Mission & FAQs

FDR Memorial Foundation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the FDR Memorial Foundation? 
   
   The FDR Memorial Foundation, founded in 2019 (formerly the FDR Memorial Legacy Committee), is a 501c3 charitable organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, and promoting the Memorial. EIN 46-1931507l. The Foundation works collaboratively with the National Park Service to ensure this national treasure remains a place of learning, reflection, and inclusion for future generations. The organization is guided by a Board of Directors from a range of disciplines and supported by members of the Roosevelt family on its Advisory Board.
   
   
2. What are some current programs and initiatives?
   
   
   • Historic Preservation and Maintenance - In Spring 2026, the Foundation funded the cleaning and restoration of three art pieces. In 2025, members of the original 1990s Memorial design and construction team were convened along with current Park Service stewards to review the Memorial’s condition. This collaborative effort produced recommendations for long-term care and restoration.  
   • Education and Enhanced Visitor Services - The Foundation supports recruitment of  volunteers to serve at the Memorial to enhance the visitor experience. This includes targeted efforts to welcome Honor Flights that bring veterans to the Memorial.
   • Commemorative Events - The Foundation sponsors educational and commemorative events marking key anniversaries such as Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s birthdays. In 2026, the Foundation marked the Memorial’s 25th anniversary of the completion of the Memorial with public programs and educational events celebrating the enduring impact of the Memorial.
   • Archives and Oral Histories - The Foundation collects and preserves oral histories and archival materials documenting the Memorial’s design, evolution, and influence, ensuring the stories of its creators and stewards endure for generations. A special archive is retained focused on the FDR wheelchair statue campaign.
   • Workforce Development - Through the Mike & Jane Deland Fund, the Foundation provides professional development and job training opportunities for individuals with disabilities, to support the work of the Foundation and to train for employment in National Park Service related positions.
   
   
   
3. What are examples of some past achievements?
   
   - Leading K-12 teacher professional development workshops on using the Memorial in instruction;
   - Producing an award-winning documentary on the campaign to add the FDR wheelchair statue to the Memorial;
   - Leading important anniversaries for the public at the Memorial such as the 25th anniversary of the completion of the Memorial in 2026, and Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s birthdays;
   - Working with Girl and Boy Scouts on commemorative events at the Memorial;
   - Providing workforce experience opportunities for people with disabilities;
   - Funding maintenance at the Memorial;
   - Securing nearly $200,000 in donated professional services and funding to identify and make repairs at the Memorial - cleaned artwork in 2026, funding study of malfunction of fountain in Room 2.
   
   
4. What makes the FDR Memorial special?
   
   With more than 3 million people visiting each year, the FDR Memorial inspires wide and diverse audiences with its unique, park-like design.  Unlike memorials honoring American heroes with one large, vertical statue, the FDR Memorial is a journey – a walk through a period of American history when our nation was threatened internally by the Great Depression and externally by foreign adversaries. It’s the only presidential Memorial that includes a statue of a first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. It also includes significant artwork from great American artists of the 20th century.
   
   The Memorial attracts art and history enthusiasts, admirers of public spaces and cultural landscapes, educators, New Deal supporters, and those devoted to the legacies of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. This presidential memorial is the only one to include a statue of a First Lady - Eleanor Roosevelt. The Memorial is also very special to the disability community, as it includes a statue of FDR in a wheelchair and is the first presidential memorial to be designed for full wheelchair access. The breadth of engagement makes the Memorial a truly universal destination.
   
   
5. Who are the artists who contributed to the Memorial?
   
   The Memorial was designed by famed landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, who selected the artists to develop pieces to tell the story of FDR’s life and times and presidency.  Artists include George Segal, Robert Graham, Leonard Baskin, Neil Estern, and Tom Hardy. The inscriptions throughout the Memorial were hand-carved by John Benson.
   
   
6. What challenges does the Memorial face today?
   
   At nearly 30 years old, the Memorial is showing clear signs of its age. Deferred maintenance, in addition to recent budget and staffing cuts to the National Park Service, put maintenance and preservation at risk. While the Memorial is receiving some maintenance upgrades from funding for the 250th celebration in 2026, as well as contributions from the Foundation, that funding is not sufficient to meet the vast needs at the Memorial. In addition, there are limited Rangers to boost the educational experience for visitors.  Help is needed throughout the entire Memorial, including:
   
   Landscaping: This Memorial is 7.5 acres. It is a small park – a garden.  Landscaping at the Memorial receives insufficient attention. Irrigation is lacking.  There are dead trees which are a hazard for visitors.  The Memorial has fallen below design and safety standards.
   
