National Constitution Center receives its largest donation ever

The National Constitution Center on Tuesday announced the single largest donation in the organization‘s history.

The $15 million donation from billionaire hedge fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin will support the creation of two new galleries focused on America’s founding principles, the separation of powers, and federalism, said Jeffrey Rosen, National Constitution Center president and CEO.

The new galleries, which will open in time for America’s 250th anniversary next year, known as the Semiquincentennial, will display loaned copies of Griffin‘s incredible rare copy of the U.S. Constitution and his rare first print of an early draft of what would become the Bill of Rights.

Both documents will be on public display through 2026, Rosen said. The new galleries represent the first reimagining of the Constitution Center’s core exhibit since the institution opened in 2003.

“It’s so important during the 250th anniversary of America to converge around the ideals that unite us,” Rosen said in an interview. “In these polarized times, the ideals of the Declaration and the Constitution are what binds America.”

In recognition, the Constitution Center will name its central welcoming and convening space, with its sweeping views of Independence Mall, the Kenneth C. Griffin Great Hall.

“It’s just going to be transformative for the National Constitution Center,” Rosen said.

In 2021, Griffin, CEO of multinational hedge fund Citadel, paid $43.2 million for a first-edition copy of the U.S. Constitution at a Sotheby’s auction, outbidding a group of cryptocurrency investors.

At the time of his purchase, Griffin said he intended to ensure that his copy of the Constitution — one of 14 known original, official prints from which all subsequent printings of the final text of the Constitution originate — would be made available for all Americans. The document has been on display at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark.

“The remarkable prosperity of America over the past 250 years is a testament to the genius of the republic, as enshrined in our Constitution. The authors of the Constitution had incredible foresight in designing a system of government that has withstood the test of time and now, more than ever, protects the American Dream,” Griffin said in a statement. “I am proud to partner with the National Constitution Center to share these sacred documents with all Americans.”

Griffin, 56, of Florida, is also the founder of Griffin Catalyst, which focuses solely on personal giving. He is a frequent and generous donor to charities and nonprofit cultural organizations across the nation, having donated over $2 billion in recent decades.

In July 2007, he donated $19 million to the Art Institute of Chicago and loaned one of his Paul Cézanne paintings to the museum. In 2015, he donated $40 million to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Three years later, he donated $20 million to the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Fla.

In 2014, Griffin gave $150 million to Harvard University, his alma mater. At the time, the gift represented the largest single donation ever made to the institution.

The $15 million gift will help the Constitution Center continue its first major renovation of its main exhibit, “The Story of We The People.”

The two new galleries will join a First Amendment Gallery the institution opened two years ago.

“The Founding Principles,” scheduled to open in February 2026, will explore how Americans declared independence, fought a revolution, learned from early challenges, and ultimately formed a new constitutional government here in Philadelphia, Rosen said.

The “Separation of Powers” gallery will examine how the Constitution defines and balances power among the three branches of government — and between the federal government and the states. That space is set to open in May 2026, per Rosen.

Both galleries, which will be included in the museum’s existing space, will also include other rare documents; interactive displays, such as biographies of the Founding Fathers; and other displays that detail major compromises of the Constitutional Convention over national power, states’ rights, and the stain of slavery.

“It’s really thrilling to be able to tell the story of America’s founding in such a powerful and compelling way,” Rosen said.

The nonpartisan National Constitution Center was founded to devotion of the study of the Constitution.

“To be able to stand in the Constitution Center, to gaze at Independence Hall, the most inspiring constitutional view in America, and then to see rare copies of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights should be an incredibly moving and inspiring experience,” Rosen said.