National D-day Memorial Foundation, Ltd.

What National D-day Memorial Foundation, Ltd. does

The National D-Day Memorial Foundation, Ltd. is a private nonprofit organization incorporated in Virginia and headquartered at 3 Overlord Circle, Bedford, Virginia, where it operates the National D-Day Memorial — the only memorial on American soil devoted solely to commemorating the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944. Founded in 2001 and currently led by President & CEO April Cheek-Messier, the foundation preserves D-Day history through the physical memorial site, a research archive (Necrology Project, D-Day Participant Identification Program, Portraits of Heroes), a digital library, an official mobile app, the Someone Talked! podcast, virtual tours, and educational programming for K-12 schools and student interns. The foundation also accepts artifact donations to build toward a planned Education Center.

The foundation's product surface spans four interconnected lines: (1) the on-site Memorial experience and admissions; (2) an e-commerce store at store.dday.org selling WWII-themed books, apparel, COBI building block sets, collectibles, and merchandise; (3) a tiered membership program — Overlord Society at $35–$500 annually and D-Day Society at $1,000+ annually (up to Founder's Circle at $50,000+); and (4) commemorative tribute offerings including bricks ($300), poppies ($25–$100), luminarias ($20), trees ($2,000), benches ($5,000), Medal of Honor Garden plaques, and a Flag Flying Program ($100). Revenue is generated via one-time purchases, recurring subscriptions, and donations/legacy giving, with no equity funding or institutional investors disclosed.

The foundation reaches customers through a hybrid omnichannel approach combining in-person visitation, field trip programs for schools, a proprietary e-commerce site, email newsletters (Overlord Report), and organic social (Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube). Future expansion includes the John and Doris Fowler Family Motor Pool and the 700+ seat Robins Performance Amphitheater, alongside the foundation's 25th anniversary campaign in 2026.

Name

National D-day Memorial Foundation, Ltd.

Legal name

National D-Day Memorial Foundation, Ltd.

Website

https://dday.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National D-Day Memorial Foundation operates the only U.S. national memorial dedicated solely to D-Day, located in Bedford, Virginia, serving visitors, schools, veterans, and history enthusiasts through on-site visitation, educational programs, memberships, commemorative products, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Memorial Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Monuments, Statues & Memorials (THAJACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

Keywords

• Historical memorial services
• WWII educational programs
• Commemorative tribute products
• Membership fundraising
• Museum visitor experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Bedford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Revenue from visitor admissions to the memorial grounds
2. E-commerce Sales: Sale of merchandise through the online store including books, apparel, collectibles, toys, and commemorative items
3. Membership Programs: Annual memberships including D-Day Society ($1,000+) and Overlord Society (ranging from $35 to $500) offering benefits such as free admission, shop discounts, and exclusive communications
4. Commemorative Products: Sale of commemorative bricks ($300), poppies ($25-$100), luminarias ($20), trees ($2,000), and benches ($5,000) as tribute items
5. Donations and Fundraising: General donations, legacy giving, sponsorship opportunities, and capital campaign contributions for future expansion

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The National D-Day Memorial Foundation operates the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, the only American memorial solely devoted to the June 6, 1944 D-Day invasion of Normandy. The foundation provides on-site memorial visitation, educational programs, commemorative tribute products (engraved bricks, poppies, trees, benches), tiered annual memberships, an e-commerce store (store.dday.org), and historical research archives focused on D-Day participants.

Product overview

The National D-Day Memorial Foundation operates the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia - the only memorial in America devoted solely to commemorating the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944. The organization's offerings include the physical memorial experience, virtual tours, and digital content through the 'Someone Talked!' podcast. Revenue-generating activities center on an ecommerce store (store.dday.org) selling WWII-themed merchandise including books, apparel, building block sets, collectibles, and commemorative items. The Foundation offers multiple commemorative programs (bricks, poppies, luminarias, trees, benches, Medal of Honor Garden) and two membership tiers (D-Day Society at $1,000+ and Overlord Society at $35-$500). Educational programming includes school field trips, internships, and a research archive for D-Day participants. Future expansion plans include the John and Doris Fowler Family Motor Pool and Robins Performance Amphitheater.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• D-Day Society: A distinguished membership group for donors contributing $1,000 or more annually to the foundation.
• Overlord Society
• The Foundation Gift Shop
• Someone Talked Podcast

Products and services

• National D-Day Memorial On-Site Visitation
• D-Day Society Annual Membership
• Overlord Society Annual Membership
• Online Store (store.dday.org)
• Commemorative Engraved Brick Program
• Poppy Peace Garden Tribute
• Commemorative Tree Program
• Garden Bench Program
• Flames of Memory Luminarias Program
• Medal of Honor Garden Tribute
• Flag Flying Program
• School Field Trips and Educational Programs
• Internship Program
• Artifact Donation Program
• D-Day Participant Identification Program
• Someone Talked! Podcast

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 million+ visitors educated about D-Day and WWII since 2001
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• National WWII Memorial: The Washington, D.C. National WWII Memorial managed by the National Park Service. Shares the WWII commemoration mission and visitor-attraction model, though federally operated and free to enter rather than nonprofit-run.
• The National WWII Museum: The flagship American WWII museum (New Orleans), operating as a nonprofit with paid admissions, membership programs, educational outreach, and an e-commerce store. Most directly comparable peer in mission, visitor model, and revenue mix.
• National Veterans Memorial and Museum: Columbus, OH-based nonprofit memorial and museum dedicated to honoring all U.S. veterans. Comparable in mission (veteran commemoration), revenue model (admissions, donations, events), and educational programming.
• National Museum of the Pacific War: A Fredericksburg, TX-based WWII museum operated as a nonprofit, focused on the Pacific Theater. Comparable in size, nonprofit structure, and educational programming for K-12 and general visitors.
• Pearl Harbor National Memorial: Honors the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor with a visitor site, museum, and educational programming. Closely comparable in operating a single-purpose war memorial with educational mission and visitor admissions.

Emerging players

• Eisenhower National Historic Site: NPS-operated Gettysburg site dedicated to Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander on D-Day. Comparable as a D-Day-linked heritage site with educational programming and visitor experience.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian National Museum of American History: A major Smithsonian museum covering American history including substantial WWII collections and educational programming. Comparable in museum-style visitor experience and K-12 education focus, though at vastly greater scale and free admission.
• American Battle Monuments Commission: Federal agency managing U.S. military cemeteries and memorials overseas. Operates the Normandy American Cemetery adjacent to Omaha Beach, directly adjacent to the D-Day story. Comparable in curating D-Day heritage sites, though government-operated.

Others

• Woody Williams Foundation (Gold Star Families Memorial Monuments): Builds Gold Star Families Memorial Monuments across the U.S., including one co-located at the Bedford site. Operates as a sibling nonprofit in the military-family memorial space with comparable tribute-program model.
• Congressional Medal of Honor Society: Organization representing Medal of Honor recipients, with educational outreach and a museum. Overlaps with the Foundation's Medal of Honor Garden program and veteran-recognition mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DDayMemorial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NationalDDayMemorial
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalDDAYMemorial
• Instagraminstagram.com/ddaymemorial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ddaymemorial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about National D-day Memorial Foundation, Ltd.