The National Park Foundation (NPF) is the official

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * C ...

of 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 propert ...

(NPS) and its national park sites. The NPF was chartered by Congress in 1967 with a charge to "further the conservation of natural, scenic, historic, scientific, educational, inspirational, or recreational resources for future generations of Americans." The NPF raises private funds for the benefit of, or in connection with, the activities and services of the

History

Although the federal government had already created protected landscapes and national parks, the

was not created by

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

until 1916. Following the formal establishment of national parks by Congress, there was not a clear system for private citizens to directly support the parks, whether it be through financial contributions or land donation. In 1967, Congress addressed this by passing public law 90-209, which established the National Park Foundation as the official charity of the National Park Service.

Projects

In December 2016, the National Park Foundation, in conjunction with the National Park Service, announced their plans for a revitalization of Fort Wayne in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

. The foundation was awarded a $265,000 grant from the

Kresge Foundation The Kresge Foundation is a philanthropic private foundation headquartered in Troy, Michigan, United States. The foundation works to expand opportunities in America's cities through grantmaking and investing in arts and culture, education, envir ...

, which went towards hiring consultants to work with city officials on planning the redevelopment of the site. In 2021, the city of Detroit announced that it had reached a deal with the NPS to allow redevelopment of the site. NPF launched the "Find Your Park/Encuenta Tu Parque" movement in March 2015. The movement is part of a larger effort to increase accessibility and visitorship among people of color, people experiencing poverty, LGBTQ people, and other underrepresented groups. In August 2018, L.L.Bean donated $3 million to the National Park Foundation to support the foundation's movement to raise awareness about the importance of the 400 national parks across the United States. In 2016, NPF and Grand Teton National Park Foundation raised $23 million in private funds, matched by $23 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, to purchase a 640-acre tract of land within Grand Teton National Park from the State of Wyoming. The land, known as Antelope Flats, is primarily

sagebrush steppe Sagebrush steppe is a type of shrub-steppe, a plant community characterized by the presence of shrubs, and usually dominated by sagebrush, any of several species in the genus '' Artemisia''.

Roxanne Quimby Roxanne Quimby (born July 11, 1950) is an American businesswoman notable for founding the North Carolina-based Burt's Bees personal care products company with the eponymous beekeeper Burt Shavitz.Associated Press"Burt's Bees Founder Wants to D ...

, founder of Burt's Bees, along with her family, donated more than 87,000 acres of woodlands in Northern Maine, which became

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is a National Monument (United States), U.S. national monument spanning of mountains and forestland in northern Penobscot County, Maine, including a section of the East Branch Penobscot River. The mo ...

. The gift was facilitated through the National Park Foundation as part of the Centennial Campaign for America's National Parks. President Obama designated the land as a national monument on August 24, 2016. Through its Flight 93 National Memorial Capital Campaign, the National Park Foundation raised more than $40 million in private support from more than 110,000 individuals, foundations and corporations. Funds were used to design and construct the Tower of Voices and establish the land as a national park, including reforestation of the landscape. Additional construction through 2015 included a visitor center complex consisting of a permanent artifact exhibition, learning center, flight path, and memorial walls. The construction was completed in 2018.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's properties

The National Park Foundation has several ongoing projects that lend to its history of preserving park lands, natural sites, and historical sites in America. Since late 2018, the NPF has had a growing involvement with maintaining the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and establishing a connection with his family. In December 2018, the NPF completed the purchase of the home where

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

was born in 1929. The home was initially declared a National Historic Site by Congress in 1980, and in 1982, the National Park Service began offering tours of the home, which is located at 501 Auburn Avenue NE in Atlanta, Georgia. The home itself was built in 1895 and purchased by King's maternal grandfather in 1905 for $3,500. The home was sold to the NPF for an undisclosed amount. The NPF purchased another property once owned by Dr. King and

Coretta Scott King Coretta Scott King ( Scott; April 27, 1927 – January 30, 2006) was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader who was married to Martin Luther King Jr. from 1953 until his death. As an advocate for African-American equality, she ...

