How a nonprofit went from cherry trees and pickleball to handling the money for Trump's ballroom

NBC News spoke to officials with the Trust for the National Mall, who explained why their group is now taking in the donations for the new White House ballroom.

WASHINGTON — Over the years, a genteel nonprofit organization called the Trust for the National Mall has raised money to help care for the cherry trees dotting the Tidal Basin. It upgraded the U.S. Park Police stables on the National Mall and hosted pickleball games on the grassy expanse between American monuments.

Now it has a new assignment: handling the millions of dollars pouring in for President Donald Trump’s gilded White House ballroom.

The nonpartisan group is serving as the steward for what Trump has said is more than $350 million in private donations from individuals, foundations and corporations to remake part of the old East Wing into a 90,000-square-foot ballroom.

Donors have been instructed to direct their ballroom contributions to the trust, a tax-exempt nonprofit organization.

Individual and corporate donors can typically deduct the amount they contributed from their federal income taxes. A person raising money for the ballroom told NBC News that they have been asking for donations of $2.5 million to $5 million and that the deduction is one reason people choose to give. The fundraiser, like others in this article, was granted anonymity to speak candidly. The White House said donors will be able to remain anonymous if they wish.