Swiss Re donation helps further new Smithsonian museum
A $1 million gift made the reinsurer a founding corporate sponsor of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
Swiss Re recently became a founding corporate sponsor of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum with a $1 million gift to the forthcoming institution.
The reinsurer said the donation is an opportunity to reaffirm Swiss Re’s commitment to inclusion and diversity.
“Increasing the proportion of women in leadership is critical to our success,” said Jonathan Isherwood, CEO of Reinsurance Americas at Swiss Re. “We’ve made strides here and will continue to do our part to ensure Swiss Re remains a diverse place where everyone feels heard, valued and supported.”
Funding for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum was established by Congress in December 2020 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. The museum is intended to honor the contributions of women in shaping society and culture in the United States. It will be located in Washington, D.C., and is expected to take around a decade to complete.
The new museum’s advisory council oversees its planning, design, funding and development. The council includes Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch, fashion designer Tory Burch, actress Lynda Carter, and tennis champion Billie Jean King.
The museum will collaborate with other institutions to expand scholarly research, public programs, digital content, collections and programming to recognize diverse perspectives on women’s history and contributions.
“Swiss Re is proud to be the first corporate founding donor of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum,” Swiss Re’s Regional President for the Americas Jonathan Isherwood said in a press release about the donation. “Its mission aligns with our values, and we are happy to be a part of something much bigger that will help amplify the contributions and accomplishments of women in American history.”
Swiss Re said it has provided support to the Smithsonian since 2016, including contributions to the Smithsonian Corporate Membership Program and Smithsonian Earth Optimism. The Switzerland-based reinsurance company’s donation to the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum will support the initial planning of the museum’s building and enable the museum to produce programming and digital content to elevate wide-ranging stories of women throughout American history.
“The history of American women is vital to a comprehensive understanding of who we are as a nation,” Lisa Sasaki, interim director of the museum, said in a press release. “We are excited to have Swiss Re as our first corporate founding donor and appreciate their support of the museum as we lift up the told and untold stories of women who helped shape our country, society and culture.”
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