
The National Museum of American History is building a collection of objects that tell stories about American philanthropy in all its diversity and complexity. Learn about how the collection is developing and what objects in it mean to us.
“The objects remind me to live each day with a purpose.”
Katharine Klein, Collections Manager for Giving in America
What’s a philanthropy object? Curator Amanda Moniz gets that question often. Some of the things she’s collected include this portrait, this nesting box, and this banner.

Gift of Graham Windham

Gift of Cathy Hindman

Gift of Daniel Ostroff