WASHINGTON, D.C (March 11, 2025) – The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation announced today a $1 million donation from philanthropic activist Barbara Lee. Ms. Lee’s gift comes at a critical time in the work of the Foundation: earlier this year, in a historic first, the Foundation secured congressional authorization to build the Women’s Suffrage National Monument on the National Mall. Now, the Foundation must coordinate with planning agencies across Washington, D.C. to finalize the best possible location for the monument on the National Mall. Ms. Lee’s gift has launched the Foundation into this critical chapter and ensured that the organization has the resources necessary to prominently place the first monument dedicated to women’s history on the National Mall.
“I am thrilled to be an early supporter of the Women’s Suffrage National Monument,” said Barbara Lee. “My grandmother, Minnie Greenberg, helped inspire my life’s work by telling me stories about watching the suffragists march when she was a young girl. One day, my own grandchildren will visit this memorial. I hope that they, too, will be inspired to keep pushing limits, and keep marching, as the suffragists said, “Forward into Light.”
“We are deeply honored to have the support of visionary philanthropist Barbara Lee,” added Anna Laymon, President and CEO of the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation. “Ms. Lee’s legacy in advancing women’s representation – inspired by her grandmother, who cast her first ballot in 1920 and never missed an election for the rest of her life – is without parallel. The impact of Ms. Lee’s life’s work in elevating women and girls in history, art, and politics has, in countless ways, led to a women’s suffrage monument finally being included on the National Mall.”
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ABOUT THE WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE NATIONAL MONUMENT FOUNDATION
The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation was authorized by Congress in Public Law 116-217 and Public Law 118-226 to lead the effort to fund, design, develop, and construct the Women’s Suffrage National Monument on the National Mall. The monument will transform the National Mall, foster a deeper understanding of the women who shaped American democracy, and inspire the continued pursuit of liberty and equality for all. For more information visit www.womensmonument.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
SUPPORT
The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation is driven by the generous financial support of our donors. Like most monuments and memorials, the Women’s Suffrage National Monument will be funded in its entirety through private donations, and we need your support to tell the stories of generations of women who waged and won the battle for the ballot. Simply put, we can’t do this without you. Learn more about our movement, donate, and be a part of history.
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Media Contact:
Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation
Kimberly Wallner
media@womensmonument.org