Inspired by Pollin Challenge Grant, Anonymous Donor Jump-starts 2015 Fundraising with Generous Gift for Curatorial PlanningAs we enter a new and exciting year for America's Flagship, the Conservancy is proud to announce that we have received of one of our largest ever individual contributions. The gift of $250,000 was made by an anonymous donor who was inspired by the generosity and passion exhibited by cruise industry executive Jim Pollin. Last year Jim donated an initial $120,000, followed by a generous challenge grant. Supporters from across the country and around the world answered Jim's call to action by donating $120,000, prompting Jim to match this amount. Jim was recently honored with the Conservancy's National Flagship Champion Award."Jim's donations have now yielded more than half a million dollars for America's Flagship," said our executive director, Susan Gibbs. "This new major donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, is helping us build on the momentum of our encouraging redevelopment agreement announced in December. Feasibility studies for the ship's conversion are ongoing, and many design and engineering challenges must still be overcome. However, this extraordinarily generous donation provides real wind at the sails of our efforts."Funds from the new gift will be used in the near-term for advancing our various curatorial programs, including planning for the SS United States Museum of Design and Discovery. Preliminary designs for the museum include restoring key areas of the ship to create innovative and immersive experiences for visitors.The museum and the Conservancy's curatorial and archival programs will be developed in consultation with our advisory council and other specialists, including maritime historians and experts previously associated with the Smithsonian Institution, Philadelphia's Franklin Institute, and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation."While our new development partners continue their due diligence and planning for the repurposing of the SS United States, the Conservancy will use this generous donation to jump-start the exciting process of developing a world-class museum. We will also continue our global search and cataloging of original artifacts, artwork and ephemera from the vessel, as well as compiling and digitizing passenger and crew records, among other important projects," Susan explained.Jim said: "Last year, I asked the world to help save our flagship. I asked people to join me in ensuring this majestic piece of American history had a future. This new gift is an amazing display of confidence in the Conservancy's vision and an acknowledgement of the ship's historic importance for all of us."
Conservancy 2014 Highlights: A Banner Year!
Thanks to support from our members throughout the year, the tide has finally begun to turn for the SS United States. The Conservancy recently announced an initial redevelopment agreement with partners committed to covering the ship's carrying costs as their plans advance. While many challenges loom - converting the magnificent liner into a spectacular mixed-use museum and development complex is a daunting undertaking - we've never been closer to saving the SS United States. Your continued support will help us advance our shipboard museum and educational center, build our archival and curatorial collections, document and disseminate the ship's history, plan for contingencies, and prepare the ship for her next journey.We can't thank you enough for supporting our efforts. If we succeed in saving the SS United States, we will send a powerful message at home and abroad about how our nation views its historical accomplishments, its present-day challenges, and its dreams for the future. We promise to work tirelessly in 2015 to ensure that the "Big Ship" endures and inspires for generations to come.
The Conservancy's 2014 Highlights:
- Signed a preliminary agreement with a well-qualified development partner that will also aid the Conservancy in covering the vessel's monthly carrying costs.
- Raised crucial funds for the ship's upkeep: In response to Conservancy supporter Jim Pollin's $100,000 challenge grant, 800 donors from 44 states and 17 nations donated more than $120,000 in only 3 months.
- Shined a media spotlight on the SS United States, with a front-page feature in the Washington Post, a full page spread in the New York Times, coverage in the Associated Press, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Wired magazine, Al Jazeera America television, and many others.
- Expanded our curatorial collections and mounted a major SS United States exhibition in partnership with Philadelphia's Independence Seaport Museum.
- Partnered with renowned author and illustrator David Macaulay (The Way Things Work, Castle) in presenting public programs highlighting his future book about the SS United States. Supported historians Steven Ujifusa (A Man and His Ship - soon to be released in Chinese!) and John Maxtone-Graham (SS United States: Red, White and Blue Riband Forever) in their research and outreach.
- Built our membership base: Conservancy supporters now hail from all 50 states and 37 nations. We also bolstered our social media outreach on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, and grew our Facebook community to more than 12,600 supporters.
-
In partnership with the Conservancy's ten regional chapters, organized outreach events around the nation and in Europe that bolstered momentum to save the SSUnited States.
Exciting Redevelopment Milesone Achieved!
Dear SS United States Conservancy Supporters:We are very pleased to confirm that we have now entered into a preliminary agreement in support of the redevelopment of the SS United States. Negotiations have been underway for some time, and planning will continue with a variety of stakeholders. While further due diligence is conducted, the Conservancy will receive financial support to cover the vessel's core carrying costs for at least an additional three months.
The project remains at an early and delicate phase, but we wanted to update our supporters about this encouraging development. As you can appreciate, the ship's potential redevelopment represents a multifaceted engineering, real estate, and curatorial undertaking that will take considerable time to advance. Many challenges must still be overcome. However, we are fortunate that our new partners are very well equipped to handle this unique project's scope and scale, and the Conservancy looks forward to working closely with them in the months to come.
Because negotiations are advancing on a confidential basis, we are unable to offer further specifics at this time. We will share additional information as soon as we possibly can. Again, the Conservancy views this as a very positive development which, while still in its initial stages, gives us renewed hope that we can, at long last, Save the United States.
We have reached this moment because so many of you have helped us. You are the real heroes of this effort. We are particularly grateful to Gerry Lenfest, whose transformative contributions enabled the Conservancy to take title to the SS United States in 2011, and who has been a steadfast supporter of our efforts. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to Jim Pollin. Without his leadership gift and challenge grant to the Conservancy last summer - and without such a generous response from far and wide to Jim's call - we would never have achieved this milestone.
While the ship is safe for the moment, this achievement doesn't mean our work is done. The Conservancy continues to plan our ship-board museum and educational center, build our archival and curatorial collections, document and disseminate the ship's historic importance, plan for contingencies, and work together with our new redevelopment partners to prepare the SS United States for her voyage to her next port of call.
Again, we can't thank you enough for joining us on this journey and for helping us reach this point. We will honor your commitment by continuing to work tirelessly to ensure that America's Flagship endures and inspires for generations to come.With our warmest wishes,Susan GibbsExecutive DirectorSS United States Conservancy