SPRINGFIELD — Ann Fortescue never knew Richard Kuss, but she now knows of his generosity.

“Certainly, his legacy is leaving a positive and lasting impact on the museum,” said Fortescue, who was hired late last year as executive director of the Springfield Museum of Art.

It was announced Wednesday that a gift from Kuss’ estate will start a new endowment for the museum through the Springfield Foundation to support operations and its collection of art.

Kuss, a business and community leader of almost fabled proportions, died last summer at age 87.

The amount of the gift wasn’t disclosed, but the new endowment will complement an existing endowment the museum has had with an outside investment company since the early 1990s.

The Springfield Foundation, Fortescue said, will be able to market the museum’s endowment to potential donors as an option for their charitable giving.

“It’s another way we’re gaining visibility,” she said.

The Springfield Foundation had been in talks with the museum about creating an endowment locally, according to Ted Vander Roest, the foundation’s executive director.

“Right in the middle of that timing,” he said, “the gift came in.”

Even though the museum has fewer expenses since Wittenberg University’s 2010 purchase of the museum building — the museum rents its space — the need still exists for funding.

“Part of museum stewardship is collections care, first and foremost, but it’s also developing exhibitions and expanding audiences for those exhibitions,” Fortescue said.

The museum had been facing a six-figure budget shortfall in 2009 that was significantly alleviated by the purchase of the building by Wittenberg.

It maintains a multimillion-dollar collection of mostly 19th and 20th century American art.

“I’m very fortunate that we’re in the position we’re in,” Fortescue said, “and we’re able to focus on growing.”