<p>The nonprofit organization collecting private donations for President Donald Trump’s new ballroom in the White House and other projects in Washington, D.C., has reported significant contributions, according to IRS filings.</p>
<p>The Trust for the National Mall, which is raising private funds to finance the ballroom, collected over $320 million in 2025, a substantial increase from the $9.5 million it received in donations and grants in 2024, as indicated by filings posted to its website. It remains unclear how much of the donations collected by the trust will be allocated toward the ballroom.</p>
<p>The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House and The Trust for the National Mall for comment.</p>
<figure><img alt="Construction continues on the White House Ballroom, as seen from the Washington Monument, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Washington." height="682" src="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AP26281855460814.jpg?w=696" width="1024" /><figcaption>Construction continues on the White House Ballroom, as seen from the Washington Monument, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The trust is a private organization that collaborates with public entities, including the National Park Service, and is focused on the restoration and beautification of the National Mall, the White House, and Presidents Park.</p>
<p>Private donors contribute to the ballroom through the nonprofit group, which manages these donations. The National Park Service and the White House are overseeing the project’s design and construction.</p>
<p>Trump has stated that the ballroom will be funded entirely by private donations and is projected to cost around $400 million. The White House aims for its completion by the fall of 2028.</p>
<p>Previously, Trump offered to construct the ballroom for the Obama administration, according to strategist David Axelrod, who advised former President Barack Obama, but the proposal was not accepted at that time.</p>
<p>Trump referred to the ballroom project as a "GIFT (ZERO taxpayer funding!) to the United States of America," emphasizing that it would eliminate the need for the White House to use a temporary tent for significant state events. He noted that the tent is subject to weather conditions and does not meet safety and capacity requirements.</p>
<p>Trump's project faced criticism, particularly regarding the demolition of the White House’s East Wing to accommodate the ballroom. The legal challenges surrounding the project reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in Trump's favor in August, allowing construction of the 90,000-square-foot ballroom to proceed.</p>