Establishment of an Endowment Foundation to ensure the long-term financing of the Sugihara House Museum

An Endowment Foundation is set up to help maintain the Sugihara House Museum in Kaunas. This is an important step to ensure the long-term continuity of this historically and strategically important museum. The Foundation will seek to create an independent passive income stream that will enable the Museum to continue to promote the heroic stories of Chiune Sugihara, Jan Zwartendijk and other diplomats who saved lives during World War II, and to foster the values of tolerance and humanism.

"The establishment of this Endowment Foundation is an investment in the future of the Museum. We want donors' funds not only to help the Museum survive, but also to 'work' in the long term by creating a sustainable funding system," said Saulius Garbaravičius, Chairman of the Board of the newly established Foundation.

For a quarter of a century, the Sugihara Foundation "Diplomats for Life" has been working in Kaunas, on Vaižganto Street, thanks to private initiative and volunteers, taking care of this special place, where the museum still operates today, as a reminder of the special mission.

The museum is a memorial to the memory of the Japanese Consul, Ch. Sugihara's feat, alongside that of the then Honorary Consul of the Netherlands in Kaunas, J. Zwartendijk, and other diplomats from the few countries of the world who helped the Jews of Europe facing death, reminds the present generations of the threats inherent in the nature of humanity, and sets an example of tolerance, kindness and justice, especially now, when the shadows of anti-Semitism are cast across Lithuania and the world.

The new charity and support fund will operate as a non-revocable endowment fund, with the main task of investing the funds it raises and generating stable returns. The income from the investments will be used for the maintenance and development of the Sugihara House Museum at 30 Vaižganto St. in Kaunas and to finance various social projects. Meanwhile, the rest of the returns will be reinvested to grow the fund's assets.

"The model of the Endowment Foundation will help the museum to plan its long-term activities independently of individual donations or tourist flows. This is particularly important for the preservation and renewal of the historical content and infrastructure," emphasised Mr Garbaravičius.

The Sugihara House Museum is of great importance both in the Lithuanian and international context. In 2023, the museum was visited by Japanese Prime Minister Fumiyo Kishida, and in previous years by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and many other eminent personalities.

In the spring of 2024, during an official visit to Japan, the Endowment Foundation was presented to Japanese business leaders and government representatives. At a special evening at the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Tokyo, guests had the opportunity to learn about the activities of the Sugihara House Museum in Kaunas and hear about its future plans. It is planned that in the future the activities of the Foundation will be presented in the USA and other foreign markets, as well as to the general public in Lithuania.

"We believe that this untouchable capital fund will become an important tool to help the Museum continue to spread the stories of Chiune Sugihara and other diplomats, and to foster values that are particularly relevant today. We invite you to join us in this meaningful mission and to support our activities," urged S. Garbaravičius.