WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House, the National Park Service, and the Trust for the National Mall signed a 14-page agreement in October 2025 authorizing the Trust to solicit and manage donations for the $400 million East Wing Modernization and State Ballroom project. The contract was fully signed on October 8, 2025, and empowers the Trust to accept donations in an amount sufficient to cover all costs of the project as determined by the White House.

Under the agreement, the Trust will receive a 2.5% fee on funds collected for the project and a 2% fee on any funds raised in excess of $200 million. The Trust stands to yield around $9 million from the project fees. President Trump has said the renovation is fully financed.

The White House is responsible for identifying potential donors on behalf of the National Park Service and referring them to the Trust, while specifying whether the potential donor wishes to donate anonymously. The agreement ensures that all parties will preserve the anonymity and privacy of any donor who wishes to remain anonymous. Foreign donors are prohibited from giving to the project. For donations in excess of $25,000, the Trust must make reasonable efforts to determine whether the donor has pending litigation involving the Interior Department or is engaged in or seeking a business or permit relationship with the National Park Service. The contract does not prevent contributions from donors who have business before other components of the federal government. Amazon, which holds billions in federal contracts, donated to the project.

The White House has provided the names of about three dozen individual and corporate donors but declined to say how much each has given. Public Citizen sued under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the agreement document.

"As required by law and standard philanthropic best practices, the Trust shares the names of donors to the Trust in our annual impact report, on our website, and in our IRS 990 tax filings. Some donors may wish to remain anonymous and we respect donor wishes, while in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations," a spokesperson for the Trust for the National Mall said.

Fundraisers began soliciting contributions nearly a month before the Trust signed the agreement, with potential donors receiving pledge forms around September 15, 2025. The mid-September pledge form said donations shall be used in support of the White House Ballroom, while the October contract specifies that donations are to be used for the East Wing Modernization and State Ballroom project. Demolition crews began dismantling the East Wing on October 20, 2025.

The design plans call for office space, a movie theater, a kitchen, and a two-story colonnade connecting the facilities to the main White House building, as well as an underground bunker to house sensitive military and medical infrastructure. The agreement does not mention the underground construction, and White House officials have not specified how much the below-grade modernization will cost.