The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is an American nonprofit organization that raises private funding for the

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenand ...

, one of the most visited units of the National Park system. The Foundation works with the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

, individuals, and organizations to address critical needs along the parkway.

Authority

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation in

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, is a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

classified as a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

by the

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory ta ...

. The Foundation was created in 1997 by Dr. Houck Medford, to raise private funding for the

, one of the most visited units of the National Park system. In 2022, the Blue Ridge Parkway had more 15,711,004 million visitors. The Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees. Each Trustee is elected by their peers and serves a three-year term. The CEO runs the day-to-day operations of the Foundation, and is a paid staff member. The current CEO is Dr. Carolyn Ward. The Foundation is not a membership organization. Its supporters are individuals, organizations, businesses and private and family foundations as well as participants in the North Carolina State Employees Campaign and the Combined Federal Campaign. A portion of funding for the Foundation comes from sales of the North Carolina Blue Ridge Parkway specialty license plate. All supporters receive ''The'' ''Scenic'', a journal describing the Foundation's activities and improvement projects on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation also has a free electronic newsletter. The Foundation has additional offices in Asheville, N.C., and Galax and Lynchburg, Va.

Purpose

The Foundation exists to support Blue Ridge Parkway programs and projects related to cultural and historic preservation, education and outreach, natural resource protection, and enhanced visitor amenities. The Foundation's support of Parkway programs must meet two criteria: to have a lasting value and to enhance the quality of the visitor experience.

Priorities

The Foundation works with National Park Service, individuals, and organizations to address critical needs along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Parkway programs and initiatives must meet two criteria: to have a lasting value and to enhance the quality of the visitor experience. A major initiative of the Foundation is the rehabilitation of

Moses H. Cone Memorial Park The Moses H. Cone Memorial Park is a country estate in honor of Moses H. Cone in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. It is on the Blue Ridge Parkway between mileposts 292 and 295 with access at milepost 294. Most locals call it Cone Park. The park i ...

, located at milepost 294 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near

Blowing Rock, North Carolina Blowing Rock is a town in Watauga and Caldwell counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 1,397 at the 2021 census. The Caldwell County portion of Blowing Rock is part of the Hickory–Lenoir– Morganton Metropolita ...

. The nonprofit worked with the National Park Service to complete exterior repairs at Flat Top Manor, former home of Moses H. and Bertha Cone, and additional improvements to surrounding carriage trails at the 3,500-acre park. Since 2013, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has funded concert programming at the Blue Ridge Music Center, located at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near

Galax, Virginia Galax is an independent city in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,720. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Galax with neighboring Carroll County for statisti ...

, in keeping with the nonprofit’s goal to ensure cultural and historical preservation. The Foundation also sponsors the Kids in Parks program, along with the Blue Ridge Parkway and th
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation
The program's mission is to increase physical activity of children and their families, decrease time spent using electronic devices, and engage a new generation of park stewards. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022. Past projects include the restoration of the Mabry Mill waterwheel, milepost 176, the construction of restrooms at popular hiking location,

Graveyard Fields Graveyard Fields is the name of a flat mountain valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. It is located in the Great Balsam Mountains. The valley, itself over 5,000 feet in elevation, is surrounded by mountains exceeding 6,000 ...

, milepost 418, the rehabilitation and reopening of The Bluffs Restaurant at milepost 241, wildlife studies, and more. The organization's 2021-2022 Annual Report is available a
BRPFoundation.org

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial website of the Kids In Parks initiative
*Official website of th
Blue Ridge Music Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, The Conservation and environmental foundations in the United States Environmental organizations based in North Carolina Organizations established in 1997 Nonpartisan organizations in the United States Blue Ridge Parkway 1997 establishments in North Carolina