A fundraising priority for VCU Libraries in 2018 is to establish a $1 million endowment for Special Collections and Archives to support its collection of rare and unique materials for research and teaching.

In December, 2017  VCU Libraries received a boost in starting this endowment with a challenge grant of $30,000 from an anonymous donor. VCU Libraries hopes to meet the challenge and thus begin the endowment with at least $60,000 invested by June 30, 2018. Fundraising will continue until the $1 million goal is reached.

VCU Libraries Special Collections and Archives' focus is in subject areas such as comic arts, artists’ books, Richmond history, including businesses, civic associations and professional organizations, African-American, women’s and LGBTQ community histories, social movements and activism, materials on the history of health care in the Commonwealth, and medical artifacts. The historical records of VCU and its two predecessor institutions, the Richmond Professional Institute (RPI) and the Medical College of Virginia (MCV), also form key parts of the collections.

“This endowment presents a powerful giving opportunity for those interested in helping VCU strengthen collections that reflect VCU’s distinctive scholarly community, embrace its legacy and heritage, and contribute unique resources to research and teaching worldwide that are found nowhere else,” says Director of Development and Major Gifts Kelly Gotschalk. “This fund has particular importance for  alumni who want to help with the ongoing preservation of VCU historic materials through our University Archives program.”

Want to know more about how you can help? Contact Kelly Gotschalk, Director of Development and Major Gifts.