Thomas Jefferson Foundation Email Format
Museums, Historical Sites, and ZoosVirginia, United States201-500 Employees
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation is a private nonprofit based in Charlottesville, Virginia, founded in 1923 after the federal government declined to acquire Monticello. It owns and operates Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's mountaintop home, which is listed on the United Nations World Heritage List. Its mission centers on preserving the site and educating the public, supported by facilities that advance research and interpretation. The organization maintains the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies and the Jefferson Library at Kenwood, along with the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants and the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center and Smith Education Center, which host exhibitions and prepare visitors for their Monticello visit. Monticello attracts about half a million visitors annually, and in 2026 it launched a refreshed monticello.org website ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.