Events

Fall 2026 Newsletter

Expanding Volunteer Opportunities at the FDR Memorial

Two people with yellow polos stand next to a statue of a man with a cape sitting. To the left of them is a smaller scottie dog statue.

The FDR Memorial Foundation helped add 10 new volunteers this summer to the FDR Memorial, the most we have ever helped place. 

The success of this recent voluntary effort is twofold: Enthusiasm around America’s 250th anniversary and stipends for volunteers. 

The Foundation recruits candidates, conducts an initial vetting, and supports their onboarding. Volunteers become part of the National Park Service’s Volunteers-in-Parks program, which is co-managed by the National Park Service and the Trust for the National Mall. 

A person posing in front of a waterfall at the FDR Memorial.

This new, targeted support from the FDR Memorial Foundation is made possible through funding from the Roosevelt Warm Springs Foundation, a founding grant from philanthropist Rick Burnes, and the Mike and Jane Deland Fund, administered by the FDR Memorial Foundation.

Successful applicants were offered an optional stipend by the Foundation to help cover transportation costs, along with a small financial thank-you for their service. 

More than three million people visit the FDR Memorial each year, creating a strong need for additional volunteers to help welcome and assist visitors. Stipends, which are not generally offered, help attract volunteers. 

The current stipend program will continue through 2026. Pending available funding, the support from the Foundation will resume in spring 2027 to help meet increased demand during the Cherry Blossom season.

One of the newest volunteers is Bill Miner of Alexandria, Virginia. Read his story next.

Volunteer Spotlight: Bill Miner, Bringing a Passion for Design and History to the FDR Memorial

A person with a green hat and green polo stands in front of the statue of FDR at the FDR Memorial.

Bill Miner, Volunteer at the FDR Memorial

When the FDR Memorial Foundation launched its new volunteer recruitment drive, retired U.S. State Department architect Bill Miner answered the call. Bill is now officially part of the National Park Service’s Volunteers-in-Parks program. He is lending his considerable experience and talents to the Memorial.

During his career with the U.S. Department of State, Bill oversaw the construction of new U.S. embassies around the world. He also served as chief project manager for the City of Alexandria, Virginia, and an architecture faculty member at the University of Maryland.

For Bill, volunteering at the FDR Memorial brings together three longstanding interests: history, design, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

“The FDR Memorial is a work of creative genius by landscape designer Lawrence Halprin and honors one of the most monumental presidents of the 20th century—FDR. As a retiree, volunteering at the FDR Memorial allows me to introduce this great memorial and great president to visitors from around the world.”

Bill’s commitment to volunteering extends beyond the FDR Memorial. When he is not welcoming visitors at the Memorial, Bill volunteers with the Seaport Foundation of Alexandria, Virginia.

We are grateful to Bill for sharing his time, experience, and enthusiasm with visitors from around the world.

Thank you for all you do, Bill!

Caring for George Segal’s Artwork at the FDR Memorial

A person with a green sweatshirt and a large wooden brush cleans a bronze statue of a man.

Russell Bernabo cleans the Appalachain Couple statue at the FDR Memorial.

Thanks to a generous grant from the George and Helen Segal Foundation, the FDR Memorial Foundation is funding the first known cleaning of George Segal’s sculptures at the FDR Memorial.

George Segal created three iconic works—Appalachian Couple, Fireside Chat, and Breadline—featured in Room Two of the FDR Memorial. An internationally acclaimed American sculptor and major figure in 20th-century figurative art, Segal was renowned for his lifelike sculptures, which he created using plaster casts of real people. His work brought a powerful sense of humanity and social experience to public art.

At the FDR Memorial, Segal’s sculptures invite visitors to do more than observe the artwork—they become part of it. Visitors walk alongside the figures and place themselves within the breadline, creating a powerful and personal connection to the experiences of Americans during the Great Depression.

Art conservator Russell Bernabo, who cleaned and stabilized the FDR Presidential Seal, FDR wheelchair statue, and Eleanor Roosevelt text panel earlier this year, applied his expertise to Segal’s sculptures in September. The cleaning will help ensure that visitors can continue to see, touch, and experience these remarkable works as intended.

