What james monroe memorial foundation does

The James Monroe Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID 54-0676990) founded in 1927 by President James Monroe's great-granddaughter Rose de Chine Gouverneur Hoes and her son Laurence Gouverneur Hoes, and incorporated in Virginia in 1947. Its core mission is to preserve and interpret the legacy of the fifth U.S. President through stewardship of historic sites, education programs, and public ceremonies. The foundation's principal asset is the 74-acre James Monroe Birthplace Park and Museum at 4460 James Monroe Highway, Colonial Beach, VA, which opened after restoration in 2021 and includes a replica of Monroe's two-story birthplace home, a Visitor Center with interpretive exhibits, and a commemorative timeline walking trail open year-round in daylight hours. The Birthplace House and Visitor Center are open weekends April through October (11:00 am – 4:00 pm) and by appointment for private tours.

The foundation's product portfolio spans core site experiences (park, museum, replica house, walking trail), educational and living-history programs (school field trips, interpretive exhibits, the Colonial Day event), and recurring ceremonies (Monroe Birthday at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Fort Monroe Flag Raising, Birthplace Ceremony). The foundation also stewards the Monroe family artifact collection under a perpetual 1964 Deed of Gift, housed at the James Monroe Museum and managed by the University of Mary Washington under a Governor-appointed Board of Regents, and maintains representation at Fort Monroe National Monument via named liaisons.

The foundation's revenue model is donation-based, with preset giving tiers at $25, $50, $100, $250, and $500 plus a custom-amount option, and frequencies of one-time, monthly, quarterly, or annual. It maintains a small staffed leadership team (President Bill Thomas, VP Peter Broadbent, Park Superintendent Shelby Chandler, plus coordinators across education, communications, buildings & grounds, and curatorial functions) supplemented by volunteer docents. Strategic partners include the Fort Monroe Authority, National Park Service, Commonwealth of Virginia, University of Mary Washington, College of William & Mary, White House Historical Association, and Westmoreland County. A 2026 Kitchen reconstruction is the foundation's next capital project.

Name

james monroe memorial foundation

Legal name

James Monroe Memorial Foundation

Website

https://monroefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The James Monroe Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1927 by President James Monroe's descendants that preserves his legacy through stewardship of the 74-acre James Monroe Birthplace Park and Museum in Colonial Beach, VA, along with education programs, living-history events, and annual ceremonies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Museum and Historical Site Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Historical preservation services
• Heritage education programs
• Presidential birthplace museum
• Living history events
• Nonprofit cultural heritage

Headquarters

HQ city

Colonial Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID: 54-0676990) relying primarily on tax-deductible donations from the public. They accept one-time and recurring donations (monthly, quarterly, annual) at various preset levels ($25, $50, $100, $250, $500) or custom amounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The James Monroe Memorial Foundation preserves and interprets the legacy of the fifth U.S. President by operating the 74-acre James Monroe Birthplace Park and Museum in Colonial Beach, Virginia, featuring a replica of Monroe's birthplace home, the Commemorative Timeline Walking Trail, a Visitor Center with exhibits, and room-to-room volunteer-led tours. It delivers educational programs, annual living history events such as Colonial Day, commemorative ceremonies including the Monroe Birthday ceremony at Hollywood Cemetery and the Fort Monroe Flag Raising, and private tours. Operations are funded through tax-deductible donations to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID 54-0676990), with the foundation also stewarding the nation's largest collection of Monroe family artifacts housed at the James Monroe Museum in Fredericksburg under a 1964 Deed of Gift.

