“Give Like Sursock” Philosophy of Giving
This Naming Program is more than a recognition mechanism; it is an invitation to join a lineage of cultural guardians who, like Nicolas Sursock in 1952, have chosen to give back to Lebanon through art and heritage. To “Give like Sursock” is to give with vision, love, and permanence.
It is to engrave one’s name into the very stone of a Museum that has weathered decades of challenges and change, standing tall as a beacon of creativity in the heart of Beirut.
Joining the Sursock naming family is to be part of a growing community of philanthropists who understand that art and culture are not luxuries; they are foundations of civilization.
Framework and Duration of Naming
Each Naming Agreement will be formalized through a legally binding contract signed by both parties. While some naming may be granted in perpetuity, others may be offered for a fixed term subject to renewal upon mutual agreement.
Naming opportunities will be aligned with contribution levels, space visibility, and strategic value.
Giving Like Sursock
Art and culture are the oxygen of a society’s soul. While they may not rank first on the survival ladder behind food, medicine, or shelter; they are essential for humanity’s memory, imagination, and regeneration. In times of crisis, they help us grieve, dream, resist, and rebuild. Supporting the arts is, in fact, an investment in the very fabric that makes us human.
Few acts embody this ethos more than the extraordinary gesture of Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock, who bequeathed his entire villa and art collection to the Lebanese people. His name is now etched not only in stone, but in the living memory of Beirut, as a symbol of enlightened and lasting generosity.
Inspired by this legacy, the Sursock Museum offers a unique invitation to “Give Like Sursock”: to inscribe your name, or that of a loved one or family, into the legacy of Lebanese art and heritage, by supporting the museum’s endowment and cultural mission.
This Naming Program was launched in August 2025 and builds upon a decision already endorsed by the Board of Trustees, in light of the Museum’s strategic goal to raise $9 million over five years for its Endowment Fund. This fund, complemented by a yearly allocation from the Municipality of Beirut, is envisioned to provide long-term sustainability for the Museum’s operations, which are currently estimated at $600,000 annually.
The $9M fundraising goal will be reviewed at the end of 2027, and may be reassessed depending on funds secured by that time.
Approved Structures for Naming – Phase I (2026-2028)
As part of the first phase of this prestigious Naming Program, the Board has approved the attribution of names to six iconic internal spaces within the Museum:
The Auditorium
The Permanent Collection Gallery
The Temporary Gallery
The Twin Galleries
The Special Exhibition Hall
The Library
These spaces are core to the Museum’s mission and identity, and naming them offers an exceptional opportunity to align one’s legacy with that of Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock; a pioneering figure in Lebanese cultural philanthropy.
