Mount Rushmore National Memorial Society
ActivePublic CharityArts, Culture & Humanities
About Mount Rushmore National Memorial Society
Dedicated to the preservation, promotion and enhancement of Mount Rushmore National Memorial and the values it represents through a partnership with the National Park Service.
Focus Areas
historic preservationcultural programmingvisitor education and interpretationinternships and workforce developmentnatural resource monitoringvisitor services
Who They Fund
National Park Servicevisitors to Mount Rushmore National Memorialinterns and early-career workers
Funding Style
partnership with public agencysite-specific preservation support
About Mount Rushmore National Memorial Society
Mount Rushmore National Memorial Society’s latest reported grant was a single $1,554,599 award to the Department of Interior - NPS - Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, South Dakota, listed as aid to the park. That one grant mirrors the society’s overall role: it funds Mount Rushmore National Memorial directly and supports work inside the memorial grounds rather than a broad portfolio of outside organizations. The society’s stated purpose is the preservation, promotion, and enhancement of Mount Rushmore National Memorial and the values it represents through a partnership with the National Park Service. Its active programs show that this includes seasonal ranger staffing, cultural and interpretive programming, natural resource monitoring, sculpture preservation, and an interpretive internship program. The result is a grantmaker tied closely to the park’s daily operations, visitor experience, and long-term stewardship. The most visible pieces of that support include funding for seasonal rangers, who help deliver educational and cultural programs, and directed preservation support for the sculpture itself. It also backs programming that brings together ranger talks, presidential re-enactors, and tribal cultural presentations, linking interpretation and preservation in one place.
What Mount Rushmore National Memorial Society Funds
In interpretation and visitor services, the society funds seasonal ranger positions at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, with approximately $125,000 per year dedicated to that work. Those rangers support educational and cultural programs delivered by park staff. Its cultural programming support reaches visitor-facing activities such as presidential re-enactors, tribal cultural presentations, flute players, storytellers, dance exhibitions, and ranger talks. The society also supports an annual interpretive internship program, the Kay Jorgensen Interpretive Internship Program, which provides stipends, housing, and transportation for approximately six young adults each year. On the preservation side, the society directs funding to sculpture preservation and monitoring, including the Ropes Team inspections and the Rock Block Monitoring System. It also supports natural resource monitoring and conservation projects within Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
How Mount Rushmore National Memorial Society Gives
The society’s typical grant size is $1,554,599 at the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile, which reflects a single reported grant level rather than a spread of awards. The latest 990 year on file is 2023, and the recent grant record shows one award in that year. This is a public charity, not a private foundation, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The active program list includes one initiative that accepts unsolicited applications: the Kay Jorgensen Interpretive Internship Program. Other listed programs are directed funding for Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.6M
Total Assets
$17.9M
Total Revenue
$2.1M
Total Expenses
$3.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $1.6M and $1.6M, with a median of $1.6M.
25th Percentile
$1.6M
Median
$1.6M
75th Percentile
$1.6M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in SD.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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