Memorials & Commemorations

Memorials & Commemorations

A loving way to celebrate life is through artistic expression and recognizing the importance of history. Consider making Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History the beneficiary of memorial and commemorative donations.


Making a Bequest to DMFAH

Giving to the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History through your will or trust is often referred to as a “bequest.” A bequest can include cash, securities, real estate or personal property.

You can make a bequest for a percentage of your estate or for a certain dollar amount. You can designate your bequest for general use or you can restrict its use for a specific purpose at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History. Many individuals establish endowments that honor the memory of a family member or another loved one. These endowments live forever, since only the income is used annually.

Since a will is an important legal document, you should seek an attorney's help. To assist you with this important process, we offer some suggested bequest wording below.

Making a Bequest to DMFAH
Why make a bequest to the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History?

  • Tax Savings – A charitable gift through your estate may reduce estate taxes.
  • Retain Assets – A bequest allows you to retain your assets during your life.
  • Retain Control – You may change the beneficiaries of your estate at any time.
  • Join the Museum Agency Fund – Your gift may allow the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History
    to recognize you as a member of Agency Fund.

Make a Donation to the Deborah Sue Kleisch Memorial Fund

Deborah Sue Kleisch, passed away on October 22, 2020. For those who loved her, she will be remembered most for her humor, her laugh, and her smile. Her love for the arts ran almost as deeply as the love for her family. In lieu of flowers the family asks that friends donate to the Deborah Sue Kleisch Memorial Fund through the Danville Museum of Art and History, so they may continue creating and teaching with the Stratford Arts equipment Debbi toiled with in her college years.

To make a donation by check to the Deborah Sue Kleisch Memorial Fund, click here. To make a donation using a credit card, please contact Sara Shorter at the museum. Tel: 434-793-5644 or email: sara@danvillemuseum.org.


Community Foundation Fund

The DMFAH has set up a $10,000 Community Foundation Agency Fund

We thank Kathy Milam, Director of the Community Foundation, who worked with our Development Committee Chair - Connie Fletcher, and Board Member - Sherry Gott, to bring to fruition this agency fund. This permanent endowment fund, opened with legacy gifts from Elizabeth Compton and Deborah Kleisch, gives organizations such as the DMFAH the opportunity to create a fund that generates investment income, year after year, which can be drawn down in annual payments to the organization for specific programming, or reinvested in the fund to grow over time. The permanence of an endowment fund is both appealing and reassuring to donors and nonprofit boards of directors, who seek the enduring value of a dedicated source of income to support the organization they love, today and forever.  For more information about the Community Foundation Fund, please contact Sara Shorter at 434-793-5644 or email: sara@danvillemuseum.org. Click here for the "Donate Now" page through Network for Good / Community Foundation of the Dan River Region. Use drop down box and choose Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History Endowment Fund.


The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History is not affiliated with, and does not provide, endorsements for professional advisors. Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results.

The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History (DMFAH), a 501-c-3 organization established in 1974.

DMFAH is a non-profit educational organization whose mission is to promote art, history, and culture in the Dan River Region. Its Board of Directors’ vision is to provide leadership in promoting an integrated awareness of Dan River Region’s art, history, culture, and community. Located on Main Street in the heart of Danville, the Museum serves as a hub of learning and discovery, connecting Dan River Region towns, colleges, medical campuses, schools, thriving historic downtown River District.