VAM Member Benefits for Museums
Click on one of the following categories to learn about the different ways VAM membership can help your museum:

Eligibility
Advocacy
Publicity
Financial Benefits
Professional Development
Information and Resources
Networking and Career Development

Eligibility
Institutional membership is open to all museums in Virginia and the District of Columbia as well as cultural, arts, science, nature and historical organizations of all kinds. Museums outside of Virginia and the District of Columbia are also welcomed to join.

Levels 1 – 3
Choose one main contact to receive and disseminate information

Level 4 & 5
In addition to the main contact Levels 4 & 5 may add two designated representatives who will receive individual benefits

Level 6 - 8
In addition to the main contact levels 6, 7 & 8 may add five designated representatives who will receive individual benefits

Advocacy
VAM monitors state and federal legislation, provides information to legislators and builds alliances with the public and private sectors. VAM members benefit from advocacy of issues affecting museums statewide. Institutional members receive vital Legislative Updates to keep them abreast of pertinent issues.

Publicity

• Members may post events on the VAM on-line calendar, monthly e-newsletter and in the quarterly newsmagazine
• Events posted to the VAM calendar will automatically be posted to a national calendar of museum events
• Position listings can be posted free of charge in the Job Bank section of our website.
• Member museum website link on the VAM site 
• Listing in the Member Directory and Directory of Virginia Museums
• Use of VAM's online Directory of Museum Educational Programming to post descriptions for teachers of your SOL-correlated programs for schoolchildren.

Financial Benefits 

• All staff, board members and volunteers of member museums enjoy discounted registration fees for the annual conference and for workshops.
• Staff of member museums may join at the reduced rate of 25.00 for an individual membership
• Complimentary copy of the Directory of Virginia Museums
• Museums and cultural institutions throughout the state offer free or discounted admission to VAM members.
• Take advantage of group rates on Directors & Officers Liability Insurance (starting at 515.00) and Long-Term Care Insurance.
• Member Benefit Programs: VAM is working with companies such as Broadwing telecommunications, Office Max and Avis Rental Car to offer low prices to members. (Download a member discount card for Office Max!)
• Health Insurance
  Optima Health offers both group and individual insurance for VAM members. Museum directors, find out about plans for your employees here.
• Dental Insurance
  Group level dental benefits are now available exclusively to VAM members. You have access to dental benefits through Dominion Dental Services’ eDental program. Please visit the website or contact Rosalyn Overby at 804-751-0600, ext. 2323, your local agent or Beth Stoner with Dominion Dental Services Inc. at 804.282.7003 for more information regarding VAM dental program benefits. 

Professional Development

• VAM’s Annual Workshop Series includes inexpensive full-and half-day programs on timely and relevant topics.  VAM’s Annual Conference offers a wide variety of workshops, educational sessions and affinity programs, as well as opportunities for networking with colleagues and vendors. VAM’s Special Initiatives, offered on a rotating basis, provide training for all levels of museum staff. These include:
• The Virginia Museum Fundamentals Forum focuses on basic training in all areas of daily museum operations. 
• The Senior Management Institute brings together museum leaders in a retreat setting to discuss a critical issue in today’s museum world. 
• Project Mentor pairs staff at small museums with experienced peers who help them develop and implement new programs and practices at their sites.

Information & Resources

• The quarterly VAM Voice newsmagazine is voted a favorite benefit among VAM members. It reports on the latest issues in the field in feature articles and includes information on the museum community in Virginia and surrounding states, including member spotlight articles. 
• The monthly VAM Forum E-News provides timely information on grant deadlines, events and exhibitions, job opportunities and upcoming conferences and workshops, as well as member news and happenings. 
• The VAM website is the easiest way to find current information on programs and resources of all kinds, including membership, careers, Virginia museums, affinity groups, vendors of museum products and services, teacher seminars and an SOL directory of museum programs, Resource Library bibliography, handouts from educational sessions, tourism links, and state and federal advocacy. Members have access to many Members Only sections.
• The VAM Membership Directory offers a complete contact list of all VAM institutional, individual and business members, helping VAM members connect with colleagues. The Directory of Virginia Museums is your resource to all museums, historic sites and institutions in the state. 
• The VAM Resource Library is housed in VAM’s centrally located offices in Richmond, and contains over 1,000 titles on subjects including administration, human resources, funding sources, legal guidelines, exhibition curation and design, collections care, board development, marketing and public relations, education and interpretation, advocacy, museum store management, evaluation, and results from surveys on topics such as museum salaries and technology.  Can’t make it to Richmond? VAM staff can help find the information for you.

Networking and Career Development

• The Museum Career Center maintains current listings of open positions in the field and offers career development resources such as information on graduate studies, job descriptions, resume review and interviewing tips. 
• VAM’s Member in Transition program offers assistance to members who are between jobs, including scholarships and job search assistance.
• Special member events provide opportunities to network with colleagues, visit other museums and make valuable contacts throughout the Virginia and District of Columbia museum community.
• Enhance leadership skills through committee participation, presenting at workshops and conferences, submitting articles for publication in the VAM Quarterly and serving on VAM’s governing Council.