A Note 1
Walking the grounds of the National Mall today, you will encounter war memorials and monuments honoring civil rights heroes and past presidents. You will stand in awe of the giants who have earned their place in our national story. And yet, amongst our most iconic monuments and memorials, American women’s stories are missing.
Today, fewer than 5% of statues in our Nation’s Capital depict women.
In Washington, D.C., the two-mile stretch of land that reaches from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial is known as the National Mall. It is flanked by the White House, our national cultural institutions, and the halls of government. The National Mall is where we as a people showcase our history. It is the land that holds our national memory.
That’s why Congress tasked the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation with changing the commemorative landscape and ensuring that the 36 million people who visit our Nation’s Capital each year experience a deeper American story. With your support, women’s fight for the vote will be taught, told, and remembered for generations to come. Join our coalition, and together, let’s make history.
Anna Laymon Executive Director, Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation Anna Laymon
"Monuments are not end points for history, but touchstones between generations." -National Monument Audit, Monument Lab + Mellon Foundation
-Carrie Chapman Catt, Leader of the National American Woman's Suffrage Association
"The vote is the emblem of your equality, women of America, the guarantee of your liberty."
Suffragists began their organized fight for women’s equality in 1848 when they demanded the right to vote during the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York.
For the next 72 years, women lobbied, marched, picketed, and protested for the right to the ballot. Suffragists were revolutionary in their tactics and strategies, orchestrating one of the most sweeping and effective lobbying campaigns in U.S. history. Adopting the motto of the British suffrage movement–Deeds, Not Words–American suffragists were relentless and radical in their efforts to secure the support of local, state, and national elected representatives. Only because generations of women raised their voices and persevered in their fight for full equality did the 19th Amendment become a part of the U.S. Constitution on August 26, 1920. In the long fight for voting rights equality, the suffrage movement stands as a critical victory. The ratification of the 19th Amendment marks the largest single expansion of voting rights in American history, culminating in a massive extension of democracy, individual rights, and justice. The suffragists set precedents in protest, civic organization, and civil disobedience that have continued to inspire generations of activists in the pursuit of full equality for all. The story of the women’s suffrage movement is the story of democracy at work, and it deserves its place amongst our collective memory. But so much of their story—our story—has never been told. Until now.
Who They Were
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We believe that diversity of representation is an active practice, and that to build a more inclusive commemorative landscape, we must commit to sharing a multiplicity of American women's stories. That's why we have woven our commitment to inclusion throughout our operational plans–from our leadership and Design Team structures to our emphasis on community and civic engagement–and why we will continue to prioritize the multivocality of our Nation in all that we do. Diverse Perspectives
"Monuments do more than just help us remember—they make our society’s values visible." -National Monument Audit, Monument Lab + Mellon Foundation
Jane DeDecker, a cofounder of the Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation and a renowned American sculptor, is the first artist named to the monument’s Design Team. Soon, she will be joined by artists and collaborators from across the country— selected through a nationwide search—who will bring their skills, expertise, lived-experiences, and passions to this project.
Throughout my career, I have listened to the voices of women and recreated moments of motherhood, moments of wearing thin, of letting go, of selflessness, and of triumph. Commemorating women has become more than my life’s work — it is my calling to raise their voices. I sculpt so that we all can remember what it took for women to find stride in America.
Collaborative Design 11
In her own words, read about Jane’s mission to honor the suffragists and sculpt women back into our collective memory. Walking the streets of Washington, D.C., visitors encounter rows of monuments and memorials that weave a visual tapestry of our shared American experience. And yet, a significant element is missing from our Nation’s commemorative landscape. Women.
It is an honor to have been named as the first artist on the Design Team for the Women’s Suffrage National Monument, and to have the opportunity to sculpt all women into our shared American story. Women who had a vision of freedom. Women who fought to participate in the formation of laws that govern and shape our lives. Women who sacrificed family for profession, or profession for family. Women whose voices came together in a unified call for equality. Women who left us the tools we need to inspire action in future generations. But I cannot do it alone. The suffrage movement was a collaborative one, and so, too, should be the creation of this monument. Through the creativity, curiosity, and dedication of our Design Team, this monument will weave together the multitude of diverse histories that collectively tell an inclusive and complete story of women’s fight for equality.
I am dedicated to creating a monument that depicts real women, honors our unified, collaborative strength, and propels our daughters to greatness. Onward. –Jane DeDecker
Because of your critical early financial support, we will honor our shared past, uplift our diverse histories, and inspire a new generation of trailblazers to continue the march toward full equality for all.
The Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation was established to lead the effort to build a women's suffrage monument in Washington, D.C. To realize the years-long mission as given to us by Congress in Public Law 116-117, we need your early support. Simply put, we can't do this without you. We need your leadership right now to build a movement, share a diverse tapestry of American women’s untold stories, and bring this monument to life. And so we have established the Founder's Circle, which honors your belief in this effort through special recognition, VIP invitations, exclusive donor gifts, and much more.
