A profound and changing American story is in our hands. Welcome to the Living History Campaign.
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One Shared Goal
Our collective investment of $350 million will support vital research, programs that deepen understanding, digital access initiatives, and a strong and enduring endowment.
Growth and Sustainability
Since opening in 2016, the Museum has established itself as a place where all Americans can learn about the richness and diversity of the African American experience, what it means to their lives, and how it helped shaped this nation. As we look to the future of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, we are always advancing innovative and engaging ways to cultivate, nourish, and grow.
Photo Credit: Alan Karchmer/NMAAHC
Acquisition and Collections
Our curators and conservators have the awesome responsibility of preserving treasures of the past while capturing the new and the now. The Living History Campaign will provide resources to collect more of the African American narrative told through art, music, documents, and other artifacts and to share our content with learners of all ages through enriched exhibitions, programs, and educational resources.
Photo Credit: Josh Weilepp
Scholarship and Research
We are entrusted with telling the full story of the African American experience. We must attract and retain the best scholars in this field while developing the next generation of museum professionals. The Museum is already a leader — shaping conversations about African American history and its impact on our collective culture. Our work has only just begun. Your contributions are vital to this endeavor.
Photo Credit: Alan Karchmer/NMAAHC
Digital Access
To inspire change, our magnificent collections, groundbreaking scholarship, and enlightened programming must be seen and experienced. Equity of access is essential. Broader access to the Museum’s content requires new technologies to support digitization, 3D visualization, cataloging, cloud storage, and more. Your support will help us revolutionize and radically expand our reach — engaging every classroom, every household, every handheld device.
Photo Credit: Alan Karchmer/NMAAHC
Community and Collaboration
The Museum documents a people’s journey. These stories are based in community. We collaborate with emerging and venerable artists, institutions, and organizations from the grassroots to the global. We seek to broaden access, explore innovative approaches to learning and teaching, and connect with all communities to share a more complete American story. This campaign will accelerate the growth of partnerships with educational and community organizations — deepening connections and understanding.
Photo Credit: Alan Karchmer/NMAAHC
Social Justice
From quiet, personal acts of courage to mass movements, African Americans have fought and continue to fight oppression and discrimination. Demonstrations of resilience and optimism are fundamental to the African American experience — and capturing these stories is core to the Museum’s mission. As we reexamine our past and provide historical context to today’s issues, your investment helps us expand essential social justice content and programming.
Photo Credit: Alan Karchmer/NMAAHC
Campaign Priorities
The Living History Campaign will secure support for programs and initiatives within the following six priorities:
Honorary Campaign Chairs
President and Mrs. George W. Bush
43rd President & First Lady of the United States
Kenneth Irvine Chenault
Chairman & Managing Director, General Catalyst
President and Mrs. Barack Obama
44th President & First Lady of the United States
General Colin Powell (In memoriam)
Former Secretary of State
Shonda Rhimes
Founder & CEO, Shondaland
Oprah Winfrey
Chairman & CEO, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network & Harpo, Inc.
Join me in exploring
what we can create together.
– Kevin Young, Andrew W. Mellon Director
Ways to Invest
All gifts to NMAAHC are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Outright Gifts
Donors can give to the Campaign via an outright gift of cash, securities, employee-matching gifts, stock, approved in-kind gifts, or via some other funding vehicle.
Pledged Gifts
Some donors may wish to commit a gift to the Campaign, payable over three to five years.
Planned Gifts
All planned (bequests, trusts, charitable annuities) gifts of $25,000+ to NMAAHC will be allocated to the endowment unless otherwise specified by the donor.
NMAAHC Advancement Team
To discuss the campaign and your philanthropic impact goals, contact a gift officer today.
