Frances Perkins Center

What Frances Perkins Center does

The Frances Perkins Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 and headquartered in Newcastle, Maine. It serves as the official philanthropic partner of the Frances Perkins National Monument, a 57-acre saltwater farm site on the Damariscotta River that encompasses a historic Brick House (built 1837), a historic barn, a Welcome Center, and self-guided trails. The Center's mission is to inspire current and future generations to understand and uphold the government's role in providing social justice and economic security, leveraging the legacy of Frances Perkins — the first woman to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet and the longest-serving Secretary of Labor (1933-1945) under Franklin D. Roosevelt. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2014 and elevated to National Monument status by President Biden in December 2024.

The Center's core offerings center on the physical visitor experience at the National Monument, supplemented by educational programs (including school partnerships such as Great Salt Bay Community School), cultural resources, a traveling exhibit available to regional learning facilities, an internship program, and an annual awards/honorees program including the Open Door Award. Its technology footprint consists of a website, virtual exhibits, video content, and active social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, with a Constant Contact newsletter. No proprietary software, API, or mobile application is offered. The business model is non-commercial: admission to the National Monument is free with donations encouraged, and revenue is generated through a mix of individual donations, foundation grants (notably a $750,000 Mellon Foundation Humanities in Place Grant awarded in June 2024), state appropriations ($100,000 from Maine LD 440 signed by Governor Mills in 2021), and conservation grants. The organization employs 1-10 staff and operates seasonally, with its inaugural public summer season in 2025 drawing over 4,000 visitors.

Name

Frances Perkins Center

Legal name

Frances Perkins Center

Website

https://francesperkinscenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Frances Perkins Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 that serves as the official philanthropic partner of the Frances Perkins National Monument in Newcastle, Maine. It operates the 57-acre National Monument site and delivers educational programs, cultural resources, and traveling exhibits to preserve the legacy of the first female U.S. presidential cabinet member and architect of Social Security.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Preservation & Cultural Heritage

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Historic preservation services
• Museum education programs
• Cultural heritage nonprofit
• Social justice education
• Monument visitor experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations from supporters who believe in the mission of preserving Frances Perkins' legacy and promoting social justice and economic security
2. Foundation Grants: Major grants from foundations such as the $750,000 Mellon Foundation Humanities in Place Grant awarded in 2024
3. Government Funding: State funding including $100,000 from Maine state legislation (LD 440) for conservation efforts
4. Conservation Grants: Conservation grants from organizations such as The 1772 Foundation ($6,500 matching grant for Brick House ell roof repairs)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Frances Perkins Center operates as the official philanthropic partner of the Frances Perkins National Monument, located on a 57-acre saltwater farm in Newcastle, Maine. The organization delivers on-site visitor experiences, educational programs, traveling exhibits, internships, and cultural resources focused on the legacy of Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet and the architect of the New Deal and Social Security.

Product overview

The Frances Perkins Center operates as a unified offering centered on the Frances Perkins National Monument visitor experience and associated educational and cultural programming. The core offering consists of the physical site—a 57-acre national monument in Newcastle, Maine with a Welcome Center, historic barn exhibit, and trails—which provides the primary touchpoint for public engagement. Supporting this core are educational programs including school partnerships and workshops, cultural resources including traveling exhibits, an internship program, and an awards/honorees recognition initiative. All offerings are integrated under the Center's mission to inspire current and future generations to understand and uphold government’s role in providing social justice and economic security.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Frances Perkins National Monument Visitor Experience On-site public visitation of the 57-acre Frances Perkins National Monument in Newcastle, Maine, allowing visitors to tour the historic saltwater farm property and engage with exhibits about Perkins's life and policy legacy. Targeted at general public visitors, history enthusiasts, and families.
• Education Programs Curriculum-aligned educational programming on Frances Perkins, the New Deal, Social Security, and the history of women in American governance. Targeted at K-12 schools, homeschool families, and university groups.
• Frances Perkins Traveling Exhibit A traveling exhibit designed to extend the Perkins story beyond the Maine monument, deployed at partner institutions and venues across the United States.
• Internship Program Internships for students and emerging professionals supporting the Center's educational, curatorial, and public-programming work. Targeted at college students and early-career individuals.
• Cultural Resources and Publications Articles, archival materials, videos, and reference resources documenting Frances Perkins's life, policy achievements, and continuing relevance to social and economic justice debates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,000 visitors in inaugural season 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and minor.

