Earlier this week, the National Women’s History Museum—a nonprofit that organizes mostly virtual exhibitions that “illuminate the stories of women who have shaped our past and who continue to inform our shared future”—announced that Meryl Streep made a seven-figure donation to the Washington, D.C.-based institution.
According to a statement, the Academy Award-winning actor has been a long-time supporter of the National Women’s History Museum, which was founded in 1996 by Karen Staser. The museum plans to use the funds to expand its digital initiatives.
“The National Women’s History Museum has long been a catalyst for bringing forward the stories that deepen our understanding of who we are,” said Streep in the statement. “I am proud to continue supporting this essential work so that future generations inherit a history that is both truthful and complete.”
In honor of Streep, the museum is inaugurating a new annual award, to be given to an educator who advances the teaching of women’s history. The first winner of the Meryl Streep Educator Award will be announced at the museum’s gala this fall.
Streep’s latest film, a sequel to the 2006 hit The Devil Wears Prada, comes out on May. 1. She has been nominated for 21 Academy Awards, and has won three.
The National Women’s History Museum current initiatives include a webinar on gamifying women’s history, a virtual story time for kids called “Brave Girls!,” online panel discussions, and several events related to Women’s History Month.
