STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: September 9, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Nancy Hunt-Coffey, City Manager
Stephanie Harris, Director of Community Services
Subject: Proposed fundraising program for the October 7th Permanent Memorial
Attachments: 1. August 18, 2025, October 7th Memorial Ad Hoc Committee Liaison Report
2. October 7th Memorial Full Site and Front View
3. October 7th Memorial Closeup Detail and Shards of Light images
INTRODUCTION
The October 7th Memorial Ad Hoc Committee, Mayor Nazarian and Vice Mayor Mirisch met on August 18, 2025 to discuss a fundraising campaign and recognition program for the October 7th Memorial in preparation for groundbreaking scheduled on October 5, 2025.
In the context of donor recognition, the Ad Hoc also made recommendations regarding signage at the site.
The City Council has already set aside $500,000 toward the October 7th Permanent Memorial project. While donations and pledges have already been received, the cost of the memorial will exceed this amount and as a result, it is important to begin building out the fundraising campaign and recognition program.
DISCUSSION
The Committee recommended staff look at other memorial recognition programs, specifically those of Holocaust memorials. It was the desire of the Committee to ensure donor names are discreet and would not clutter the space nor overshadow the names of the victims.
After reviewing donor recognition for the Museum of Tolerance, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial in Boise and the New England Holocaust memorial, the Committee was asked to provide recommendations on the following items:
- Donor Walls
- Bench Donations
- Other forms of recognition, e.g.recognition at Groundbreaking and Memorial Unveiling
Meeting Date: September 9, 2025
The October 7th Memorial Ad Hoc Committee has made the following recommendations for Council’s consideration:
Donor Wall:
The eastern wall facing the street at the edges of the memorial site would function as a donor wall for the highest level donors. The second wall, on the western side, will display the name of the memorial, a description of the site, and a link where the public can learn more about the memorial. The Committee recommends the name be listed as The October 7th Memorial Garden.
The donor wall facing the street will include names of donors who contributed $50,000, $100,000, $250,000 or larger. The City of Beverly Hills will top the list regardless of the size of donations.
The Committee recommends that the size of the donor names correlate to the funding level without dollar amount being listed on the wall and remaining subtle. The exact method for listing the donor names (e.g. exact height, raised letters vrs. Flat, etc.) has not been decided at this time and will be brought back to the Committee for consideration.
The Committee has recommended using one or more of the walls at the back of the memorial along the pathway to list the names of donors with donations of $10,000 to $50,000.
Bench Donations:
At this time, the Committee recommends not allowing bench donor dedication at the memorial site.
Recognition at Groundbreaking, Memorial Unveiling, etc.:
The Committee recommends listing all donations of $10 or more on the website, allowing everyone participating to be able to be recognized on an ongoing basis.
The groundbreaking program is recommended to list all donors who have donated $1,000 or more prior to September 26, 2025, allowing for time to print prior to the ceremony.
The memorial unveiling program will also list donors who have donated $1,000 or more prior the cutoff date for printing purposes. This date will be determined later and will be published to allow for donors to meet the deadline.
An initial discussion occurred around City Council recognition and a possible reception for large donations. These details will be fleshed out and presented to Council at a later time.
The Committee expressed a desire to ensure that safeguards are in place for how names are listed to ensure the integrity of the donor wall and the overall site. Staff will continue to work through recommendations and present to the October 7th Memorial Ad Hoc Committee parameters for the listing of donor names as well as length of time for names to be in place. Recommendations will be brought before the full City Council for approval at a later date.
The Committee also expressed interest in the production of miniature commemorative sculptures which can be given to donors of $25,000 or more, should it be cost effective.
Staff has since worked with the artist team to develop this idea further. The artist team recommends a commemorative item called a “Shard of Light” which is based on the flame at the top of the memorial structure. Shards would be developed in different sizes and would be presented based on different donation levels. Each shard would have the ability Meeting Date: September 9, 2025
to be illuminated by being touched. The artist team has suggested the following sizes and fabrication costs:
SHARD OF LIGHT
NAME DONATION COST HEIGHT FABRICATION COST ESTIMATE
Ray of light $25,000 + 6" $3,000
Beam of light $100,000 + 8" $5,000
Flame of light $250,000 + 10" $7,000
Eternal light $500,000 + 12" $10,000
If this is a direction that Council is interested in pursuing, staff will continue to work with the artist team to develop the concept further.
Additional Direction
The Committee also recommends that additional language be added to the Wall of Victims at the back of the memorial to briefly describe tragic events that took place on October 7th.
