The Lincoln Presidential Foundation (“Foundation”), formerly known as the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, is a 501c3 nonprofit with over two decades of experience leading and supporting efforts to share the story of Abraham Lincoln’s life, legacy, and leadership with the world.
In 2000, a group of citizens came together to form the Foundation to help establish the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) in Springfield, IL in 2005. Over the years, the Foundation raised over $42 million in support of museum programs, projects, and the Foundation’s one-of-a-kind Taper Collection of Lincolniana.
The Foundation has also established signature programs and events, including its prestigious Lincoln Leadership Prize in 2006. The Lincoln Leadership Prize has annually recognized leaders identified as conducting themselves in the Lincoln tradition, including four heads of state. The award event has raised millions in support of the mission.
In 2021, the exclusive partnership between the Foundation and the State of Illinois ended, creating an opportunity for the Foundation to lead its own projects and lend its expertise to new partners. Stakeholder discussions pointed to an existing need and a crucial role for the Foundation. Although there are hundreds of Lincoln historic sites, memorials, and monuments, there is no other national or international foundation focused on issues and resources affecting these historic places or the important documents and artifacts associated with our 16th president.
In 2022, the Lincoln Presidential Foundation adopted a new brand and announced its new, broader mission. The Foundation also announced the first of its new partnerships was with the National Park Service (NPS). The NPS administers dozens of sites across the country connected to President Lincoln and his legacy. The Foundation’s pilot agreement with NPS is philanthropic support of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, IL. A few months later, the Foundation announced it was awarded a grant from the National Park Foundation. The grant helps support the Lincoln Presidential Foundation’s new, nationwide study that will assess the best ways for the Foundation to approach support of Lincoln’s legacy and of sites that preserve evidence of the past and share stories of importance today.