Items from the estate of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RGB) are going up for auction starting next week with the proceeds funding the new The RBG Endowment Fund and benefitting SOS Children’s Villages, based in Washington, D.C. 

Included in the items are two of RBG’s iconic collars. 

Patrice Michaels, Justice Ginsburg’s daughter-in-law is a member of the SOS Children’s Villages USA Advisory Board. Following Justice Ginsburg’s death in September 2020, items from her personal estate were donated to SOS Children’s Villages. Justice Ginsburg had donated a portion of her 2019 Berggruen Prize for Philosophy & Culture to SOS Children’s Villages USA. 

Auction house Bonhams will handle of event, with nearly 100 personal items from Justice Ginsburg’s collection. This auction will be the final public offering from her personal estate, which includes an embroidered collar, gold beaded collar, embroidered shawl, lace gloves and a wooden gavel, according to a spokesperson for the event. 

The online auction will be open for bidding on www.bonhams.com for 10 days from Wednesday, Sept. 7 through Friday, Sept. 16. The culmination of the auction period will coincide with Constitution Day (Sept. 17) and mark the second anniversary of Justice Ginsburg’s passing (Sept. 18).

SOS USA Board Chair Cameron Schmidt declined to say how much the organization hopes to raise, although he did say goals have been discussed internally. He gave an example of a non-SOS auction of Justice Ginsburg’s books which was expected to raise $50,000 but brought in $2.3 million.

The RBG Endowment Fund will be governed by a committee composed of SOS Children’s Villages USA leadership, members of Justice Ginsburg’s family and others as invited. Each year, 5.5% of The RBG Endowment Fund will be directed to one or more specific programs in the SOS Children’s Villages portfolio. Non-political and non-sectarian, SOS Children’s Villages’ holistic programs are designed to ensure sustained impact and focus on children and their families across all aspects of life, as well as strengthening the communities in which they live.  

“RBG wanted everyone to be empowered by education and a solid family foundation,” says Patrice Michaels, Justice Ginsburg’s daughter-in-law and member of the SOS Children’s Villages USA Advisory Board. “The RBG Endowment Fund will continue her legacy of trailblazing service for years to come, fortifying the people and systems that support the next generation of notorious thinkers and doers.”  

Visit The RBG Endowment Fund to learn more and donate.