Supporting the Shore Line Trolley Museum is easy! From making sure your trash goes into a trash container while on your visit to volunteering your time, helping us plan or staff a special event to making a financial contribution, your support is very much appreciated. Every admission fare paid and membership renewed helps the museum continue to meet its mission of preserving our historic rail line and collection of equipment, and bringing the trolley experience to all who visit. Thank you for your support!
Become a member
Becoming a member of the Museum is not only a great way to show your support for historic preservation, it is also a great deal for you (and your family)! Read more about membership levels and join online today.
Volunteer
Learn how to get involved by volunteering.
Donate
The museum is a recognized 501(c)3 charitable not-for-profit organization and all monetary donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Donate online with a credit/debit card or Paypal account using the button below:
Or print the form and mail it in with your check or money order to:
Shore Line Trolley Museum
17 River Street
East Haven, CT 06512-2519
Amazon Smile program
The Shore Line Trolley Museum is an eligible charity in Amazon’s charitable “donate while you shop” program called Amazon Smile. To support the Trolley Museum while shopping online via Amazon, click on the button below or follow the instructions.
- Go to smile.amazon.com.
- If you are not already logged in to your Amazon account, log in using your regular amazon.com registered email address and password.
- You’ll be asked to select a charity to support. Type Branford Electric Railway Association in the search box. (The Branford Electric Railway Association, Inc. is the official corporate name of the Shore Line Trolley Museum)
- Click the select button next to our listing, Branford Electric Railway Association, Inc.
- Whenever you want to use Amazon, make sure to start your session by going to smile.amazon.com, not amazon.com. You’ll know you are in the right place because at the top of the page, you’ll see the message: “Supporting: Branford Electric Railway Assoc Inc.”
- Other than that, smile.amazon.com is exactly the same as amazon.com. All of your orders, wish lists, etc. are shared between the sites. But you must use smile.amazon.com in order for your purchases to count towards Amazon’s charitable donation. Also, purchases made via the Amazon app are not counted, but if you are shopping on a mobile device, you can use the web browser to start at smile.amazon.com
- Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price (exclusive of tax, shipping, etc.) to us. They do not deduct any fees, and their donation does not affect the price that you pay them. Their donation is not deductible on your taxes. View full details of their program here.
Corporate giving
Since 1945, the Shore Line Trolley Museum has been a point of pride for the East Haven/Branford Region. Each year, the Museum seeks to partner with corporations and corporate foundations to help preserve and maintain our collection so that visitors from all over the world can enjoy a ride into the past, and keep an educational working trolley line/yard/shop for volunteers both young and old to experience what it was like to work in the days of the trolley.
We are very proud of all of our current corporate partners and invite you to join this great group of community leaders. We are ready to work on a solution for your company. Contact the Museum for complete details on our corporate giving program.
Matching gifts
Many corporations match the charitable contributions that their employees make? If you’re not sure if your company offers a matching gift program, please ask your Human Resources Department. If they do have such a program, you most likely will be given a matching gifts form to complete and then fax or mail to us. Matching employer contributions will make your donation go further!
Planned giving
Making a planned gift is a thoughtful way to significantly contribute to the future of the Shore Line Trolley Museum, and to create a legacy that will inspire visitors and art enthusiasts for generations to come. Your gift can help support the Museums collection, and educational programs, as well as offer many benefits to you, your spouse, or your family.
With your planned gift, you may receive financial or tax benefits and achieve much more with your donation than you may have thought was possible. The Shore Line Trolley Museum is pleased to accept many planned gift options.
- Bequests are a simple way to create a legacy that will allow the Shore Line Trolley Museum to continue its mission to collect, preserve, and operate the Trolley’s of yesteryear for all to ride.
- Gifts of stock or securities can help you maximize your philanthropic giving while minimizing taxes on capital gains.
- Gifts of cash, life insurance or a qualified retirement plan all provide the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped the Museum in a very meaningful way.
For more information about making a planned gift or including The Shore Line Trolley Museum in your will, please contact us.
The Shore Line Trolley Museum cannot provide legal or tax advice. We encourage you to discuss any planned gift with your legal and tax advisors for advice tailored to your individual circumstances.