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Friends of the National World War II Memorial Inc

EIN 13-4358477 · Washington, DC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL (FRIENDS), BASED IN WASHINGTON, D.C., IS A 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO TEACHING THE LESSONS OF YESTERDAY TO UNITE THE GENERATIONS OF TOMORROW. FOUNDED IN 2007 BY THE CREATORS OF THE NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL, FRIENDS BRINGS TOGETHER INDIVIDUALS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND AGES FOR NATIONAL CEREMONIES AND EXPERIENCES AT THE MEMORIAL AND FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS CENTERED AROUND THE THEMES OF UNITY, SHARED VALUES AND IDEALS, AND THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY.

Income
$8.3 million
Spending
$1.9 million
Spent on programs
84%
Reserves
12.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 94%
Employees
4
Volunteers
25
Highest pay
$267,541, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 89% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 12.9 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 1% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 77% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 199% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    84% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    16 of 17 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $1.3 million spent. EDUCATION:IN 2024, FRIENDS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES. TO THIS END, FRIENDS HOSTED ITS NINTH ANNUAL FRIENDS OF THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL TEACHERS NETWORK AND CONFERENCE. IT WAS A VERY FULL AND PRODUCTIVE WEEK, ATTENDED BY 30 EDUCATORS REPRESENTING 14 STATES. CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED DAILY PRESENTATIONS AND TOURS BY ENGAGING PRESENTERS AND GUIDES, INCLUDING FRIENDS' RESIDENT HISTORIAN ALEX KERSHAW, AND A REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY AT THE WWII MEMORIAL. DOZENS MORE EDUCATORS WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY, AND VIDEOS OF THE PRESENTATIONS AND TOURS ARE ARCHIVED ON FRIENDS' WEBSITE (WWW.WWIIMEMORIALFRIENDS.ORG).IN 2024, FRIENDS CONTINUED TO HOST A MONTHLY VIRTUAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE SERIES TO TEACH THE LESSONS OF YESTERDAY TO UNITE THE GENERATIONS OF TOMORROW. THE SERIES, FEATURING DISCUSSIONS WITH WORLD WAR II VETERANS, EDUCATORS, PUBLISHED AUTHORS, AND OTHER EXPERTS ON A RANGE OF TOPICS, IS HELD ON THE THIRD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH. FRIENDS HELD EIGHT MONTHLY VIRTUAL EDUCATION CONFERENCES IN 2024 (JANUARY-APRIL AND SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER).FRIENDS CONTINUED TO COORDINATE IN-PERSON HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS BY AUTHOR, HISTORIAN, AND STORYTELLER ALEX KERSHAW SHARING HEART-STOPPING STORIES ABOUT THOSE WHO SERVED IN WORLD WAR II AND CHALLENGING STUDENTS TO ASK THEMSELVES THE SAME HARD QUESTIONS THAT CONFRONTED THEIR FOREBEARS.FRIENDS HOSTED INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL TOURS, GUIDED BY RESIDENT HISTORIAN ALEX KERSHAW, TO LONDON, NORMANDY, AND PARIS IN MAY 2024 AND TO THE NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM, LUXEMBOURG, AND GERMANY IN SEPTEMBER 2024.THE EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE JACK C. TAYLOR / ENTERPRISE RENT-ACAR WWII MEMORIAL EDUCATION ENDOWMENT.
  2. $227,374 spent. COMMEMORATIVE:IN COOPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, FRIENDS HAS THE LEAD RESPONSIBILITY IN PLANNING, STAGING, AND FUNDING FIVE MAJOR NATIONAL COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS AT THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL ON VE DAY, MEMORIAL DAY, VJ DAY, VETERANS DAY, AND PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE DAY. IN ADDITION, FRIENDS ANNUALLY HOSTS A D-DAY COMMEMORATION. THE 2024 COMMEMORATIONS INCLUDED A SPECIAL CEREMONY MARKING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEDICATION OF THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS MARKING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARIES OF THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY AND THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. AS PART OF THE 80TH COMMEMORATIONS, NAMES OF ALL THOSE KILLED DURING THOSE BATTLES WERE READ BY VOLUNTEERS AT THE NEWLY RESTORED CIRCLE OF REMEMBRANCE, NEXT TO THE NEWLY INSTALLED FDR D-DAY PRAYER. THE CEREMONIES ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.FRIENDS PRESENTED THE 2024 BRIGADIER GENERAL CHARLES E. MCGEE UNITY AWARD TO CONGRESSWOMAN KAPTUR, THE LONGEST-SERVING WOMAN IN CONGRESSIONAL HISTORY, FOR HER UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO ESTABLISHING THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL ON THE NATIONAL MALL AND HER CONTINUED EFFORTS TO PRESERVE THE NATIONAL MEMORY OF WORLD WAR II. THE ANNUAL AWARD IS NAMED FOR THE LATE RETIRED AIR FORCE BRIGADIER GENERAL CHARLES E. MCGEE, WHO EMBODIED AND LIVED BY THE HIGHEST AMERICAN IDEALS DURING HIS 102-YEARS. THE UNITY AWARD IS A SIGNIFICANT RECOGNITION OF AN INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP ACTIVELY WORKING FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THEIR COMMUNITY AND BEYOND AND FOR LIVING UP TO THE MORAL INTEGRITY ESPOUSED BY GENERAL MCGEE AND HIS FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE "GREATEST GENERATION".
  3. $50,669 spent. LEGACY LECTURE:ON NOVEMBER 13TH, FRIENDS HELD THE TWELFTH ANNUAL HAYDN WILLIAMS WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL LEGACY LECTURE AT THE NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY. WWII HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR JOHN C. MCMANUS DELIVERED A LECTURE, TITLED TO THE END OF THE EARTH: THE U.S. ARMY AND THE DOWNFALL OF JAPAN, WHICH EXPLORED THE COST OF VICTORY OVER JAPAN AND THE LONG-TERM LEGACIES THAT STILL RESONATE TODAY. THE HAYDN WILLIAMS WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL LEGACY LECTURE IS AN ANNUAL PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES THAT FEATURES PREEMINENT HISTORIANS AND OTHER EXPERTS SPEAKING ON THE LASTING SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF WORLD WAR II ON AMERICA AND THE WORLD.THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED BY THE HAYDN WILLIAMS WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL LEGACY LECTURE SERIESENDOWMENT.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since August 2007.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.