9/11 Memorial Foundation

9/11 Memorial Foundation
Name	9/11 Memorial Foundation
Formation	2001
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Lower Manhattan, New York City
Leader title	President & CEO
Leader name	Joseph Daniels

9/11 Memorial Foundation

The 9/11 Memorial Foundation is an American nonprofit organization established to commemorate the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the February 26, 1993 World Trade Center bombing, to support survivorship, and to steward the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center site. Founded by families of victims, survivors, first responders, and civic leaders, the Foundation engages with municipal institutions, federal agencies, cultural organizations, and international partners in preserving memory, shaping public history, and supporting scholarly work about the attacks and their aftermath.

History

The Foundation emerged in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing when families of victims such as those represented by the World Trade Center Families United and groups aligning with Family Members of the 9/11 Victims sought a permanent commemorative institution. Early interaction involved stakeholders from Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and city officials including Rudy Giuliani and later Michael Bloomberg; negotiations overlapped with design competitions involving Michael Arad and Peter Walker (landscape architect). The Foundation coordinated with cultural institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art and the New-York Historical Society on curatorial practice, and with legal entities like the United States Department of Justice and the 9/11 Commission on access to records. Over time the Foundation negotiated donor commitments from corporations including Cantor Fitzgerald, Silverstein Properties, and foundations such as the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation donors, while managing tensions with officials from Port Authority of New York and New Jersey over site control.

Mission and Programs

The Foundation’s stated mission links commemoration with education, research, and survivor support, partnering with institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, New York University, Georgetown University, and Harvard University on scholarship and trauma research. Programs coordinate with first responder organizations including the Uniformed Firefighters Association and the Detectives' Endowment Association to preserve oral histories and operational records, and with medical research centers such as Mount Sinai Health System and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital on health monitoring and the World Trade Center Health Program. Cultural partnerships include Smithsonian Institution, American Red Cross, and international memorials like National September 11 Memorial (Pennsylvania) and institutions such as the Imperial War Museums for comparative commemoration studies. The Foundation also maintains relationships with labor organizations like International Longshoremen's Association and financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley for workforce memorial initiatives.

9/11 Memorial & Museum

The Foundation is responsible for the stewardship of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center site, which incorporates the Memorial plazas designed by Michael Arad and the Museum galleries curated with input from historians connected to National September 11 Memorial & Museum staff, scholars from Brookings Institution, and curators who have collaborated with the Smithsonian Institution. The Memorial features the Survivor Tree, a callery pear associated with New York City Department of Parks and Recreation planting and conservation practice, and inscribed victim names arranged according to an algorithm developed with family advisory panels and researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Exhibits include artifacts such as the antenna from One World Trade Center (2009–present) site operations and a staircase associated with World Trade Center recovery efforts, contextualized alongside records from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Archives and Records Administration. The Museum’s collections policy and exhibition narratives were informed by museum practice from institutions like the Imperial War Museum and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Education and Outreach

Educational programming links K–12 curricula to university research through partnerships with the New York City Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Park Service, which administers the memorial site lands. The Foundation’s curriculum development collaborates with scholars from Rutgers University, Princeton University, Yale University, and research centers such as the Stimson Center to produce lesson plans, teacher guides, and online resources addressing civil liberties, emergency response, and global terrorism studies relating to the September 11 attacks and post-9/11 policy. Outreach extends to community health initiatives coordinated with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention programs, legal clinics at Cardozo School of Law and Fordham University School of Law, and oral-history projects with the Library of Congress and initiatives like the Veterans History Project.

Fundraising and Governance

The Foundation’s fundraising has drawn major gifts and pledges from philanthropists and corporations including Kenneth Langone, Ronald Lauder, Michael Bloomberg, Larry Silverstein, Cantor Fitzgerald, and institutions such as The Rockefeller Foundation and Ford Foundation; capital campaigns intersected with public funding streams from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and municipal bonds authorized by the New York City Council. Governance includes a board composed of family members, civic leaders, and experts drawn from organizations like American Express, JP Morgan Chase, and academic institutions; executive leadership has involved figures with prior roles in cultural institutions and public service. The Foundation must comply with nonprofit regulation overseen by the New York State Attorney General and reporting to the Internal Revenue Service.

Controversies and Criticism

The Foundation has faced criticism over exhibit content, governance decisions, and donor influence, including disputes involving family advisory groups and conflicts with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey over site control and revenue. Critiques from journalists associated with outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The New Yorker highlighted debates about narrative framing, artifact repatriation, and the balance between memorialization and commercial development linked to Silverstein Properties projects and redevelopment of Lower Manhattan. Legal challenges and public protests invoked stakeholders including first responder unions like the Uniformed Firefighters Association and advocacy organizations such as 9/11 Health Watch regarding screening fees, admission policies, and health care entitlement claims tied to the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. International commentators referenced comparative precedents at sites like the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and the Anne Frank House in assessing ethical and curatorial choices.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York City