We the Women FAQ

What women’s rights records are in the National Archives?

The National Archives is the nation’s recordkeeper. With more than 13 billion records, the National Archives holds recognition of the contributions of American women. The holdings include military service records, politics records, and suffrage records relating to women’s history. The Archives holds a range of records of interest to the public including female African American writers, biographies of women in science, women in social movements, women soldiers of the Civil War, the 19th Amendment, among many other notable documents. Learn more at archives.gov.

Who is the National Archives Foundation?

The National Archives Foundation is the private partner to the National Archives. An independent 501(c)(3), the Foundation’s mission is to enhance and expand the public outreach efforts of the National Archives by providing financial and creative support. The Rightfully Hers initiative is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Unilever, AARP, and AT&T. 

What is We the Women fundraising for?

Donations will support the Rightfully Hers initiative – the National Archives’ official effort to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote – as well as access to women’s history records at the National Archives. For the initiative, this means helping fund the exhibit at the National Archives Museum, the traveling exhibit across the country, programming in DC and online, and much more! In addition, your support will help increase access to the millions of women’s history records held in trust for the American people at the National Archives through digitization, programming, and more.

Once the exhibit opens, am I still able to donate?

Yes, we will be accepting donations to support the Rightfully Hers initiative and access to women’s history records at the National Archives until the initiative ends in 2020. You can also donate to the National Archives Foundation at any time to support all outreach and access efforts at the National Archives by visiting archivesfoundation.org/donate

Why does a federal agency need a nonprofit partner?

As a government agency, the National Archives receives federal funding to support the preservation of billions of records in facilities across the country. However, federal appropriations do not cover the many expenses associated with public outreach – such as exhibitions, programming, and special initiatives such as Rightfully Hers. Thanks to the combination of public and private support, the National Archives is able to share with millions of Americans our history and honor those individuals who made it happen.

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If you have a question not answered here, please feel free to email us at info@archivesfoundation.org.