The Lincoln Presidential Foundation announced Monday, November 18, 2024, that legendary actor Sam Waterston will receive the prestigious Lincoln Leadership Prize for 2025. The Lincoln Leadership Prize, to be presented during an in-person dinner at Four Seasons Chicago on April 21, 2025, is an annual award recognizing notable individuals for a lifetime of exceptional service in the spirit of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.

Today, the Lincoln Presidential Foundation launched its new "Latest Generation Film Contest," featuring a special video introduction by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.

We thank President Biden for designating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument under the Antiquities Act.

New National Park Washington, DC (August 16, 2024) – Today, with Springfield community leaders present, President Joe Biden used his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, making it the first national monument to tell the story of Black agency in the face of racially motivated massacres. In addition to elected officials and Biden Administration leaders, attendees to the signing included Ken Page, president of the ACLU Illinois Springfield Chapter, Austin Randolph, Jr., president of the NAACP Springfield chapter, Erin Carlson Mast, president and CEO of Lincoln Presidential Foundation, and Floyd Mansberger, archeologist for Springfield-based Fever River Research.

Lincoln Presidential Foundation is proud to partner with the National Park Service at Lincoln Home National Historic Site, situated mere blocks from the proposed 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument.  The Foundation has also been honored these past few years to be part of a coalition of organizations advocating for federal designation, preservation, and interpretation of the site.

Springfield, Illinois, community members called on President Biden to commemorate the site of 1908 Springfield Race Riots as a national monument. Local leaders join elected officials for the public meeting to urge National Monument designation.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation announced today that its newest short documentary film series, “Fortifying Our Democracy: Lincoln’s Lyceum Address,” released fall 2023, has received four prestigious awards: Silver and Bronze Awards in the history and education categories from the Telly Awards, and two Awards of Excellence in the Communicator Awards, judged and curated by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA) in New York.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation announces it has received a major grant from The Better Angels Society through the Amy Margerum Berg Education Fund. This generous support will enable the relaunch and expansion of the previously Illinois-based “No Malice Youth Film Contest” into the “Latest Generation Film Contest.” Starting this August, the contest will engage teens and young adults throughout the Midwest in documentary filmmaking.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation will host an evening with bestselling author Doris Kearns Goodwin on June 11th at 7 PM CT at the Hoogland Theater in Springfield, IL. Goodwin will share insights from her recent book, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, during an interview with Foundation President and CEO Erin Carlson Mast. Proceeds from the evening will directly support the Foundation's award-winning work and groundbreaking projects.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation (“Foundation”) is proud to announce Ed Wehmer, Executive Chairman of the Board and Founder of Wintrust, will receive its 2024 Wayne Whalen “Charity for All” Award. This award, inspired by Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, recognizes individuals like Wehmer who exemplify civic leadership, generosity of spirit, and a commitment to the ideals of this nation.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation (“Foundation”) has received a grant from the National Park Foundation (NPF)’s ParkVentures program to bolster the accessibility of a new youth exhibit at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site (“Lincoln Home”). Leading organizations specializing in student accessibility and inclusion join the effort.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation (“Foundation”) and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site (“Lincoln Home”) announce the grand opening of Lincoln’s Springfield, the first-ever exhibit designed for a youth audience within the federal site.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation (“Foundation”) announced that it will award its prestigious Lincoln Leadership Prize to acclaimed historian Jon Meacham for his exceptional contributions to the historical canon and public understanding of American democracy.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation announced today that it will award its prestigious “With Charity for All” Wayne Whalen Memorial Award to broadcaster Judy Woodruff. This honor recognizes Woodruff’s distinguished career as a respected journalist and news anchor recognized especially for her insightful and balanced coverage of American politics and the presidency.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation announced today that its first documentary film series, Warning Signs: Lincoln's Response to Rising Tensions in the 1850's, has won a Mid-America Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The foundation’s next series, “Fortifying Our Democracy,” premiers on October 12, 2023

After garnering three national awards, the Foundation’s debut multimedia project gains recognition from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences- Mid-America Chapter.

Foundation’s first-ever multimedia project named Best History Series in the 44th Telly Awards and received an Award of Distinction in the Communicator Awards

Accomplished business leader, Jim Reynolds, will be honored for his dedication to advancing equal opportunity and to breaking cycles of disparity.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation (“Foundation”) received an Inclusive Storytelling grant from the National Park Foundation (NPF). This grant will support designing first-ever exhibits for the Julius Rosenwald Boyhood Home, located within the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation (“Foundation”) announced today that the Taper Collection has been returned by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) pursuant to the terms of the expiring artifact loan agreement.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation (“Foundation”) announced it received a six-figure gift from the M.G. Nelson Family Foundation to create a new visitor experience for young people at Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield. The donation covers the total project cost, including interpretive planning, design, fabrication, and installation of exhibits in the Corneau House. Corneau House is located across the street from the Lincoln Home and currently not open to the public.

Lincoln Presidential Foundation Awarded Grant from National Park Foundation: Nationwide Study Will Explore Expanding Support for Lincoln Legacy. The project quickly follows the pilot partnership with National Park Service’s Lincoln Home in Springfield.

On behalf of the Lincoln Presidential Foundation, I write to express our support of the creation of the Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park. Last month, our Foundation entered into an agreement with the National Park Service to pilot philanthropic support of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site (LIHO). Julius Rosenwald’s boyhood home is located within LIHO, diagonally across the street from Abraham Lincoln’s home. The Rosenwald story is inextricably linked to our nation’s story of freedom, justice, and equality and the crucial role of universal education in a healthy democracy.

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation Relaunches and Rebrands as the Lincoln Presidential Foundation. A nonprofit dedicated to the life, legacy and leadership of Abraham Lincoln takes on new national role.

Admired businesswoman will be honored for her voice in corporate leadership, financial literacy and diversity