Frequently Asked Questions

The Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute encourages charitable and educational activities among the sheriffs and deputies within the Commonwealth of Virginia to educate the public and to do any and all things to promote the enforcement of law and order and the suppression of crime. VSI sponsors numerous programs including a spring educational conference for sheriffs and deputies, a newly elected sheriffs’ school, lawful employment training for sheriffs, Virginia State Police Association Emergency Relief Fund, the Virginia Network for Victims and Witnesses of Crime, Inc., Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS), Virginia Coalition for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, Inc. and the Virginia Law Enforcement Memorial Fund to honor Virginia officers killed in the line of duty. In addition, the VSI provides scholarships to people throughout Virginia who major in criminal justice at a Virginia college or university and provides support to the families of deputies or sheriffs killed in the line of duty, in an effort to relieve personal and community distress relating to such incidents.

Our membership renewal goes out in September of each year and includes bumper stickers and window decals and a subscription to our quarterly newsletter. If a member does not renew in September, a reminder letter will go out in December and again in March. All renewed members will receive their official membership card in December. The Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute sends out other mailings throughout the year to fund specific programs.

The Virginia Sheriffs’ Association (VSA) uses the associate member mailing list and sends out two letters of their own a year – the legislative appeal requesting support for the Association’s legislative activity, which includes efforts in the General Assembly to strengthen law enforcement and criminal justice in Virginia (January/February) and the annual citizen support drive (August).

The proceeds supporting the Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute are used exclusively for training and educational programs, including the scholarship program, of which we are very proud. Donations are tax-deductible.

The Virginia Sheriffs’ Association is an organization established to represent the interests of sheriffs and law enforcement before the General Assembly in Virginia. It is a professional trade association of which contributions are not tax deductible.

The Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute partners with a marketing company that purchases mailing lists from a variety of sources, including magazine subscriptions and product warranty cards.

The Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute does not solicit donations by telephone. There are numerous companies doing phone solicitations for various police organizations, but we are not among them.

We will not sell, share or trade our donors’ names or personal information with any other entity, nor send mailings to our donors on behalf of other organizations.

This policy applies to all information received by the Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute (VSI), both online and offline, on any Platform (‘Platform’, includes the VSI website and mobile applications), as well as any electronic, written, or oral communications. To the extent any donations are processed through a third-party service provider, our donors’ information will only be used for purposes necessary to process the donation. If at any time, you wish to opt out of receiving communications from VSI, please contact the office at [email protected] or 804-225-7152.

The number and amount of scholarships the Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute awards each year varies depending on the number of eligible students and the amount of money raised during the year. In May 2022, the Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute Scholarship Committee awarded 55 scholarships. The full-time recipients received $1,000 and the part-time recipients received $500 for a total of $53,000.