Foundation Friends of the Pilgrimfathers' church
As a private individual and corporate sponsor, you contribute to safeguarding the building as a unique historical heritage with national and international significance for the future. The Old or Pilgrimfathers Church is related to the departure of the originally English Pilgrimfathers on July 20, 1620 with the Speedwell from Delfshaven to the promised land of America. With a stopover in England, Plymouth they switched from the leaky Speedwell to the Mayflower. After a heavy sea journey of more than 2 months, they landed in Massachusetts.
The departure of the Speedwell from Delfshaven in 1620 is depicted in a large painting (3.60 m. by 5.40 m.) called Embarkation of the Pilgrims, painted by Robert W. Weir for the US Congress. The artwork is an icon in American state history and has been hanging in the Rotunda of the Capitol in Washington D.C. since 1844. The Old or Pilgrimfathers Church in Historic Delfshaven is therefore inextricably linked to America. 'Democracy and Freedom' are a continuing pursuit for society - all over the world.
The exhibition Pilgrimfathers Presentation, renewed in 2020 in the Ankie Verbeek-Ohr room, marks 400 years of Commemoration of the Pilgrimfathers. This has been appropriately commemorated in the US, the Netherlands and England. The opening of the exhibition planned in October 2020 by the US Ambassador together with the Mayor of Rotterdam had to be postponed due to the second corona wave. The postponed opening will still take place at a suitable time.
In 2021 it was 400 years of Thanksgiving Day. In this context, the Friends, in collaboration with Erasmus University, have organized an essay competition between the universities of Leiden, Delft, Rotterdam and Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. The Erasmus Trust Fund has sponsored the prize, 1 week student stay in the Netherlands/USA and vice versa. The theme of the essay competition was the spoken word 'The Hill we Climb' by Amanda Gorman, inauguration Joe Biden January 6, 2021. The future of society and the world is rooted in the past with its good and bad sides to learn!
Become a Friend
The Friends of the Old or Pilgrimfathers Church Foundation has an ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) status in The Netherlands. For individuals and companies, the ANBI status of the Friends of the Old or Pilgrimfathers Church Foundation is beneficial (only if tax is paid in The Netherlands): donors may deduct their donations from income or corporate income tax (for the most up-to-date information on this, please refer to the Tax and Customs Administration). The amount of your donation is of your own choice. Every year there is a joint meeting in the church. For companies there are various possibilities for contributions with associated exclusive benefits. Businesswise, the intended relationship between the Netherlands and the US may also be of interest to you.
Specifically for U.S. taxpayers, the Netherlands America Foundation (NAF) has established a legal structure to facilitate tax-efficient cooperation in fundraising for the Old or Pilgrimfathers' Church. The Friends Fund of the NAF gives U.S. donors the advantage of a U.S. income and gift tax deduction for their gifts. This means your contributions will be tax-deductible for the purpose of U.S. federal and state taxes, to the extent permitted by federal and state law. To donate to the Old or Pilgrimfathers' Church using the Friends Fund Program of the NAF, click here.