   Maintenance and general upkeep:  The Memorial’s design, by famed American landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, was to be most magnificent at night. A majority of the lighting fixtures do not work making it a safety hazard to visit at night.
   
   Fountains: Pump and other issues compromise the fountains, which are critical to the narrative of the Memorial, showcasing how water played a major role in FDR's life.
   
   Art: The art created by some of the great American sculptors of the 20th century is in need of ongoing professional cleaning and restoration to ensure preservation.
   
   Inscriptions: The Memorial contains inspiring quotes from FDR which are hard to read as they have not been “in-painted” - which is the process of restoring the visibility of carved letters by reapplying color) in a long time.
   
   Volunteers to support the three million-plus annual visitors.
7. Don’t tax dollars pay for all of the Memorial’s upkeep?
   
   While tax dollars pay for much of the Memorial’s upkeep as they do for all National Park Service programs and operations, private-sector donations have long played a large, historic role in helping finance and sustain national parks and monuments. Many memorials have non-profit organizations that support their operations and maintenance such as the World War II Memorial and the Friends of the World War II Memorial; and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, among others.
   
   About 20 percent of the funding to build the FDR Memorial came from the private sector. Now more than ever, non-governmental contributions are crucial.
   
   
8. How much is needed to bring the Memorial back to its optimal condition?
   
   Given the declining conditions at the Memorial due to age and deferred maintenance, it will require significant funding to make all the needed repairs and bring it back to its original design intent. This is something the FDR Memorial Foundation looks forward to working with the National Park Service to determine.
   
   
9. What other organizations contribute to the FDR Memorial?
   
   While many organizations are dedicated to preserving national parks and historic sites, including the National Park Foundation, the Trust for the National Mall (The Trust), and the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP), their respective missions are very broad and do not have a focus on the FDR Memorial. However, the NTHP has provided funding to the FDR Memorial Foundation for educational projects and for an upcoming study of the water flow concerns in the Room Two foundation. The Trust has provided in-kind support for a 2025 workshop led by the FDR Memorial Foundation on preservation of the Memorial. The Trust also runs the volunteer program with the Park Service. Given the need for volunteers at the FDR Memorial, the Foundation boosts recruitment efforts through targeted outreach to universities, service providers, and other organizations and stakeholders.  The National Park Service has secured the support of the National Association of Landscape Professionals to provide a day of volunteering in 2025 to help with landscaping. The FDR Memorial Foundation has arranged for Girl and Boy Scouts to participate in days of service doing routine cleanup at the Memorial.
   
   
10. What is the relationship between the FDR Memorial Foundation and the National Park Service? 
    National Park Service representatives have participated in several programs run by the organization, including special events, webinars, and the September 2025 workshop on preservation of the Memorial. The Foundation has worked cooperatively with the Park Service to fund the cleaning and restoration of artwork in 2026 and is reviewing a philanthropic partnership to further such collaborative efforts.
    
    
11. What is the relationship of the FDR Memorial Foundation and other preservation and NPS related organizations?
    
    The FDR Memorial Foundation is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and of the National Park Friends Alliance.
    
    
12. How does the FDR Memorial Foundation raise money?
    
    The organization raises money from individuals, corporations, foundations, and other nonprofits. The organization does not employ a professional fundraiser and does not use mass marketing such as direct mail or phone solicitations. Instead, it relies on storytelling and sharing the importance of the Memorial via social media, its newsletter, word of mouth, and through the advocacy of its Board, Advisory Board, and allies.
    
    
13. How are funds that are raised spent?
    
    There is one full staff member and one job share at the assistant level. Over 75% of the organization’s resources are directed toward programmatic expenses, with the remainder allocated to administration and fundraising, underscoring the organization’s commitment to mission-related activities. The organization is a 501c3 recognized as a charitable organization with the IRS and is audited annually. The EIN is 46-1931507. It holds the Gold Transparency Seal from Candid/Guidestar. Financial information can be found https://fdrmemorial.org/financial/