What type of endowment is required for a Presidential library?
36 C.F.R. § 1281.14
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) Endowment requirement—new libraries. The foundation or organization that is offering NARA a new Presidential library must establish an endowment for the library, by gift or bequest, in the National Archives Trust Fund before the Archivist may accept the transfer of the library. The purpose of the endowment is to help NARA defray the cost of facility operations. The endowment requirement for the prospective new library of President George W. Bush is set forth in paragraphs 2 and 3 of 44 U.S.C. 2112(g). The endowment requirements for the new libraries of presidents taking the oath of office from the first time on or after July 1, 2002, are set forth in paragraphs 2, 3, and 5 of 44 U.S.C. 2112(g).
(b) Endowment requirement—change or addition to an endowment library. For a proposed physical or material change or addition to an endowment library that is being funded wholly by gift, the foundation or other organization that is offering the gift must agree, as a condition of the gift, to transfer monies by gift or bequest to the library's existing endowment in the National Archives Trust Fund in an amount sufficient to satisfy the requirements of paragraphs 2, 3, and 5 of 44 U.S.C. 2112(g). The Archivist must determine that the additional endowment monies have been transferred to the Trust Fund before he accepts the gift of the physical or material change or addition.
(c) Use of endowment income. The income from a library's endowment is available to cover the cost of facility operations, but is not available for the performance of archival functions.
(d) Calculating a library's endowment. The formulas for calculating the required endowment are set forth in 44 U.S.C. 2112(g)(3)-(5).
(e) Equipment costs that must be included in the endowment calculation. The cost of all operating equipment provided with a new library must be included in the endowment calculation pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 2112(g)(3). The Archivist will provide in the architectural and design standards, a list of equipment guidelines, recommendations, and minimum requirements for a foundation's use in designing and building a new library. The list is not exhaustive and requirements may change with evolving technology, program requirements, and the final library design.
(f) Formula for a shared use library building. For endowment purposes, the construction cost of a shared use library building containing both NARA and Foundation-controlled areas will be determined using the following formula: The percentage of the usable square footage of the NARA-controlled areas to the usable square footage of the entire building multiplied by the cost of the entire building. That figure is then used in calculating a library's endowment as specified by subsection (d) of this section and 44 U.S.C. 2112(g)(3)-(5).
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-36.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026