. Located at 234 Sunset Avenue in Atlanta's Vine City neighborhood, the last home that Dr. King lived at with his family was sold to the foundation in January 2019. Dr. King initially moved there in 1965, and it's the home that his children grew up in. The property was purchased from the estate of Dr. King's widow for $400,000 and transferred to the National Park Service. The house will undergo repairs and restorations before the foundation plans to open it to the public.

Grants and programs

The NPF works in partnership with companies and organizations that wish to support the parks by delegating donations through one of foundation's programs and creating grants that honor the company's mission or values and benefit the parks and visitors. Additional donations that are not assigned to one of the programs help fund media and promotions, communication with partners, and park maintenance. The NPF has received support from partners such as: L.L. Bean, Union Pacific Railroad, Disney, and Subaru. In 2016, the NPF conducted a fundraising campaign titled "The Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks," which raised more than $500 million in support of national parks and programs. Past and present NPF programs have included:

The African American Experience Fund

Established in 2001, the African American Experience Fund (AAEF) helps preserve African American history and culture, and the stories of the individuals and the national park sites they care for under the AAEF. The fund works to reach a broader audience through public engagement with the parks. AAEF supports and highlights sites including the

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama, commemorates the contributions of African-American airmen in World War II. Moton Field was the site of primary flight training for the pioneering pilots known as the Tusk ...

and

Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature. The campus was desi ...

, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, and the

New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park is a U.S. National Historical Park in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, near the French Quarter. It was created in 1994 to celebrate the origins and evolution of jazz. Most of the historical p ...

. In total, more than 30 national parks and monuments are designated as African American Heritage Sites.

Best Idea Program

The America's Best Ideas Program was launched by the National Park Foundation following the airing of the documentary by Ken Burns, '' The National Parks: America’s Best Idea'' in 2009. The program aimed to provide underprivileged youth with opportunities to engage with National Parks through opportunities like internships. The program also created programs and activities in parks to educate visitors on park history and impact. Grants from the program included summer camps for children with developmental disorders, trips for Native American children to engage with their tribal history, and internships for homeless high school students. This program has since ended.

The Ticket to Ride Program

The Ticket to Ride Program was created in 2011 by the National Park Foundation in order to provide students and youth with transportation to the national parks as a result of field trips being a financial burden for many schools and youth groups. In 2013, the NPF partnered with the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund to provide grants through the Ticket to Ride Program.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Kennesaw Battlefield Park preserves a Civil War battleground of the Atlanta Campaign, and also contains Kennesaw Mountain. It is located at 900 Kennesaw Mountain Drive, between Marietta and Kennesaw, Georgia. The name "Kennesaw" derives from ...

was able to provide 400 students in Douglas Country, Georgia with transportation to the park where they participated in programs centered around

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

history. In 2014, the NPF awarded

Biscayne National Park Biscayne National Park is an American national park located south of Miami, Florida in Miami-Dade County. The park preserves Biscayne Bay and its offshore barrier reefs. Ninety-five percent of the park is water, and the shore of the bay is th ...

a grant through the Ticket to Ride Program that allowed for 1,500 students at Title I schools transportation to the park. Biscayne was able to use the funding to create educational programs that focused on the park's wildlife for the students to participate in. Overall, 65 parks were provided with transportation funding that same year. This program has ended.

The Latino Heritage Fund

The Latino Heritage Fund, established in 2011, and known as the American Latino Heritage Fund until 2015, was started by the NPF to preserve Latino heritage and culture at national park sites and engage Latino communities. As of 2013, only 10% of park visitors were Latino. The Latino Heritage Fund works to increase attendance through educating and involving youth with sites and events that focus on Latino history. The NPF has also organized the funding and supported the National Park Service's establishment of more sites and monuments that celebrate individuals like Cesar Chavez in an effort to highlight Latino history within America.

Open Outdoors for Kids

The NPF's Open Outdoors for Kids program began in 2011 and aims to provide park access specifically to youth. With NPF workers based in different U.S. cities, Open Outdoors for Kids also works to increase community awareness of the importance of outdoor activity for kids. In the fall of 2017, the NPF provided the Northwest Youth Corps and Idaho Conservation Corps with a $290,000 grant so that members could have access to eight National Parks and fund further education on the parks' preservation and conservation. Teachers and youth leaders have the ability to book trips and organize funding through the grants made available by NPF. These grants are sometimes known as "field trip grants" because they are used by schools to provide young students the opportunity to not only see, but also engage with a national park. In March 2020, The National Park Foundation announced that it has engaged more than a million students in educational programs with national parks across the country since it established the program.

