GET INVOLVED
Capital Campaign
A New Museum
To date, more than two hundred Brass Era vehicle enthusiasts have joined the campaign to build an accessible, new Museum of the Horseless Carriage on the grounds of Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan. As hobbyists, collectors, mechanics, and drivers, we share an admiration for the hallmarks of this amazing time: the mechanical marvels of a bygone era, the innovations which illuminate the human spirit forged in the sleepless nights spent perfecting engines, the spirited debates over design, and the relentless determination to defy the odds.
The Museum preserves this legacy, showcasing the amazing automobiles and innovations of the Brass Era (pre-1916) for all to enjoy. More importantly, it has the power to inspire new generations with stories of how everyday people followed their dreams, and in so doing launched an industry that changed the world.
Plans are in the works for a 2026 ground breaking, and your support will help make this dream a reality!
It All Starts Here!
Naming Opportunities
Leadership Level Gifts of $250,000 - $1 Million or More
Brass Plaque Recognition
Gifts of $25,000 - $249,999
Museum Donor Wall
Gifts of $10,000 and Up
Many Ways to Engage
ALL Level Gifts; Donation of Vehicles and Artifacts
Many Ways To Engage
There are many ways to engage and make an impact at the Museum of the Horseless Carriage. Discover the opportunities and lend your hand.
Major Gift Donors are the lifeblood of a museum. Your gift will enable the MHC to build a new museum to properly house and exhibit inspirational and important pre-1916 automobiles and fascinating artifacts from the Brass Era. Donors will receive recognition in the new museum building.
For inquires please contact us at info@museumofthehorselesscarriage.org
Naming Opportunities
$250,000 - $1.3 Million (20-Year Naming Rights)
Now on the drafting table is a 12,000 sq ft building with a facade reminiscent of a Brass Era car dealership featuring three galleries, a working garage, and a workspace to host speakers, workshops, and meetings. The following opportunities are available for leadership level commitments:
$1.3 million to name the entire museum
$1 million to name the building endowment
$500,000 - $800,000 to name Gallery A, B, or C (based on size)
$250,000 or more to name the MHC educational program
Working garage already has been selected with other spaces under discussion – contact us today for updates!
Brass Plaque Recognition - 10 years or the life of the item
$25,000 to $249,999
Whether memorializing a loved one with a dedicated bench or claiming an exhibit platform with a family name, creative options abound for donor recognition in the museum and on its grounds. A donor's name followed by their favorite Brass Era car, inventor, or quote, will be engraved on a brass plaque displayed on or near components such as these:
Indoors
Permanent Vehicle Platforms or Display Spaces
Glass Artifact Exhibit Cases
Sound system, projectors, large screen TVs, and interactive elements
Fire suppression system
Professional museum level lighting system
Furniture/Seating
Windows
Major Signage and Graphics
Outdoors
Park Benches
Exterior Illumination
Plantings and Flower Beds
Front Walk
Tree
Museum Donor Wall
$10,000 and up
Donate $10,000 or more and see your name or your company’s name permanently listed on a beautiful museum donor wall, now in the design phase.
Many Ways to Engage
If you share our passion for the Brass Era and want to get involved, please support the MHC’s Capital Campaign. No gift is too small!
Starting at $25, all donors are recognized on our Donor List appearing on our website and other places where Capital Campaign donors are honored. Depending on level, benefits include membership, invitations to the ground breaking and other events, subscription to MHC quarterly e-newsletter, and more.
How to Support the Campaign:
1) Send a check – Checks may be made out to Museum of the Horseless Carriage and mailed to the following address:
The Museum of the Horseless Carriage
c/o Gilmore Car Museum
6865 W. Hickory Rd.
Hickory Corners, MI 49060
2) Donate Online – Quick and easy, 100% of your donation goes to The Museum of the Horseless Carriage. (If you’d like to contribute a tip to Givebutter, the organization that provides our nonprofit donation software free of charge, that opportunity is also available during check-out.)
3) Donate a Vehicle or Artifact – Add to the MHC’s permanent collection with all appropriate recognition. Please contact Acquisitions/Collections Committee Chair, Jay Follis at (269) 720-9605 or jfollis640@gmail.com for details.
4) Make a Legacy Gift – Remember the MHC in an estate plan with a gift of cash, securities, retirement assets, or personal property such as a vehicle. A legacy gift is a way to be recognized today for a gift that perpetuates a love for the Brass Era tomorrow.
5) Send a Qualified Charitable Donation (QCD) from an IRA – If 70 ½ or older, consider donating your required minimum distribution to potentially reduce your tax burden.
6) Be a Sponsor – Get involved with highly visible, one-of-a-kind sponsorship or special project funding that associates your name or logo with a meaningful cause.
7) Volunteer – Help out on-site or serve as a committee member involved in building and promoting the museum.
For more information, please reach out to any one of our Fundraising Committee Members:
Philanthropic Advisor
Matthew J. Wawro – (313) 418-6086
mwawro@museumofthehorselesscarriage.org
West Coast
Whitney Haist - (925) 899-4912
haist2@comcast.net
Michigan
Jim Hart - (269) 339-1024
jhart@museumofthehorselesscarriage.org
Midwest and South
Paul Sloan - (313) 702-5555
pjsloan@museumofthehorselesscarriage.org
It all starts here, and we’d love to have you involved!
The Museum of the Horseless Carriage 501(c)(3) charitable institution,
Federal ID# 84-4555680
Please join us today by making a donation to the Capital Campaign.
For questions on how to support our Capital Campaign, or to become a major donor, contact our Advisor, Matthew J. Wawro or MHC President Jim Hart.
Matthew J. Wawro, Philanthropic Advisor
mwawro@museumofthehorselesscarriage.org
(313) 418-6086
Jim Hart, President
jhart@museumofthehorselesscarriage.org
(269) 339-1024
Membership
Join the Museum of the Horseless Carriage
Join a passionate community of Brass Era enthusiasts with a membership to the Museum of the Horseless Carriage (MHC)! A partner of the Gilmore Car Museum, the MHC is dedicated to preserving pre-1916 vehicles and the stories of the pioneers who built them.
Your membership connects you with like-minded collectors, tinkerers, and history buffs. It also provides important operating funds as the MHC works towards its goal of building a new museum on the Gilmore campus to replace its temporary exhibit space in the Steam Barn.
Membership Benefits:
Early registration and volunteer opportunities for Celebration of Brass, our annual event raising awareness for Brass Era vehicles.
Quarterly e-newsletter with updates on our building progress.
Unlimited access for one year to Gilmore Car Museum, including MHC exhibits and seven partner museums.
Membership Levels
Individual Membership
A membership for one person
$40 per year
Family Membership
For a family of four, children aged 15 and under.
$120 per year
Student Membership
One college aged student
$20 per year
Veteran Membership
One veteran of any US Military branch
$20 per year
