Donate To The Beaton Institute

Keep History Alive. Join our Donor Family today!

Our financial donors share our passion for Cape Breton Island and its heritage. Financial gifts allow the archive to provide access, services, and programming. Gifts over $100 are eligible for a charitable tax receipt from Cape Breton University. Staff is available for tours, meetings, and information sessions. Contact Catherine Arseneau, Dean, Library and Cultural Resources, for more information.

Heritage Stewardship & Sustainability since 1957

The Beaton Institute collects and preserves the social, economic, political, and cultural history of the Island, as well as the official records of Cape Breton University. We are a centre for regional, national, and global research and strive to promote inquiry through innovative academic and public programming. It is the mandate of the Beaton Institute to accept items of note from Cape Breton Island in order to preserve them for future generations.

Preparing Your Donation of Archival Materials:

  • Potential donors are asked to make an appointment to consult with the Archivist or Dean to talk about donations. Please contact us via telephone or email.
  • All donors are asked to sign a Deed of Gift at the time of donation. Donors are asked to consider allowing the Archivist to remove items according to archival standards; these items would include personal items such as household financial records, duplicate items, etc.
  • The Beaton Institute regrets that it cannot accept artifacts such as memorabilia. Small items such as medals which accompany an individual’s papers are acceptable; however, we regret that we are unable to accept furniture, dishes, and textiles except in rare instances. Please call us to consult on these matters or to arrange a meeting.
  • Donors should note that although photographic prints and negatives are kept by the archive, items such as picture frames and photo albums are removed during the processing of the collection in order to reduce the acids the photos are exposed to. If you have the time, please remove and recycle the frames and albums before donating the items of archival value to the Institute.

The following links may also be helpful in providing information about donation preparation: