In the Course of Human Events: Pivoting Monticello to a New Normal

FAIN: GA-275895-20

Monticello (Charlottesville, VA 22902-0316)
Chad Wollerton (Project Director: May 2020 to October 2022)

Retaining and retraining twenty-one front line staff, and the acquisition of equipment, in preparation for expanded digital programming and revised onsite experiences.

In mid-March the Covid-19 pandemic forced closure of Monticello, the plantation home of Thomas Jefferson. This unimaginable interruption leaves empty the house, grounds, park, trails and research library. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which owns and operates Monticello, requests funds to help pivot staff, content, and programming to meet needs arising from the pandemic: closure, drastically reduced onsite visitation, a house tour program (formerly a model in the humanities) made obsolete by new health standards, and the increased demand for digital content delivery. Funding would enable Monticello to: 1) retain, retrain, and redeploy twenty-one of the 100 staff who previously delivered onsite programs; and 2) acquire equipment to expand digital outreach. It would also ensure that when we re-open, staff are prepared for a new normal, part of our commitment to emerge stronger. With a robust digital presence, we can forge a new value proposition with audiences well beyond 2020.