Looking Back on 2023!

We have so much to celebrate as we pause to look back on what Daughters have accomplished together in 2023. These sparkling highlights only scratch the surface of the many ways that the DAR is advancing Historic Preservation, Education, and Patriotism across the country—and the world! We are proud of these contributions, large and small, and we never forget that they begin with the efforts you make every day in your local communities. Please click on the links to learn more.

• As part of the President General’s Project, we began major efforts to restore Memorial Continental Hall, which has not undergone a full renovation since it was completed in 1910
• In preparation for America’s 250th birthday, we funded 519 Celebration Grants, totaling $259,500
• The National Society received 70 America 250 Patriot Marker requests, bringing our total to 166 applications, representing 48 states and the District of Columbia, 10 districts, and 102 chapters, including group Celebration Grants
• We collaborated with the American Battlefield Trust to create the American Revolution Experience Traveling Exhibit to share information on the Revolutionary War across the country
• The Executive Board revived the Franco-American Memorial Committee, initially established in the late 1890s, to educate, celebrate, and commemorate the long-standing alliance between America and France, and the upcoming 200th anniversary of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour
• DAR joined the 10 Million Names Project as a founding collaborating institution to recover the names of those enslaved before emancipation, including a $350,000 donation and record sharing
• The National Society donated $250,000 toward the Homecoming 250 Navy Marine Corps, a non-profit that is organizing the 250th anniversary celebrations for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps
• We initiated a new Marian Anderson Legacy Fund and Scholarship for students pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies in music 
• Our administration launched the Daughters Online Community or “DOC,” a DAR-internal message board platform that serves as an alternative to social media 
• We initiated DAR Insignia Pop-up Shops to travel with the President General on her official visits to states across the country
• The reimagined American Spirit magazine was a huge success, with nearly double the number of new subscriptions or renewals and overwhelmingly positive feedback 
• We renamed the DAR Nursing Scholarship at the University of the District of Columbia as the “Daughters of the American Revolution Lena Ferguson Scholarship” 
• We dedicated a new plaque in honor of Lena Santos Ferguson and her instrumental role in helping DAR to become more diverse, inclusive, and supportive of members of color 
• The DAR Museum launched the new exhibit Pleasing Truths: Power and Portraits in the American Home, which examines the context and symbolism of early American portraits 
• The DAR Library commemorated the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party with a Tea Party at DAR Headquarters 
• The DAR Library launched its new DAR Library Catalog to improve users’ ability to search and filter the library’s resources
• The DAR Library Speaker Series returned after a 3-year hiatus, featuring genealogical presentations and eminent authors discussing their historical work 
• We supported the Military Women’s Memorial through a $250,000 donation to help fund their state-of-the-art gallery renovation
• DAR participated in the National Welcome Home Event to Honor Vietnam Veterans in Washington, D.C. 
• We collaborated with Family Search on the “Relatives at DAR” experience, enabling members across the country to discover new family connections and potential supplemental Patriots
• The National Society expanded its accepted Revolutionary War Service to include Spanish Military on the Island of Cuba, enabling descendants of these Patriots to join our organization
• We also expanded patriotic service to include California and Texas Presidio Soldiers based on records that documented funding for these by the King of Spain to bolster efforts against the British
• We rolled out a new Supplemental review process to help streamline the processing of Supplemental Applications
• The DAR expanded the Inheritance Project to include sisters, which enables our members to “inherit” Patriots from their grandmothers, mothers, and now sisters 
• We updated our Genealogy Guidelines, primarily to refresh the formatting, condense, and clarify information 
• We held the second annual Genealogical Research Institute, which included sessions on navigating different types of records and methods for tracing families across time and space
• Daughters joined the Wright Administration’s Roman Holiday, during which we honored Italian contributions to the Revolutionary War, including a wreath laying for Filippo Mazzei

These are just a few ways that we Celebrate Stars & Stripes Forever through DAR Service and Friendship! None of these would have been possible without your generosity of time, talent and treasure at all levels of the National Society. On the cusp of America’s 250th, the DAR’s mission is more relevant than ever. Your DAR executive officers and I wish you a happy New Year and we look forward to serving together with you in 2024!