Which nonprofit was selected as the administrative secretariat for the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission?

The American Battlefield Trust was selected as the administrative secretariat for the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.

The U.S. Department of the Interior sought a nonprofit partner in 2017 to help lead nationwide planning and observances for the 250th anniversary. The American Battlefield Trust was chosen to serve as the commission’s administrative secretariat and nonprofit partner.

Its responsibilities included helping prepare reports for Congress, supporting the commission’s operations, and assisting with fundraising and commemorative planning. The organization was considered a suitable partner because of its experience preserving and interpreting historic battlefields connected with the nation’s past.

The American Battlefield Trust is distinct from the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation. Those organizations also work with historic sites and public education, but they are not the same entity. The secretariat role concerned organizational support for the commission rather than ownership of every America250 event or historic site.