Which organization was selected in 2018 as the administrative secretariat for the United States Semiquincentennial Commission?

The American Battlefield Trust was selected in 2018 as the administrative secretariat for the United States Semiquincentennial Commission.

The selection was announced on May 4, 2018, after a competitive application process conducted by the U.S. secretary of the interior. The organization was then known as the Civil War Trust; it later merged with the American Revolution Center and became the American Battlefield Trust.

As administrative secretariat, the trust provided operational support rather than serving as the commission itself. Its responsibilities included housing the commission, helping raise funds, and preparing reports to Congress. It also assisted with staffing, governance, federal relationships, and corporate support.

The trust helped create the America250 Foundation, which became the commission’s private nonprofit partner. That distinction matters: the federal commission coordinates the official observance, while the foundation and secretariat provide practical support for the larger America250 effort.