The President of the George and Helen Segal Foundation emphasized the importance of the project: “This is work that is long overdue. These three sculptures are essential to the FDR Memorial and are a vital part of his legacy. We are proud to have made this grant to help ensure that the art is kept in the best condition possible for visitors to learn from and experience.”

We are grateful to the George and Helen Segal Foundation for supporting this important work and helping make the visitor experience at the FDR Memorial even more meaningful.

Restoring the Nighttime Lighting

An image of a fountain at the FDR Memorial made of granite, lit up at night

Archival photo showing the lighting design for the Room 4 fountain.

The FDR Memorial was designed to be most magnificent at night. Memorial designer Lawrence Halprin envisioned it as an outdoor museum where dramatic, carefully choreographed lighting would work together with the Memorial’s art, fountains, landscape, and inscriptions to create a powerful experience for visitors.

Today, much of that original lighting no longer functions as designed, reducing illumination in significant areas of the Memorial after sunset.

Thanks to seed funding from the Judy and Peter Kovler Foundation, the FDR Memorial Foundation, in cooperation with the National Park Service, is helping to bring the Memorial’s nighttime experience back to life.

We are especially fortunate to be working with two lighting design experts who helped bring Halprin’s vision for the Memorial to life– Patrick Quigley, the Memorial’s original lighting designer, and Erin Erdman who worked with Quigley during its construction. Both are now engaged in the project, making this a meaningful opportunity to help restore an important part of their work and legacy at this presidential memorial.

With the lighting infrastructure now approaching 30 years old, and trees and vegetation obscuring some of the lighting, addressing the larger system will take time and significant resources. Our goal is ambitious: to restore the Memorial’s nighttime experience, make it a safe and compelling destination after dark, and develop a plan for ongoing lighting repairs and maintenance.

It is a long-term effort, but an important one in ensuring that Halprin’s vision for the Memorial can continue to be experienced by visitors for generations to come.

Stay tuned for updates as this exciting project moves forward.

Triumphal Arch, Garden of Heroes

The National Park Service recently invited the FDR Memorial Foundation to serve as a consulting party for the proposed “Triumphal Arch” project between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

What is a consulting party? In the federal historic preservation review process, consulting parties are organizations, agencies, and individuals invited to participate in reviewing a project and providing input about its potential effects on historic and cultural resources. In practical terms, it gives the Foundation a recognized seat at the table as the project is reviewed.

The National Park Service identified the FDR Memorial as a resource that could potentially be affected by the proposed arch. Given the distance and topography between the two sites, the project is expected to have little to no effect on the Memorial.  

The Foundation is also monitoring the proposed Garden of Heroes, which would be considerably closer to the FDR Memorial. The proposed location appears to be at the far end of the Memorial, along the grassy area leading toward the Jefferson Memorial.

Because of its proximity, the Foundation has requested consulting party status for this project as well. The NPS has advised us that there is currently no schedule for the project. The New York Times reported on September 2, 2026, that the Justice Department characterized the Garden of Heroes as “still a preliminary concept.” Several preservation and cultural organizations have filed a lawsuit concerning the proposal.

The Foundation will continue to follow these and other projects near the Memorial. Understanding how changes to the surrounding National Mall landscape could affect the Memorial is an important part of our work to protect and preserve this nationally significant place.

We will keep our supporters informed as these projects develop and as additional information becomes available.

Financial Audit and Transparency

The auditing firm Mullins PC has once again provided the Foundation the highest review an organization can receive in a financial audit– “unqualified opinion.” Our recent audit, completed this summer, as well as our IRS 990 can be found at https://fdrmemorial.org/financial/

In addition, we have also attained the Gold Level of transparency from Candid, a non-profit transparency and research organization. We are proud to have earned Candid’s Gold Seal of Transparency, reflecting our commitment to financial and organizational transparency and giving donors the information they need to make informed decisions about their charitable giving.