Why Support for the Humanities is an Investment in Virginia’s Future:
The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities & the Virginia Association of Museums

• VFH and VAM are statewide in nature, bringing cultural and educational benefits to Virginians of all ages.
• VFH programs are held in virtually every county and city in Virginia
• VFH has sponsored over 40,000 programs in the past 30 years
• VFH programs are free and open to the public
• VFH programs reach a statewide audience of almost 750,000 annually and a national media audience in the millions
• VFH brings scholars, writers, and film makers to Virginia to enrich our culture through international programs such as the Re-Imagining Ireland conference and VABook!
• VFH and VAM have a statewide economic impact. (**From The Economic Impact of Arts and Cultural Organizations in Virginia, produced by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the Virginia Association of Museums, December 2000)
• Did you Know..?   The humanities --Virginia’s museums, historical sites and programs-- generate an annual economic impact of $1.2 billion through direct, indirect, and induced means and an additional $3.5 million in out-of-state visitor spending.** The same organizations provide 12,800 total employment positions to Virginians and provide over $228 million in compensation and benefits.** These organizations spend an additional $157.5 million in their communities for goods and services.** These organizations leverage funds through grants totaling $48 million excluding Federal grants and subsidies, through private contributions and sponsorships totaling $59 million, and through 817,000 volunteer hours per year.
• Virginia history, a principal focus of VFH programs and services, is cited by 75% of tourists as their primary reason for visiting Virginia
• VFH funds provide over 50% of the operating budget for the Virginia Association of Museums, which supports museum development 
• VFH supports the emerging film industry in Virginia through educational workshops, teacher training, facilities and resources
• The VFH Folklife program develops cultural tourism in collaboration with communities along the Blue Ridge Parkway and on the Eastern Shore
• Each year VABook!, the Virginia Festival of the Book, attracts some 20,000 participants from at least 20 states
• VFH multiplies the Commonwealth’s investment in the humanities.
• VFH has raised more than $20 million in out-of-state support for Virginia public education programs
• VFH program support is matched by local communities at 2.5 to 1
• VFH supports public education.
• VFH has provided educational films, videos, audiotapes, and travelling exhibits to over 500 schools, libraries, museums, and community groups
• VFH has provided over $1.6 million to museums, historical societies and preservation organizations statewide.
• VFH has sponsored 222 projects, providing $153,940 in the past 6 years to public libraries statewide
• VFH has sponsored 117 summer seminars and related programs for K-12 teachers
• VFH promotes literacy through the Motheread/Fatheread family literacy program
• VFH promotes reading through the Virginia Festival of the Book. 
• VFH is an educational resource for lifelong learning for all citizens
• VFH connects the traditions of the past with the issues of today.
• VFH documents and preserves Virginia's rich traditions and heritage and presents educational and entertaining programs statewide
• VFH promotes civic participation and responsibility.
• VFH helps citizens become more informed by providing opportunities to explore and debate important current issues. 
• VFH sponsors major programs on the foundations of democracy - the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom 
• VFH sponsors public forums on issues such as school violence, America in the 21st Century, healthcare, immigrants, the role of government, and the importance of community
• VFH funds support local communities, rural and urban, as they explore their history and future
• VFH sponsors humanities councils in four regions of Virginia: the Southwest, the Piedmont, the Northern Neck, and Northern Virginia

General Information regarding support for the Humanities

• The Humanities enrich the lives of all Virginians by providing opportunities for learning, creativity, and self-expression.
• The Humanities contribute to the interpretation and understanding of cultural traditions and to the understanding of current policy debates.
• Federal support for the Humanities from the National Endowment for the Humanities has been adversely affected by increasing demands for other services and programs. 
• Public investment in the Humanities sends a strong message to the private sector and creates leverage for humanities organizations to obtain additional private support.
• Humanities organizations in Virginia must compete not only with state institutions for appropriations, but also with the pressing demands that education, social services, transportation, and other programs place on the Commonwealth’s budget.
• No other organization encourages and supports lifelong education in the humanities--for all people regardless of background, educational level, or economic status in every city and county in the Commonwealth. 
• No other organization promotes active civic participation and responsibility by bringing the lessons of history and the wisdom of great books into public discussion of current issues and problems. Please help to ensure that ideas, people, and the humanities continue to matter in Virginia.