FAQ

What if I Already Made a Pledge to the Capital Campaign?

Your gift to the Capital Campaign represents an investment in the permanent exhibits that will draw visitors to VMNH. While these gifts are essential to the Museum’s success as a visitor attraction, Capital Campaign funds cannot be used for crucial operating support.

What Does My Annual Fund Gift Support?

Your Annual Fund gift allows the Museum great flexibility in providing programs, research, field trips and educational services. In many cases, Annual Funds are the only funds available for these important endeavors.

Why Does the VMNH Foundation Exist?

The Foundation exists to administer funds for scientific, educational and charitable purposes. It is not a state agency, but supports VMNH in ways the Commonwealth does not.

If the VMNH is a State Agency, Why Does It Need an Annual Fund?

While very fortunate to be designated as Virginia’s Natural History Museum, the VMNH is limited in what it can do with state funds – and those funds are very limited.

What are Matching Gifts?

Your employer is, no doubt, interested in the economic development of the region --or perhaps keenly interested in the natural sciences. As you make your contribution to the Annual Fund, be sure to check your employer’s matching fund policy to see if your company will help your gift make an even deeper impact.

Why Should I Make An Annual Fund Donation?

One of the rewards of making a charitable contribution to a non-profit organization is seeing that it makes a difference. Your gift to VMNH will manifest itself in the faces of the school children who visit, or the high school intern learning important work in the labs, or in the experiences of millions of visitors who walk through The Harvest Foundation Great Hall each year in search of entertainment and enlightenment.