Virginia Museum of Natural History board approves FY2027 budget and plots state funding request

The Virginia Museum of Natural History Board of Trustees voted to approve the museum’s fiscal year 2027 budget with the understanding that the Commonwealth’s final appropriation remains pending in Richmond. Chair Melanie opened the discussion and staff said the budget assumes a proposed 3% cost-of-living increase for staff and modest interagency service cost growth.

Board members emphasized the long-term funding gap: Melanie noted the museum’s state appropriation has not risen in nominal terms since 2008, narrowing the museum’s purchasing power because of inflation. Executive Director Joe said staff will develop a formal funding request and supporting analyses for an August submission to the Secretary of Education and for follow-up with legislators.

Why it matters: Trustees described state funding as essential to sustaining core functions—research, collections, education and public service—and said recent operational growth (festival attendance and program expansion) relies heavily on private foundation support. The board signaled a target funding increase in the range of 5%–10% to begin closing the real-dollar gap and to reduce reliance on the foundation’s discretionary support.

What the board asked staff to do: Joe and Jonathan were asked to prepare analyses that quantify staffing costs, cost-per-square-foot to maintain collections and facilities, and the museum’s contributions to other state agencies (for example, material transfers from DCR). The board plans to use these data in meetings with the Secretary of Education and the General Assembly to argue for a multi-year appropriation adjustment.

Next steps: Staff expects to finalize the analyses by August and to begin coordinated outreach with trustees and the foundation to advocate with the Secretary of Education and local and state legislators. The board clarified that the FY2027 approval is contingent on the outcome of the state budget process.