OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT
The President General's Project
Our Legacy in Bloom
DAR’s “Little Gold Digger”
Edith Scott Magna
The theme of the Storage Administration, Our Legacy in Bloom, calls us to honor the remarkable women whose vision, devotion, and generosity helped build the National Society we cherish today.
Among those extraordinary Daughters was Edith Scott Magna, affectionately known by DAR members and the press as “The Little Gold Digger”—a title she loved. Through tireless nationwide fundraising, Mrs. Magna raised more than $2 million to help build Constitution Hall and clear its debt. Years later, while seated in a box on State Regents’ Night, she looked around the great auditorium and said: “How I love it! I know every nail in it.”
Today, the hall she loved remains Washington, D.C.’s largest seated indoor concert venue, welcoming generations of guests while continuing to serve as the home of DAR Continental Congress. Across its storied history, Constitution Hall has hosted formal Congress ceremonies, national awards, presidential appearances, television events, and celebrated artists ranging from Marian Anderson and Pearl Bailey to Harry Belafonte, Dizzy Gillespie, the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, and Elton John.
Mrs. Magna’s service to DAR did not end there. She served as Librarian General from 1929–1932 and was elected President General in 1932 without opposition. She led the National Society until 1935 and remained devoted to DAR throughout her life, offering advice, accepting special assignments, and continuing to serve the causes she loved.
Mrs. Magna’s life reminds us that philanthropy is more than giving. It is vision in action, love made visible, and legacy carried forward. To help ensure the legacy of Daughters like Edith Scott Magna is remembered for generations to come, please support the President General’s Project.
Edith Scott Magna, 15th President General
From left: Marian Anderson, Elton John, and Patti LaBelle are among the legendary performers who have graced the stage of DAR Constitution Hall, a landmark made possible through the vision and generosity of Edith Scott Magna and generations of Daughters.
#GivingTuesday
This #GivingTuesday Help Restore Our Beloved Library from Floor to Ceiling
#GivingTuesday is one of the most important philanthropic moments of the year—a day when Daughters across the country come together to show what collective generosity can accomplish.
This year, DAR’s #GivingTuesday effort will support the President General’s Project and help complete the restoration of Memorial Continental Hall, our beloved “House Beautiful.” Initiated under President General Pamela Rouse Wright, this historic project represents the first major restoration of Memorial Continental Hall in decades. Now, through the Storage Administration, Daughters have the opportunity to help bring this important work to completion.
From its earliest days, DAR envisioned a permanent home for its mission. In 1890, Founder Mary Smith Lockwood offered a resolution calling for “a fireproof building” to house Revolutionary relics, Society records, and a gathering place for Daughters—"in short, a building which would carry the idea of Washington,—a Memorial Building.” More than a century later, Daughters are called to preserve that vision by helping restore the home built to honor the men and women of the American Revolution.
Our 2026 #GivingTuesday goal is $400,000. Gifts will support the restoration of our beloved library from floor to ceiling. We will preserve and repair existing library flooring and historic bookcases, renew plaster and woodwork, and clean and repair the aging skylight to help protect the library from future water damage. We will also thoughtfully integrate modern wiring and lighting into the historic space.
Every gift on #GivingTuesday matters. Whether large or small, your support becomes part of a nationwide effort to preserve the library, illuminate DAR’s legacy, and ensure Memorial Continental Hall continues to welcome, inspire, and serve Daughters and visitors today, tomorrow, and long into the future.
Please help us get an early start by making your #GivingTuesday gift today and help DAR reach—and exceed—our $400,000 goal for the President General’s Project. Please see the President General’s blog on November 17 for more information.
With a gift of $40 or more by December 31, donors will receive our beautiful 2026 #GivingTuesday commemorative ornament. Featuring the DAR South Portico, our beloved Library clock and cherry blossoms beneath the words “Our Legacy in Bloom,” it is a fitting reminder of the home and heritage you are helping preserve.
There’s Still Time to Join the 1890 Annual Giving Circle Class of 2026!
As 2026 draws to a close, there is still time to be recognized as part of the 1890 Annual Giving Circle Class of 2026.