• National Committee to Preserve Social Security and MedicarenotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2026Executive Director Amanda Hatch appeared on 'You Earned This' podcast to discuss Frances Perkins and Social Security legacy
• Lincoln TheaternotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2021Presented film screening 'The New Deal For Artists Remastered' in partnership with the Lincoln Theater
• Maine PreservationnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2021Partnership with The 1772 Foundation for conservation grant to assist with preservation of the homestead
• Harvard Law School Labor and Worklife ProgramnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2018Co-hosted symposium 'What Would Frances Perkins Do? Adapting New Deal Worker Protections to the 21st Century Economy' with distinguished panel of labor thought leaders
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner of the Frances Perkins National Monument; operates Welcome Center, historic barn, grounds, and trails as part of the National Park Service site. Volunteers are part of the NPS 'Volunteers in Parks' (VIP) program.
• Legacy Properties Sotheby's International RealtyminorOthersAnnual sponsor providing generous support to the organization
• J. Edward KnightminorOthersAnnual sponsor providing generous support to the organization
• Cornerstone Financial PlanningminorOthersAnnual sponsor providing generous support to the organization
• AARPnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerAARP featured the Frances Perkins National Monument and hosted summer programming at the site

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument: National Monument in Washington, DC dedicated to the women's suffrage and equal rights movement, co-managed by the National Park Service and the National Woman's Party. Highly comparable as a federally designated women's-history site that blends historic preservation with contemporary social-justice mission framing.
• Sewall-Belmont House Museum: Historic house museum in Washington, DC preserving the legacy of Alice Paul and the National Woman's Party — operated by a dedicated nonprofit with programming at the intersection of history, advocacy, and education. Directly comparable mission and operating profile.
• Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (Theodore Roosevelt Home): National Park Service site preserving the home of President Theodore Roosevelt in Oyster Bay, NY — another preserved presidential/first-leader residence with NPS management. Comparable as a site preserving the home of a transformative American leader.
• Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site: NPS-managed National Historic Site preserving the last Washington, DC home of educator and presidential advisor Mary McLeod Bethune, focused on African American women's leadership and civil rights. Comparable as a federal partnership with a small-site education and preservation mission.
• Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum: Operates the historic Clara Barton office in Washington, DC, with education programming and a small interpretive site. Comparable as a historic-figure-focused nonprofit leveraging a small physical footprint for educational mission delivery.
• Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site: Buffalo, NY National Historic Site operated by a nonprofit in partnership with NPS, focused on presidential history and civic education. Highly comparable operating model — small nonprofit partner of a federally designated historic site.
• National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House: Independent nonprofit operating the Susan B. Anthony House in Rochester, NY — a women's-history house museum combining visitor experience, education programming, and advocacy. Closely parallel operating model to Frances Perkins Center's national-monument-anchored programming.
• Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (Val-Kill): National Park Service-managed historic site preserving the home of another 'first woman' in American public life — Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest-serving First Lady and a UN human rights architect. Closely comparable as a federally recognized historic residence with a nonprofit partner, education programming, and women's leadership legacy framing.

Regional players

• Maine Historical Society: State-level historical society and museum headquartered in Portland, Maine — the dominant regional historical-society peer in the Center's home state, relevant for competitive positioning on Maine visitor audiences, donor overlap, and education partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: Largest U.S. private preservation organization, providing grants, advocacy, and technical assistance across thousands of historic sites. Relevant broad incumbent for benchmarking on funding strategy, preservation advocacy, and federal partnership best practices.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FrancesPerkinsCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frances-perkins-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/francesperkinscenter/?hl=en
• Xx.com/FranPerkinsCtr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Frances Perkins Center