Michael Green
Donor Profile
Michael Green, attorney turned bookseller, found his passion for books when reading A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books, by Nicholas Basbanes. He has since put that passion to work volunteering with the Virginia Festival of the Book by serving on the steering committee, being a bookseller at the Festival, and promoting the Festival to authors and to the public as he travels the country to book events.
His actions have been matched by his generosity; always an annual supporter of the Festival, he has now established an endowment to benefit the VFH Center for the Book, the branch of VFH that covers all book programs, including the Book Festival. Income from the endowment fund will provide annual operating income to support the expenses of the Book Festival and other programs of the Center for the Book.
When asked what motivated him to make this exceptional gift, Green replied, “This endowment will provide long-term financial support and stability for programs that I believe in. It will help shield Center for the Book programs such as the Festival from the ups and downs of the economy and poor economic times. I think an endowment also makes a statement to other funders that an organization is permanent, secure, and worthy of their investment.”
Since its establishment, the endowment has attracted additional gifts, exactly the outcome Michael had in mind: “I would really like to see other people make substantial contributions to this fund, but I want to be sure that we don’t forget our annual gifts as well.” To generate enough income to make a difference, endowed gifts are generally larger than annual gifts made for operations. Endowments may be funded with cash, or with planned gifts such as will bequests, real estate, and annuities.
What’s the quid pro quo for Michael Green?
“My greatest reward is to see the people who attend the Book Festival and other Center programs, and who continue to enjoy the good work done by the VFH.”
We at VFH are grateful for Michael’s commitment to books and for his financial and volunteer support to the VFH. If you would like to know more about this or other endowments, please contact Sheryl Hayes at Sheryl@virginia.edu, or call 434-924-3296.
Make a Gift today! You can designate your gift to support any VFH program or make an unrestricted gift to the VFH Annual Fund which benefits all VFH programs.
