What’s new at Rokeby Museum

Black History Month Lecture, Collections Spotlight & More!

Upcoming Activities & News

BLACK HISTORY MONTH LECTURE

Righting the Erasure of Black History and Creating an Inclusive American Story

February 2, 2021, 6:30 pm (via ZOOM)

This Black History Month Lecture will explore efforts to recognize and right missing historical narratives in history. Panelists Dr. Lindsay Varner, Rokeby Museum; Dr. Elise Guyette, author of Discovering Black Vermont, and Carmen James, Mt Tabor Preservation Project, will discuss their work to bring attention to racism in the historical narrative and recognition to significant sites in African American history. Rokeby Museum is committed to continued access to our programming.

This event is free but please consider a donation to the Museum. Due to COVID-19 this lecture will be virtual. Please register in advance by following the link below.

Register


Give your Input! 

Rokeby Museum is undertaking a strategic plan and we are seeking your input! The survey takes a few minutes to complete and will help us plan for the future of the Museum.

Take the Survey


Collections Spotlight

Sketch by Rowland Evans Robinson

“There was a cat
Who got so fat,
That down he sat
And let a Rat
Gnaw through his hat!
What think of that?”


From the Blog: What happens at Rokeby Museum in the winter months? 

We were recently asked what happens behind the scenes when we’re not open to the public. Take a look at this month’s blog post to learn more about the collections work our volunteers are undertaking this winter.

Read the Post


There’s still time to Donate

Your donation to the Annual Fund ensures Rokeby’s future. If you have not already, please consider donating today. 

As one of the best-documented Underground Railroad sites in the United States, Rokeby Museum is guided by Rachel Gilpin and Rowland Thomas Robinson’s commitment to speaking truth to power. We are committed to sharing the history of the Robinson family as abolitionists, advocates, artists, and agriculturalists. 

THANK YOU for your support!

Donate Today


Our Giving Story
by Richard H. Bernstein, Rokeby Museum Trustee

As retirees, my wife and my yearly income have not been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we have been able to contribute our federal stimulus checks to groups working with people in need and to other non-profit organizations, Rokeby Museum among them. We also found another way to maximize our charitable giving. This year we learned that we can donate part of our IRA Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) tax-free to Rokeby Museum as well. 

Like most of us, we don’t itemize deductions, and we make charitable contributions to our favorite non-profit organizations with after-tax dollars. But current rules allow us to contribute required disbursements directly from IRA accounts before they are taxed. For example, if, at age 71 you must withdraw $15,000 from an IRA, you may make a charitable contribution of any part of this sum and pay tax only on the remainder. Yet the contribution fully counts toward the RMD 

Taking advantage of this rule requires funds to be paid directly from the IRA account. Most IRA custodians have provisions to issue checks made out to a specified charity. Usually, checks are sent to the account holder who sends them to the designated non-profit organization. 

Making a tax-free qualified charitable distribution is a good way to enhance your support of your favorite non-profit. As always, check with your tax advisor or IRA custodian to make sure this process aligns with your financial situation.


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ROKEBY MUSEUM  •  Lindsay Varner, PhD, Director
4334 Route 7 | Ferrisburgh, VT 05456 | 802.877.3406
Rokeby Museum is open daily 10–5 from mid-May to late October