The visionary Americans who support the Smithsonian at this historic moment will pave the way for a brave new future ahead.
— Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian
With a goal of $2.5 billion, the Campaign for Our Shared Future is the largest campaign in Smithsonian history and represents the largest amount to be raised in a campaign by a cultural organization. It will culminate in 2026 with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The Smithsonian Institution was founded by a single philanthropic donation. It was established by Congress in 1846 with more than $500,000 from British scientist James Smithson “to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” The Smithsonian began raising its own funds, supplemented by an annual federal appropriation, in the decades that followed.
The Smithsonian Campaign sets out four broad themes: Opening Pathways to New Knowledge, Powering Creativity and Innovation, Advancing Sustainability and Discovery, and Illuminating Our Nation’s Past. All Smithsonian museums and centers are participating, raising funds to support specific priorities. The campaign will also raise significant funds for several strategic goals spanning the entire Smithsonian. These include:
- Supporting visionary leadership by endowing directorships across the Smithsonian. This will allow the Smithsonian to attract the highest caliber of leaders both now and in the future, unlocking the full potential of its collections and staff.
- Securing funds to ensure that all Smithsonian internships are paid. By providing fully paid internships, the Smithsonian will level the playing field for interns of all backgrounds to access transformational, only-at-the-Smithsonian learning experiences in fields such as art, science, and education.
- Expanding Smithsonian’s digital reach, including a new experience called “My Smithsonian” that will invite the public to explore and interact with Smithsonian collections and content in new ways.
- Investing in the Smithsonian’s Life on a Sustainable Planet initiative through programs advancing research to save species and restore healthy ecosystems, digitizing scientific collections to increase accessibility, exploring people’s place in the universe, and activating a nation of participatory scientists.
- Marking America’s 250th anniversary with once-in-a-lifetime celebrations and commemorations on the National Mall in 2026, programs across the Smithsonian’s arts units, and reach across the country.
Campaign Leadership
The Smithsonian has engaged a cohort of campaign ambassadors and co-chairs who have a deep commitment to the Institution and its mission and vision. As the public face of the campaign, these volunteer leaders work to reach people across the country. The work is led by nine co-chairs:
- Jane Abraham, McLean, Virginia
- Lyndon Barrois Sr., Los Angeles
- Don Chen, New York City
- Allan Holt, Washington, D.C.
- Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, Southampton, New York
- Cheryl Neal, Atlanta
- Denise O’Leary, Denver
- José Luis Prado, Chicago
- Christine Udvar-Hazy, Dallas
Their work is supported by three honorary campaign ambassadors: Sakurako “Sako” Fisher, former chair of the Smithsonian National Board; Maya Lin, member of Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s advisory board and designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; and David M. Rubenstein, former Board of Regents chair and Regent Emeritus.
Campaign Donors
Many donors have already contributed to this campaign during the quiet phase, which began in 2018 and culminated in the public phase of the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future. Select significant donors to the campaign thus far include:
- Bank of America has given across the Smithsonian to 13 museum and cultural centers, emphasizing the arts, history, and culture. The bank’s support includes gifts to establish two new museums—the National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum—and a major commitment to the Smithsonian’s initiative, Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past.
- Jeff Bezos, founder and executive chair of Amazon, and founder of aerospace and space flight company Blue Origin, is funding the creation of a Learning Center for Smithsonian-wide education initiatives, helping to support the transformation of the National Air and Space Museum, and supporting a major forest carbon project at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
- Lilly Endowment Inc. has supported multiple Smithsonian museums and centers as part of an initiative to improve the public’s understanding of religion and foster greater knowledge of and respect for diverse religious traditions.
- David M. Rubenstein, former chair of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, has donated generously to 15 Smithsonian museums and centers, including funding the National Museum of American History’s “Great Americans” medal, programs and exhibitions at the National Museum of African American History of Culture, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, and as an early, crucial donor to the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
- Coralyn W. Whitney is a former board member of the National Museum of Natural History, member of the Smithsonian Gems and Minerals Collectors Group, and a longtime donor to the museum. Her transformational gift will fund the renovation of the museum’s Baird Auditorium (to be renamed the Coralyn W. Whitney Auditorium), endow a chief scientist position, and create an endowment to support priority initiatives at the Natural History Museum.
