The SS United States Trust is a 501(c)(3) charitable not for profit corporation. The primary mission of the Trust is the establishment of a perpetual endowment for the preservation of the American Flagship SS United States. Earnings from the endowment are to be restricted to very specific purposes beginning with the ship's most basic and immediate needs. As subsequent milestones are met, the scope of these restrictions is to be expanded.

Immediate Milestone: $25 Million
An endowment of $25 million will generate roughly $1,000,000 in annual revenue. At this level proceeds are restricted to basic preservation expenses such as berthing, insuranace, security, and ongoing maintenance requirements such as bilge pump operation. Current monthly costs range between $60,000 and $80,000. Proceeds above the annual budget are to be re-invested into the endowment and an emergency fund.

Operational Milestone: $32.5 Million
The next $7.5 million added to the endowment will generate approximately $25,000 per month to be used for operations related to the preservation of the core vessel. This includes fundraising for the remainder of the endowment as well as for specific renovation campaigns.

Programs Milestone: $40 Million
An additional $7.5 million will yield another $25,000 per month. These funds are to be earmarked for programs related to the heritage of the vessel. This includes museum operations, educational programs and management of service-oriented programs onboard.

The goal of this approach is to ensure the long term safety and preservation of the core vessel. Once the initial operational milestone is met revitalization can move forward at a pace that best serves the ship, rather than being driven by an imminent danger of scrapping.

The Trust plans on raising the funds for this endowment through combined programs of direct private and institutional philanthropy and public outreach campaigns.

The SS United States Trust was founded formally in July, 2009. The Trust was established in response to an announcement in February of that same year that the SS United States had been placed on the market for sale. The ship had been purchased in 2003 by Norwegian Cruise Line with the intention of being restored to service as a U.S. flagged cruise ship. Following the collapse of subsidiary NCL America Line, ownership of the United States was transferred to NCL parent company Genting Hong Kong, Ltd. Based on the economic climate, the cost to restore and operate a vintage ship and the high value of her steel hull and aluminum superstructure, the likelihood was for a sale to shipbreakers unless preservationists acted quickly.

The longest standing preservationist organization, the SS United States Foundation had fallen dormant and initiated no effort to save the ship. The SS United States Conservancy, a group that had splintered off from the Foundation some years prior, had shifted focus to the conservation of artificacts and recording the history of the ship in light of NCL's plan to return her to service. Following the announcement of the sale the organization began contacting city development councils and other mostly governmental entities in an effort to find a buyer to repurpose the ship as a static attraction. An SOS went out to their membership as well as the general public, but was independent of any specific campaign or advertised plan of action.

The SS United States Trust was born when the founding members recognized the need to secure the ship financially as a vital start to any preservation effort. The experiences of the often troubled Queen Mary Hotel in Long Beach, California, and the failed attempt to preserve the RMS Queen Elizabeth as a hotel in Florida served as case studies. Comparisons with historic naval vessels such as the USS Intrepid, Battleship New Jersey and Pearl Harbor's USS Missouri strengthened the case.

The initial mission of the Trust included taking on stewardship of the United States by purchasing the ship. In March, 2010, just prior to the launch of a national public fundraising campaign NCL, acting as agent for Genting, announced that bids would have to be submitted by the end of the month. After a year of honoring a pledge to refuse bids from shipbreakers Genting was no longer able to justify carrying the expense of berthing and maintaining the vessel.

Part of the mission of the SS United States Trust is to promote awareness of the ship's status as a national treasure. Webster's dictionary defines a national treasure as "a piece of architecture, a landscape, document, or other artifact that is considered to be of national significance and an embodiment of the national heritage." Please visit the "About the Big U" and "Save Our Ship" sections of this website to see if you agree the SS United States is, indeed, a national treasure worthy of preservation!