Service Corps

Between 2018 and 2021, NPF provided more than $11 million to support more than 130 service corps crews. The crews provide on-the-job training and complete projects in national parks ranging from trail maintenance and habitat restoration to trash and litter removal. The effort helps address deferred maintenance in national parks. Additionally, NPF works with The Corps Network to increase crews that are inclusive of women, as well as LGBTQ and BIPOC people.

Women in Parks

The Women In Parks program raises funds for national parks and park programs that highlight stories of women who made history. Projects include the production of online oral histories of the women of the Northern Arapaho tribe and their indigenous history at the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area; an exhibit dedicated to the wife of Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park; and preservation of the National Woman's Party historic headquarters in Washington, D.C. To mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, the NPF distributed $460,000 in grants to parks where significant events in women's history in the United States occurred.

Related legislation

National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act

On February 13, 2013, Rep. Erik Paulsen introduced into the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

the National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act (H.R. 627; 113th Congress), a bill that would direct the

Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

to mint and issue

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

, and half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the

(NPS). The coins would all have a surcharge attached, the money from which would be given to the National Park Foundation. Paulsen argued that "even during tough economic times, it's important to find new, cost-effective ways to preserve these treasures for future generations to learn from and enjoy." President and CEO of the National Park Foundation

Neil Mulholland Neil Mulholland (born 13 February 1980) is a Northern Irish international lawn bowler. Bowls career He won a silver medal in the men's triples at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. In 2015 he won the triples and fours bronze medals at the Atlantic Bo ...

said that "the commemorative coins would be a special way for individuals to mark this significant milestone while simultaneously providing incredible support to these cherished places." The bill passed in the House in April 2014 and was referred to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

. Similar legislation () was also introduced into the

. A version of the bill was incorporated into the Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, which President Barack Obama signed into law on December 14, 2014.

National Park Service Centennial Act

On March 3, 2016, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) introduced the National Park Service Centennial Act (H.R. 4680), which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 16, 2016 (P.L. 114–289). Among other items, the bill codified the National Park Centennial Challenge Fund to finance construction, maintenance, and education programs and projects with matching private dollars. In addition, the bill established the Second Century Endowment for the National Park Service, which utilizes funds from sales of Federal Recreational Lands Passes, as well as private dollars, to fund an endowment held by the National Park Foundation. Further, the legislation updated the charter of the National Park Foundation, added a General Chairman to the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, provided for technical corrections to existing NPS laws, created the ability of the Department of the Interior to award and administer commercial use contracts under a new visitor experience improvement authority, and extended the Historic Preservation Fund through fiscal year 2023. The updates to the National Park Foundation charter included authorization of funding of up to $5 million per year, requiring a 1:1 private match, through fiscal year 2023. Additionally, the bill authorized up to $5 million per year, through fiscal year 2023.

Great American Outdoors Act

In 2020, the United States Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act, a piece of legislation which will provide $9.5 billion in funding over five years to address the backlog of needed maintenance across the national parks. In an opinion piece published by Fox News, NPF's president and CEO Will Shafroth wrote that the bill would help free up private funds to focus on improving accessibility to parks and visitor experience, as well as habitat, wildlife and cultural preservation.

Effects of government shutdowns on funding and operations of U.S. National Parks

The 2019 U.S. government shutdown lasted from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019, and impacted several areas of the government, which included the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation. News outlets reported on damage that was inflicted on parks because of national park staff unable to work during the shutdown, as the parks remained open without staff to attend to them. Services that were suspended included trash clean-up and road maintenance. On January 7, 2019, National Park Foundation president Will Shafroth announced the launch of a fundraising drive as a proactive measure, so that the NPS would be able to commence restoration efforts as soon as the parks reopened.

References

External links

National Park Foundation
{{Authority control National Park Service Environmental organizations based in Washington, D.C. Environmental organizations established in 1967 Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C. Corporations chartered by the United States Congress 1967 establishments in Washington, D.C.