Quick Facts About the Memorial

1. Why build a Memorial to Dr. King?

More than a monument to a great humanitarian, the National Memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be a place for visitors from all over the world to be energized by its extraordinary power; the power that illuminated the faith of our founders and now impels us toward our destiny as a nation; the power flowing from the uniquely American spirit of brotherly love, freedom, justice, and the priceless blessing they endure...peace.

2. Why build the Memorial now?

Dr. King once reminded the nation of “the fierce urgency of now” while warning against “the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.” The time is now a historical perspective. Many young people have heard of Dr. King, but are unaware of the significance of his contributions to America and the world. The design has been established; the site is secured; the fundraising teams are already at work; and more than half of the $100 million campaign goal has been raised. The time is now.

3. What will the Memorial look like?

The Memorial is conceived as an engaging landscape experience to convey three fundamental and recurring themes throughout Dr. King’s life – democracy, justice, and hope. Natural elements such as the crescent-shaped-stone wall inscribed with excerpts of his sermons, and public addresses will serve as the living testaments of his vision of America. The centerpiece of the Memorial, the “Stone of Hope”, will feature a 30-foot likeness of Dr. King.

4. When will the Memorial be completed?

The Ceremonial Groundbreaking occurred on November 13, 2006.  The start of construction is contingent upon raising $100 million.  The Dedication of the Memorial is tentatively scheduled for 2009.

5. How much will the Memorial cost?

It is estimated that the total cost of the project will be $100 Million. Of that amount, $93 million has been raised.

6. To date, who have been your major contributors?

General Motors

$10,000,000

Federal Appropriation

9,852,876

Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation

5,000,000

In-Kind (Promotions and Marketing)

3,900,000

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

3,000,000

NBA

3,000,000

The Walt Disney Company

2,750,000

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

2,636,366

Coca-Cola Foundation

2,000,000

The Ford Motor Fund

2,000,000

MetLife Foundation

2,000,000

Toyota

2,000,000

Verizon Foundation

2,000,000

Procter & Gamble

1,600,000

GE

1,200,000

AARP

1,000,000

AFLAC

1,000,000

BP America, Inc.

1,000,000

CIGNA

1,000,000

DuPont

1,000,000

ExxonMobil Foundation

1,000,000

Fannie Mae Corporation

1,000,000

FedEx Corporation

1,000,000

Ann and Joel Horowitz Family Foundation

1,000,000

Sheila C. Johnson-Newman

1,000,000

Lehman Brothers

1,000,000

George Lucas

1,000,000

MacFarlane Partners

1,000,000

The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation

1,000,000

McDonald’s Corporation

1,000,000

National Association of Realtors (NAR)

1,000,000

National Education Association (NEA)

1,000,000

PepsiCo Foundation

1,000,000

Pew Charitable Trusts

1,000,000

Pfizer Foundation

1,000,000

Prudential Financial, Inc.

1,000,000

Shell Oil Company

1,000,000

State Farm Insurance

1,000,000

Viacom; BET; MTV

1,000,000

Wal-Mart

1,000,000

Sony Pictures Entertainment

650,000

AT&T

600,000

Honda

500,000

Morehouse College

500,000

State of Maryland

500,000

Federated Department Store Foundation

300,000

Marathon Oil

300,000

Bank of America Charitable Foundation

250,000

Chevy Chase Bank

250,000

Continental Airlines

250,000

CVS Caremark Charitable Trust

250,000

Windsor Village Methodist Church

200,000

Government of the District of Columbia

150,000

Xerox

150,000

Emerson

125,000

Trehan Foundation

125,000

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority

120,000

Geico Philanthropic Foundation & Associates

103,432

Trinity United Church of Christ

102,142

AETNA

100,000

Bloomberg

100,000

Delta Airline Foundation

100,000

John Deere and Company

100,000

Dyer Family Foundation

100,000

Fannie Mae Foundation

100,000

General Mills

100,000

Merrill Lynch

100,000

Charles Miller Memorial Foundation

100,000

Deborah and Carlos Santana

100,000

Credit Unions of the United States

100,000

The Embassy of South Africa

100,000

Grassroots Initiative

2,432,158

Other Contributions

6,170,116

(Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity; Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; Combined Federal Campaign (CFC); Jack and Jill of America Inc.; National Endowment for the Arts; Ed Brooke; Roger Sant; Kraft; Safeway; Shaner Hotel; Steelcase; Eugene Myers Foundation; Burton D. Morgan Foundation; John Stroud Foundation; United Methodist Church; Hartford Memorial Baptist Church; Friendship West Baptist Church; St. Luke Community United Methodist Church; Brentwood Baptist Church; Wheeler Avenue Church; Northwest Community Baptist Church; Association of the United States Army, Individual Gifts and 2 Anonymous Donors)

 

Total Contributions as of 12/31/07

$93,167,090

7. What can I do to help?

Individuals as well as corporations can add their financial support to this effort. Contributions, large and small, are needed to attain our goal of $100 million dollars. Spread the word to your friends, neighbors and acquaintances that their donations are urgently needed.


© 2006 Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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