Other Ways to Give Include:
Matching Gifts
Endowment Gifts
Gifts of Art
Gifts of Real Estate
Gifts of Stock
Memorial and Honorary Gifts
Gifts-in-Kind
Books and Other Supplies
Professional Services
Restricted Gifts
To maximize your gift, please check here to find out if your employer matches your gift.
Endowment gifts provide a lasting source of support for the museum. A team of investment professionals carefully manages the funds to preserve and enhance the assets.
By creating an endowment, you can pay tribute to a loved one or honor your own experience with the museum. Individual endowments are invested with the VMFA Endowment and exist in perpetuity, allowing each donor to have a significant impact for generations to come. Endowments can be funded over a number of years. VMFA will provide endowment donors with an annual report each fall.
VMFA's Endowment Needs
Endowed Positions allow VMFA to attract and retain the highest quality staff. A named endowed position can be established with a minimum gift of $250,000.
Exhibitions Endowments allow VMFA to bring banner exhibitions of national and international prominence to your museum. A named exhibitions endowment can be established with a minimum gift of $250,000.
Education Endowments allow VMFA to provide important art enrichment and educational experiences to Virginians of all ages here in Richmond and across the state. A named education endowment can be established with a minimum gift of $250,000.
Publications Endowments allow VMFA to produce and distribute publications related to the museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions. The research strengthens the depth of knowledge about art in the galleries, contributes to our educational mission, and brings significant national and international attention. A named education endowment can be established with a minimum gift of $250,000.
Unrestricted Endowments allow VMFA to respond to important needs as they arise by generating vital funding for operations.
The permanent collection of the museum continues to grow through the generosity of individuals and organizations who donate works of art from their own collections, assuring that the museum’s collection continues to represent the global spectrum of the visual arts. Other donors provide funding to purchase works for the permanent collection. The museum determines if an art gift will be accepted based upon VMFA’s collection plan. If a work fits into the museum’s collecting needs, the work can be accessioned following approval from the Board of Trustees.
The museum recognizes art donors through the John Barton Payne Society. The Honorable John Barton Payne, a prominent Virginian, donated his collection of fifty paintings to the Commonwealth in 1919. Gifts of art from other donors soon followed, and in 1932 Judge Payne proposed a $100,000 challenge grant to build a museum for this burgeoning public art collection. The challenge was accepted by Virginia Governor John Garland Pollard, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts opened its doors in 1936. John Barton Payne Society members are honored annually.
If you are interested in contributing artwork to the museum, please contact Erin Sheets at 804.340.1479 or erin.sheets@vmfa.museum.
Gifts of real estate can have a significant impact on the museum’s ability to accomplish its mission. Please contact Jayne Shaw for information on the ways that you can support the museum with a gift of real estate.
Gifts of stock are a win-win way to support VMFA. The museum receives the full value of the gift, and you don’t have to pay capital gains taxes on those shares. To make a gift of stock, please:
Contact the VMFA Foundation at 804.340.1471 to let us know of your gift, including:
• Your broker’s name
• The broker’s firm
• The broker’s phone number
• The name of the stock
• The number of shares
• Where you would like to allocate your gift
When making a gift to the museum, consider making it in honor or memory of someone special. VMFA will send a special note to the individual or the family notifying them of your thoughtful gift. Please note that your gift is made in someone’s honor or memory when you send your contribution. For special ways to pay tribute, please consider creating an endowment or contact the Development Office to discuss alternative options.
A non-cash gift, also called an in-kind gift, is a non-monetary contribution of personal property or professional services that benefits VMFA in a variety of ways. These important gifts help the museum achieve our mission and reduce expenses or obtain materials or services we could not otherwise afford. Examples of in-kind gifts include real estate, art donations, professional services, and books and equipment.
Your gift of books or other supplies could have an immediate impact on our ability to achieve essential tasks. Examples of past in-kind donations include children’s art supplies, library subscriptions, rare art-related books, and audio visual equipment. Please contact Erin Sheets at 804.340.1479 or erin.sheets@vmfa.museum to learn if your proposed non-cash contribution would be appropriate for VMFA.
Do you have a professional skill or special talent that you would like to use to help VMFA advance its mission or do you work for a business that would like to offer discount services in support of the museum? Please let us know if you would like to help VMFA by donating or discounting in-kind professional services such as printing or special events decorations.
Restricted gifts help the museum achieve its mission by supporting particular areas of need including capital gifts, endowment gifts, public programs, and exhibitions. The museum offers naming opportunities for restricted and unrestricted gifts of at least $250,000.