Founder's Circle
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FOUNDERS CIRCLE The first 50 donors to contribute $25,000 or more to the Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation will hold an exclusive, life-time membership to the monument's Founders Circle, which includes benefits usually only available to donors contributing $1M+. EXCLUSIVE DONOR GIFTS Official Founders Circle Certificate, Official Artist Rendering of Monument, Official Commemorative Coin, and Official Monument Lapel Pin; STATUETTE One of a kind bronze suffragist statuette from Monument sculptor Jane DeDecker; VIP SEATING & PHOTO OPPORTUNITY Reserved VIP seating and VIP photo opportunity at Monument's Groundbreaking and Dedication Ceremonies; PRIVATE TOUR Exclusive behind the scenes tour of the Monument with the project's Design Team; DONOR RECOGNITION Prominent name and/or logo recognition in WSNMF Materials, including: Social Media; Website; Annual Report; and Groundbreaking and Dedication Ceremonies Materials. As our special thank you for your generous support, Founders Circle member benefits include: All donations to the Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation are tax-deductible.
EXCLUSIVE DONOR GIFTS Official Certificate, Official Artist Rendering of Monument, Official Commemorative Coin, and Official Monument Lapel Pin; STATUETTE One of a kind bronze suffragist statuette from Monument sculptor Jane DeDecker; VIP SEATING & PHOTO OPPORTUNITY Reserved VIP seating and VIP photo opportunity at Monument's Groundbreaking and Dedication Ceremonies; DONOR RECOGNITION Prominent name and/or logo recognition in WSNMF Materials by tier, including: Social Media; Website; Annual Report; and Groundbreaking and Dedication Ceremonies Materials. PRIVATE TOUR Exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Monument with the project's Design Team; Purple Circle: $5M+ White Circle: $2M+ Yellow Circle: $1M+ Premier Giving Levels 1920 Society The 1920 Society is one of our most important sources of funding. Your leadership as a member of the 1920 Society directly supports the establishment of an American women's history monument in our Nation's Capital. 17 As our special thank you for your generous support, 1920 Society benefits include: ON-SITE RECOGNITION Prominent on-site recognition at the Monument for ten years following the Monument's dedication; All donations to the Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation are tax-deductible.
18 Freedom Giving Circle: $10k-$24,999k DONOR RECOGNITION Name and/or logo recognition in the WSNMF Annual Report; EXCLUSIVE DONOR GIFTS Official Certificate and Official Monument Lapel Pin. All donations to the Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation are tax-deductible. Equality Giving Circle: $25k-$99k DONOR RECOGNITION Name and/or logo recognition on WSNMF Website and in the WSNMF Annual Report; SPECIAL INVITATION Commemorative invitation to Groundbreaking and Dedication Ceremonies; EXCLUSIVE DONOR GIFTS Official Certificate, Official Limited Print Artist Rendering of Monument, and Official Monument Lapel Pin. DONOR RECOGNITION Name and/or logo recognition in WSNMF Materials including: Social Media; Website; Annual Report; Groundbreaking and Dedication Ceremonies Materials; PRIORITY SEATING Commemorative invitation to Groundbreaking and Priority Reserved Seating at Dedication Ceremony; PRIVATE TOUR Private tour of the Monument with Senior Leadership; EXCLUSIVE DONOR GIFTS Official Certificate, Official Limited Print Artist Rendering of Monument, Official Commemorative Coin, and Official Monument Lapel Pin. Victory Giving Circle: $250k-$999k Liberty Giving Circle: $100k-$249k DONOR RECOGNITION Name and/or logo recognition in WSNMF Materials including: Social Media; Website; Annual Report; Groundbreaking and Dedication Ceremonies Materials; RESERVED SEATING Commemorative invitation to Groundbreaking and reserved seating at Dedication Ceremony; EXCLUSIVE DONOR GIFTS Official Certificate, Official Limited Print Artist Rendering of Monument, Official Commemorative Coin, and Official Monument Lapel Pin.
DONATE
100 years after peacefully orchestrating the single largest expansion of democracy in American history, the passage of Public Law 116-217 ensures that the suffragists will finally be honored with a monument in our Nation's Capital. But this project is possible only with your support. By 2026, the Foundation must raise at least $46M through private donations to fund the design and construction of the Women's Suffrage National Monument. Join the movement, and donate today. TODAY
WE NEED YOU 19
Join the Movement
HONOR
Fewer than 5% of statues in our Nation’s Capital depict women. The story of the early American movement for women's equality is the story of democracy at work, and it deserves its place in our commemorative landscape. THEIR LEGACY
Nearly every monument and memorial on the National Mall was created in large part through private funding. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, completed in 1984, raised $8.4M in private donations from more than 240,000 donors. The World War II Memorial, completed in 2004, raised $166M in private donations. And the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, completed in 2011, raised $110M in private donations.
"Scarcely a memorial has ever been erected to women...Will you not send the largest contribution possible and send it immediately?" -Alice Paul, Chair of the National Woman's Party (NWP), asking NWP members to donate in support of a memorial in Washington, D.C. to honor the suffragists November 11, 1920
