Densho Legacy Circle
Densho—a Japanese term meaning “to pass on to the next generation” or “to leave a legacy”— is an online archive and public history organization that documents the stories of Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II. Our public website offers irreplaceable firsthand accounts, coupled with historical materials and educational resources, to keep this vital history alive for future generations. Linking the past to the present, Densho creates awareness of racial scapegoating and xenophobia, especially during times of crisis, and works to solve these and related problems. The mission of Densho is to preserve and share the history of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans to promote equity and justice today.
Why include Densho in your estate planning?
By including Densho in your estate plan, you can leave a legacy of your own. The Densho Legacy Circle honors persons who have chosen to allocate future gifts to Densho through designations in their estate plans.
Estate planning is something that everyone should consider. An estate plan ensures that your assets—whatever their size—will be managed and distributed as you wish after your passing. An estate plan prioritizes your values, aspirations, and wishes. You can dedicate shares of your estate to loved ones, as well as to organizations like Densho that matter to you.
Joining the Legacy Circle Has Immediate and Future Benefits.
Becoming a member of the Densho Legacy Circle will give you the immediate satisfaction of knowing that your gift will live on and enable Densho to continue its mission.
Members of the Densho Legacy Circle will be invited to a special event each year to honor and celebrate your commitment. You will also receive an exclusive commemorative pin only available to members of the Densho Legacy Circle. All you need to do to join is to officially inform us that Densho is included in your estate plan.
Your Gift Will Impact Densho’s Long-Term Vision.
Your planned gift to Densho will support our work to educate all Americans and inspire them to act in defense of liberty and the highest values of our country.
Gifts to the Densho Legacy Circle are placed into a segregated investment account, where the funds will be used to ensure long-term financial support for Densho.
The following list highlights Densho’s efforts and long-term wide ranging impacts:
- It is an award-winning innovator in the use of digital technology to preserve and share historical materials;
- Offers a robust and reliable digital repository that informs scholars, teachers, journalists, museums, filmmakers, artists, and writers;
- Shares the craft of community history preservation through free trainings on family history, oral histories, and content digitization;
- Provides educational resource materials that are readily accessible online by teachers, students, and scholars;
- Develops and hosts digital and live events that create deeper understandings of history and its relevance to the present;
- Supports and collaborates with other communities confronting ethnic and racial inequities and works to build solutions; and
- Responds to and raises awareness about current events that touch Japanese Americans and other racial and ethnic communities in ways others may not realize, such as racial profiling, perpetuation of harmful stereotypes, and racially motivated harassment and attacks.
Your planned gift is especially beneficial now. Densho’s digital platform is significant more than ever before in this rapidly changing digital world. Its potential audience is vast. Unlike stand-alone museums, libraries, and schools, Densho’s digital archives, with expansive primary sources and archival preservation tools, are readily accessible to the public worldwide.
Contact Us: Densho staff members are available to provide further information and to discuss your giving options. We invite you to contact our Development team: gifts@densho.org