at 617-369-3211 or patronprogram@mfa.org.
Gift of Securities
When you make a gift of appreciated securities, you provide invaluable support to the MFA while receiving a double tax benefit—a charitable deduction and avoidance of capital gains tax.
Before initiating a gift, please contact Terry Lighte at 617-369-3733 or tlighte@mfa.org or Liz Sevy at 617-369-4311 or lsevy@mfa.org so that we know to expect the securities you are donating and can promptly acknowledge your contribution.
For more information, please visit Gifts of Securities