She created a notable and extensive collection of art and literature relating Danse Macabre, a portion of which is now held by the University of Louvain.

Minns helped establish the Marine Biological Laboratory and donated generously to numerous scientists, institutions and to her home state of Massachusetts.

[10][11] Minns also created a collection of juvenile texts that she bequeathed to the Clapp Library of Wellesley College.

[18] In 1924 Minns made a substantial donation of $50,000 in honour of Mary Hancock, her great grandmother, to the Harvard Botanical Museum.

Ames' disappointment was allayed when Minns explained that this gold piece had been carefully invested and had transformed into a sizeable gift.

[19] In 1925 Minns made a donation to the Wellesley College Library of a collection of books illustrated by Kate Greenway.

[1][2][21] In June 1930 Minns donated funds to assist Professor Margaret Clay Ferguson of Wellesley College with her botanical research.

[25] In the 1940s the Susan Minns estate gifted portions of her art and literature collections to Wellesley College.