Private Donations Throughout History Helped Build the Washington Monument and Memorials on the National Mall
Did you know that every monument and memorial on the National Mall was built or restored in part through private donations? These citizen-led efforts have made it possible to tell our American story.
Your donation today continues that legacy by supporting important restoration and improvement projects.
Washington Monument
COMPLETED 1885
In 1833, a private organization formed called the Washington National Monument Society, dedicated to funding and building a monument to the nation's first president. The first example of private support on the National Mall, the Society funded the first 156 feet of the monument before going bankrupt. In 1876, Congress voted to fund the completion of the monument.
Lincoln Memorial
COMPLETED 1922
The memorial to President Lincoln was finally approved in 1911 and construction began in 1914. The memorial was nearly complete by 1917, when the project was slowed down by the entry of the United States into World War I. The statue of Lincoln was sculpted by Daniel Chester French. It is 19 feet high and weighs 120 tons, and it cost $88,400.
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
COMPLETED 1943
In 1934, Congress created the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commission to manage and fund the project. Four years later, in 1938, Congress voted to provide a portion of the funds while the Commission raised the remaining.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
COMPLETED 1984
In 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund was established by Vietnam Veteran, Jan Scruggs. The Fund raised all $8.4 million from over 250,000 individuals and corporations to build the Memorial.
Korean War Memorial
COMPLETED 1995
The National Committee for the Korean War Memorial was formed in 1979 by a Korean immigrant by the name of Chayon Kim, but later went defunct in the 1980's. The Korean War Veterans Memorial Advisory Board and the American Battle Monuments Commission were successors of the National Committee for the KWM, who managed the design, construction and fundraising of the Memorial.
FDR Memorial
COMPLETED 1997
In 1955, Congress established the FDR Memorial Commission to manage the project. 30 years later, Congress agreed to fund $42M of the Memorial's cost, with the final $10M raised by private donations.
George Mason Memorial
COMPLETED 1997
The George Mason Memorial is managed and funded by the Board of Regents of Gunston Hall and is cosponsored by the Colonial Dames of America. The project was 100% privately funded.
World War II Memorial
COMPLETED IN 2004
President Bill Clinton established the Memorial Advisory Board in 1994 to work with the American Battle Monuments Commission to design and raise funds for the World War II Memorial. Only $16M of the cost was federally funded.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
COMPLETED 2011
The idea for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial was initiated by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in 1984. The Memorial Foundation - formally named the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Project Foundation - managed the project and raised $110M to fund the project, with Senate voting to provide $10M in additional funding in 2005.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial
COMPLETED IN 2020
The Eisenhower Memorial Commission was created by Congress in 1999. Construction on the memorial began in 2017 and it was dedicated on September 18, 2020. The construction cost was $115 million, $15 million of which was private funding.