The 1890 Annual Giving Circle honors Daughters and friends who give $500 or more to the General Fund during the calendar year. These gifts provide essential support for the day-to-day work of the National Society, helping care for our historic headquarters, sustain important programs, strengthen operations, and advance DAR’s mission of historic preservation, education, and patriotism.
Recognition in the 1890 Annual Giving Circle is based on General Fund gifts received by December 31. Now is the perfect time to check your 2026 giving total, find out how close you are to qualifying, or make a year-end gift that secures your place in this year’s class.
Please contact DAR’s Office of Development at development@dar.org or (800) 449-1776 to determine your current General Fund giving total or to make a qualifying gift.
Give a Meaningful Holiday Gift to a Daughter Who Inspired You
Think back to your earliest days at DAR. Who welcomed you to our National Society? Who encouraged you to participate, serve, or lead? Who made you feel at home?
This holiday season, consider giving a gift to a special Daughter in your life who has made a meaningful difference in your DAR journey.
The Daughters Tribute electronic database, accessed through the National Society’s Digital Donor Wall, allows you to recognize a special DAR member in a personal and lasting way. You may honor a chapter mentor, mother, grandmother, friend, officer, or fellow Daughter whose encouragement, leadership, friendship, or example has enriched your life in DAR.
The Daughters Tribute is the digital companion to the granite monument in the Memorial Garden, created as a lasting legacy of the National Society’s 125th Anniversary to honor the more than one million women who have nurtured and sustained DAR since its founding in 1890.
Tribute levels begin at just $25, with options to include the honoree’s name, photo, donor name, and, at the $100 level, a 100-word biography or testimonial.
All proceeds benefit the Guardian Trust Campaign, DAR’s ongoing effort to establish a permanent endowment supporting the preservation, restoration, and conservation of DAR’s historic home at 1776 D Street. Gifts also count toward your Heritage Club Giving Level.
More than a holiday gift, a Daughters Tribute is a lasting expression of gratitude—one that honors the Daughters who have shaped your DAR experience while helping to take care of our home.
A Season for Family, Gratitude, and Legacy
As fall turns to winter and seasonal holidays approach, our hearts naturally turn to family, tradition, and gratitude. Gathering around the dinner table with loved ones offers more than just a chance to share memories. It creates a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the values that define us.
When we pass down stories of our ancestors, family traditions, and personal triumphs, we also pass down a vision for the future. Over a cup of coffee or an afternoon by the fire, talking with family about the causes closest to your heart can inspire conversations about your personal legacy and how you wish to make a lasting difference in the world.
Year-end is a powerful time to turn those cherished values into action. As you consider your annual charitable giving with your family and discuss your legacy plans, integrating tax-smart gift options into your holiday planning allows you to maximize your support for the Daughters of the American Revolution while securing your family's future. Whether through a gift of appreciated stock, a distribution from an IRA, or designation of DAR as a beneficiary in your will or trust, your year-end commitment ensures that our shared dedication to historic preservation, education, and patriotism continues for the next 250 years of American history and beyond.
By including charitable goals in your holiday legacy discussions, you give your family a wonderful gift: a clear understanding of your passions and an invitation to honor your vision. As 2026 draws to a close, we invite you to reflect on the impact you wish to create. Please contact us by phone at (800) 449-1776 or by email at giftplanning@dar.org to learn how your gift to DAR ensures that the spirit of liberty and service burns bright for every generation that follows.
Year-End Giving Tips
Planning a year-end gift through your donor-advised fund? Recommend your grant to DAR early to allow processing time before December 31. Learn more.
Age 70 1/2 or older? A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA can support DAR tax free and may count toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). Act early for year-end processing. Learn more.
Donor Impact Spotlight
Each year, thousands of devoted DAR donors across the country and around the world support the funds that advance our shared mission of historic preservation, education, and patriotism. Here are just a few programs that have benefitted from the generosity of DAR donors.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
DAR donors helped preserve the Fairbanks House in Dedham, Massachusetts, the oldest surviving timber-frame house in North America.
EDUCATION
DAR donors supported the DAR Museum’s Fighting for Freedom exhibition to bring new understanding to the lives and contributions of Black craftspeople during the Revolutionary era.
PATRIOTISM
DAR donors supported military children through Operation KUDOS in New York by helping them understand and cope with deployment.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2026
