For the third year in a row, the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News has received the highest rating of four stars from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent evaluator of charities.

 The rating was given for the museum’s ability to “efficiently manage and grow its finances.”

 “Only 9 per cent of the charities we’ve rated have received at least three consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Virginia Living Museum outperforms most charities in America in its efforts to operate in the most fiscally responsible way possible,” said the letter from Charity Navigator President Trent Stamp.

“With all the choices that people have for their philanthropy, Charity Navigator is critical to helping them make a decision. This 4-star rating confirms the Virginia Living Museum’s credibility and high standards in fiscal management,” said museum Executive Director Page Hayhurst.

A non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, the Virginia Living Museum has been in operation since 1966.  The museum displays more than 200 plant and animal species native to Virginia in an effort to encourage understanding and conservation of our natural world and its delicately balanced components. It serves 215,000 visitors and students each year, has an annual operating budget of $3.9 million and an annual economic impact of $9 million.

For more information about the museum call 757-595-1900 or visit www.thevlm.org. Information about Charity Navigator and the museum’s rating can be found at www.charitynavigator.org.

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