Additionally, the Committee recommends that the names of the victims be etched into the stone/tilework so that visitors to the memorial can do rubbings of the names.
FISCAL IMPACT
At this time there are no fiscal impacts.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends City Council discuss the recommendations provided by the October 7th Memorial Ad Hoc Committee and provide direction for the October 7th Memorial Donor Recognition Program.
Nancy Hunt-Coffey,
City Manager
Approved By
STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: August 18, 2025
To: October 7th Memorial Ad Hoc Committee Liaisons Honorable Mayor Nazarian & Vice Mayor Mirisch
From: Nancy Hunt-Coffey, City Manager
Stephanie Harris, Director of Community Services
Subject:
Attachment:
Fundraising and Donor Recognition Program
None
INTRODUCTION
The October 7th Memorial Ad Hoc Committee has been meeting to review the project proposals and will be recommending a concept to the full City Council during the August 19, 2025, City Council Study Session. The City Council has already set aside $500,000 toward the October 7th Permanent Memorial project, but it is expected that the cost of the memorial will exceed this amount and as a result, it is important to begin building out the fundraising program.
It is the desire of the October 7th Memorial Ad Hoc Committee Liaisons to kick off the fundraising campaign during the groundbreaking ceremony taking place on Sunday, October 5, 2025.
DISCUSSION
At the May 13, 2025, October 7th Memorial Ad Hoc Committee Meeting, Liaisons reviewed the previously approved fundraising campaigns for City projects such as the Beverly Gardens Park restoration, Community Dog Park and the 9/11 Memorial. The liaisons provided feedback indicating that this memorial site and fundraising campaign is unique and unlike those we have done before.
Liaisons recommended staff look at other memorial recognition programs and specifically those of Holocaust memorials. There were concerns about donor names and ensuring that they are discrete and would not clutter the space nor overshadow the names of the victims. It was important to the Liaison at this time to ensure victim names were included in the memorial site.
Donation program exist for various Holocaust memorials around the world. Many do not have donor walls or do not list the level of donations. Below are details from the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles as well as the United States Holocaust Museum.
Meeting Date: August 18, 2025
Although both are museums rather than stand alone memorials, the Ad Hoc can use the information as a reference for the discussion.
Museum of Tolerance Los Angeles, CA
Major gift donors of the Museum of Tolerance are recognized in the appropriate category on the donor walls in the main lobby of the Museum of Tolerance Categories include:
• Museum Builders: $1 million and above
• Capital Benefactors: $500,000 - $1 million
• Capital Pioneers: $250,000 - $500,000
• Capital Fellows: $100,000 - $250,000
• Capital Founders: $50,000 - $100,000
• Capital Patrons: $25,000 - $50,000
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM)
Founders Society recognizes donors who have made cumulative commitments of $1 million and above to the Museum.
Levels of Recognition
• Founders - Gifts of $1 million or more
• Pillars of Memory - Gifts of $2 million or more
• Benefactors - Gifts of $5 million or more
• Chairman’s Circle - Gifts of $10 million or more
• Trustees' Circle - Gifts of $15 million or more
• Ambassadors - Gifts of $20 million or more
• Guardians of Memory -Gifts of $25 million or more
• Cornerstone - Gifts of $50 million or more
Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial – Boise
The names of major donors are listed on the donor tablets near the Church Writing Table. $500 pavers are engraved and displayed in perpetuity at the memorial. Friends of Anne donors are listed on their website for an annual donation of $120.
New England Holocaust Memorial
Major donors are listed on two granite slabs on the memorial’s south entrance. Funding levels were unable to be identified.
Other memorials and museums indicate that donors are recognized in newsletters, on websites and through social media campaigns.
FISCAL IMPACT
At this time there are no fiscal impacts.
Meeting Date: August 18, 2025
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council Liaisons discuss the details around the October 7th Memorial Donor Recognition Program. Items to consider are the various donation levels and accompanying recognition. Liaisons are requested to provide recommendations that can be brought before the full City Council at the September 9, 2025, meeting.
Nancy Hunt-Coffey,
City Manager
Approved By
Memorial
Name Marker:
October 7th
Memorial
Garden Large Donor
Recognition
$50k+
Additional
Donor
Recognition
$10k-
$49,999k
Additional
Donor
Recognition
$10k-
$49,999k
Memorial Wall of Victims
would include a brief
description of the purpose
of the Memorial below the title.