Flight 93 Memorial fundraising still slow

Kecia Bal at The Tribune-Democrat published an excellent article today on the fundraising challenges facing the Flight 93 National Memorial.

One might expect that, after five years of fundraising, more than $12 million would have been raised nationally.

Particularly since Shanksville became an American icon: The first symbolic counterstrike against the terrorists; the riveting cell phone calls from plane to home and vice versa; heroics that prevented a crash at the Capitol.

Some people have blamed the slow fundraising on the fact that Shanksville is in the middle of nowhere:

One challenge is that corporate donations are more likely to go to the memorials in the metropolitan areas, said Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, a Chicago-based charity watchdog group.

“It’s not as attractive from a marketing standpoint,” he said. “It’s not all about altruism. It’s about courting favor with the public and gaining publicity.”

But this blog previously reported in April of this year that fundraising trouble was brewing.

Officials involved in the memorial began in April a transition to let go of Ketchum Inc., a Pittsburgh agency retained two years ago to generate the $30 million.

The National Park Foundation, which is chartered by Congress to serve in a philanthropic role, is to take on new aspects of fundraising.

I recommend the entire article for more of a detailed analysis.