Product overview

The James Monroe Memorial Foundation operates a single unified historical preservation and education offering centered on the James Monroe Birthplace Park and Museum. The core experience includes the restored Birthplace House and Boyhood Home replica, Visitor Center with exhibits, and the Commemorative Timeline Walking Trail across 74 acres. Additional offerings include educational programs, living history events (Colonial Day), annual ceremonies (Monroe Birthday at Hollywood Cemetery, Fort Monroe Flag Raising), private tours, and digital newsletter content. The foundation is currently planning the reconstruction of the Birthplace Kitchen (2026) to enhance visitor immersion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• James Monroe Birthplace Park and Museum
• Colonial Day Event
• Annual Monroe Birthday Ceremony at Hollywood Cemetery
• Fort Monroe Flag Raising Ceremony
• Private Tours
• James Monroe Birthplace Kitchen Reconstruction

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Commonwealth of VirginiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1964In 1964, Laurence Gouverneur Hoes entrusted the Monroe family collection to the Commonwealth of Virginia in a Deed of Gift which perpetually regulates this stewardship. The collection is housed in the James Monroe Museum.
• Fort Monroe AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe James Monroe Memorial Foundation maintains regular representation in a partnership to support the Fort Monroe Authority at this historic national landmark. The foundation has representation through Fort Monroe Liaison G. Mark Walsh and Assistant Liaison James Wright.
• University of Mary WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commonwealth of Virginia commissioned the University of Mary Washington with public management of the Monroe family collection, with a Board of Regents appointed by the Governor to review their work.
• College of William & MaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchaeological team from the College of William & Mary conducted excavations at the birthplace site in the 1970s, discovering the original foundations of Monroe's birthplace.
• National Park ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Fort Monroe National Monument is maintained by the National Park Services and the Fort Monroe Authority. The foundation maintains representation at this site.
• White House Historical AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation holds temporary event partnerships and conferences with the White House Historical Society along with other presidential sites and historical organizations.
• Westmoreland CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfter 25 years of negotiations, the James Monroe Memorial Foundation acquired and signed a long-term lease with Westmoreland County for the management of the birthplace site.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Historic Jamestowne (Jamestown Rediscovery): Archaeological and interpretive operation at the original 1607 Jamestown settlement. Comparable as a Virginia historic site with active archaeology, interpretation, and education programs that overlap with JMMF's positioning.
• Fort Monroe Authority: Authority managing Fort Monroe National Monument, where JMMF maintains a formal liaison role. Comparable as a Virginia historic site operator focused on public programming, education, and preservation, with overlapping partnership ecosystems.
• Tudor Place Historic House & Garden: Historic house museum in Washington, D.C., operated by a private nonprofit with comparable scale, donation-driven model, and focus on early American history interpretation.
• Preservation Virginia: Virginia's oldest statewide historic preservation nonprofit, operating multiple historic sites including Jamestown. Directly comparable as a heritage nonprofit stewarding significant Virginia sites through donations and visitor engagement.
• James Madison's Montpelier Foundation: Nonprofit operating James Madison's Montpelier in Orange, Virginia. Directly comparable as a Virginia-based presidential-heritage nonprofit serving the same Monroe-era founding period, with similar educational programming and donor reliance.
• White House Historical Association: Nonprofit partner of the White House dedicated to presidential history preservation, education, and programming. An active JMMF partner with a cross-presidential mandate, comparable in mission, donation model, and educational content focus.
• Mount Vernon Ladies' Association: Operates George Washington's Mount Vernon estate as a private nonprofit. Closest functional analog to JMMF: a founder-descendant-established nonprofit that stewards a presidential historic site, runs educational programming, and depends on donations and visitation for revenue.
• Thomas Jefferson Foundation (Monticello): Private nonprofit operating Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home, museum, and education programs. Comparable in operating model, scale ambition, and reliance on donor/visitor revenue tied to a single president's legacy.

Regional players

• George Washington Birthplace National Monument: NPS-operated George Washington birthplace site in Westmoreland County, Virginia — geographically adjacent to the Monroe birthplace. Strongly comparable in content focus and regional visitor base, though operated by the federal government rather than a private nonprofit.

Broad incumbents

• Colonial Williamsburg Foundation: Largest living-history heritage operation in Virginia. Comparable mission around colonial American history interpretation but operates at vastly greater scale and budget, representing a broad incumbent in the same visitor mindshare set.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MonroeFndn
• Facebookfacebook.com/JMMF5
• Instagraminstagram.com/jmonroe_foundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/james-monroe-memorial-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about james monroe memorial foundation