Harding Endowment Fund
One of Marion, Ohio’s greatest claims to fame will forever be the presidency of Warren G. Harding. He was a local boy who became the newspaper editor, U.S. senator, and the 29th President of the United States. His history is part of the fabric of Marion, Ohio, and area residents can share in it.
In 1920, the nation’s attention turned to Marion, Ohio, during Senator Warren G. Harding’s “front porch” presidential campaign. One hundred years later, Marion will again be center stage as it celebrates the centennial of Harding’s successful campaign and highlight his White House legacy.
Currently underway is a multi-million dollar project to transform the Warren G. Harding Presidential Site—restoring the home to its 1920 campaign glory and creating the Harding Presidential Center, a multi-purpose visitor center, museum, archives, and event facility.
By the summer of 2020, the Harding Home will look just as it did during Harding’s presidential campaign and the new Presidential Center will add a large main exhibit gallery, research rooms, multimedia classrooms, and an outdoor courtyard. These capital improvements will require maintenance and upkeep.
The Warren G. Harding Home & Presidential Center Endowment Fund was created at Marion Community Foundation to support the future of the expanded Presidential Site. With a goal of raising a $1 million principal, the fund will make annual grants to help support the Presidential Center’s operations in perpetuity. Donors can support this effort by making contributions in any amount to the fund.
“We recently received a generous gift from the Marion Harding High School class of 1955 on the occasion of their 65th reunion year,” said Dean Jacob, president and CEO of Marion Community Foundation. “Both individuals and groups can be a part of this historical effort.”
Individuals and families can be honored and memorialized through the creation of additional charitable funds designated to support Marion’s history.
“You could choose to create your own named endowment to make awards to the Harding Presidential Site. A designated endowment fund can be created through a gift of $5,000 or more and, in doing so, you name the fund as you wish—so that the family name is forever connected to Marion’s presidential history,” said Jacob. “Gifts can come in many forms, including cash, stock, real estate, insurance policies, IRA distributions, and through wills and trusts. Each year, the Harding Site will receive a check in your name, or your family’s name, in perpetuity.”
Marion Community Foundation—with its 20-year history of supporting quality of life programs and causes in Marion, Ohio—stands firm in its support of the Harding Presidential Site and is uniquely positioned to help others do the same.
Additional information on how to make a contribution to the Warren G. Harding Home & Presidential Center Endowment Fund or to create a new legacy fund in support of this lasting homage, may call 740-387-9704. A secure online portal is available for making online contributions. Give directly to the Harding Endowment by clicking here.
