The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation preserves and promulgates the history, traditions and culture of the Marine Corps and educates all Americans in its virtues. Established in 1979, the Foundation is a private non-profit 510(c)(3) organization that supports the historical programs of the Marine Corps through education, awards, publications, special projects, preservation and the creation of the National Museum of the Marine Corps & Heritage Center. Having secured the necessary funding for the complete construction of the National Museum of the Marine Corps & Heritage Center, the Foundation’s current primary mission is to vigorously seek financial support to expand programs at the National Museum of the Marine Corps and beyond its walls.