National Archives Foundation
ActiveArts, Culture & HumanitiesFunds Individuals
About National Archives Foundation
The Foundation was created to support the Archivist of the United States in developing programs, technology, projects, and materials that will introduce and interpret the Archives’ holdings to the American people and to people around the world. The purpose of the Foundation is to educate, enrich, and inspire a deeper appreciation of our country’s heritage through the collected evidence of its history.
Focus Areas
civics educationhistory and historical preservationmuseum exhibitspublic programswomen's history researchrights and justice
Who They Fund
museum institution / National Archivesmuseum visitors / general publicresearchers and scholars
Funding Style
project-specific awardscapital/capital-improvement funding
About National Archives Foundation
The National Archives Foundation’s largest recent award, $2,676,005 in 2023, went to the National Archives Records & Administration for programming, exhibit fabrication, a museum renovation project, July 4 programming, and research. That mix of exhibition work, public programming, and archival research is central to how the foundation operates: it funds projects that interpret the National Archives’ holdings for the public and support programs tied to U.S. history, civics, and rights-related records. Recent grants show a strong emphasis on institution-level work at the National Archives itself, alongside smaller awards for fellowships and programming at presidential libraries. The foundation’s portfolio also includes support for women’s history research through the Cokie Roberts fellowship and related funds, and for civic education initiatives that use U.S. government records to teach learners of all ages. In the grant data provided, awards range from a $7,500 fellowship payment to a seven-figure institutional grant, showing both project-specific and research-oriented funding. The foundation also funds individuals.
What National Archives Foundation Funds
Civic education is one of the clearest strands in the foundation’s portfolio. Through the Civics Education Fund, it supports education initiatives, curriculum development, and programs delivered by nonprofit and education partners that use U.S. Government records to teach civics to learners of all ages. Women’s history is another recurring area. The Cokie Roberts Research Fund for Women’s History supports scholarship and projects using archival records, and the Cokie Roberts Fellowship for Women’s History was launched in November 2019 to encourage historians studying overlooked stories of women in U.S. history. The foundation also backs rights-related public history. Its Rights and Justice Fund supports programs and projects that advance civil rights, social justice, and public understanding of rights-related records held in the National Archives, with an emphasis on programming, research, and partnerships with nonprofit organizations.
How National Archives Foundation Gives
The grant-size pattern is highly skewed: p25 and median are both $7,500, while p75 is $1,850,420. That indicates a small number of very large institutional awards alongside many modest project grants. The recent list includes both a seven-figure award and several $7,500 grants. The foundation’s giving is project-specific rather than unrestricted, with awards tied to programming, exhibit fabrication, museum renovation, research, and fellowships. It also funds individuals. The available recent-grants sample shows repeat support to the National Archives Records & Administration in consecutive years, suggesting ongoing institutional funding rather than one-off support only. Unsolicited applications are not accepted for the active programs listed.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.9M
Total Assets
$18.1M
Total Revenue
$10.1M
Total Expenses
$7.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $8K and $1.9M, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$1.9M
Geographic Reach
Regional4 states funded
About 40% of grants go to recipients in DC.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
PATRICK M MADDEN
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