by Claire W. Dempsey, VAF President, and Claudia R. Brown, VAF Treasurer

Once again this year, an exceptional benefactor has made an unrestricted gift of $100,000 to the Vernacular Architecture Forum.  We are indeed fortunate to have the continued generosity of this remarkable donor who, since 2011, has bestowed $100,000 annually to the VAF.

These gifts have transformed our organization, providing the financial security and resources that underpin all our programs.  VAF’s net worth has grown significantly, from under $150,000 in 2011 to over $1.8 million today. This extraordinary good fortune has suggested it was time for a review of our investment policies and of the structure of the assets that serve as our ‘endowment,’ a process currently underway within the Finance Committee.  This should allow us to continue to strengthen our programs, provide administrative help to the Board, and increase our own generosity, all to improve our understanding of vernacular buildings and landscapes.

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to this dear friend of VAF.