National Park Foundation
The National Park Foundation is the official charity of the National Park Service 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 National Park Service.
History
Although the federal government had already created protected landscapes and national parks, the National Park Service was not created by Congress 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. The foundation was awarded a $265,000 grant from the Kresge Foundation, 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. The state authorized the sale of the land in the spring of 2016 through the end of the year. NPF, Grand Teton National Park Foundation, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund worked together to secure the $46 million in funding before the deadline.
Roxanne Quimby, founder of Burt's Bees, along with her family, donated more than of woodlands in northern Maine, which became Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. 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. 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 purchased the home where Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929. The home had been 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 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 King and Coretta Scott King at 234 Sunset Avenue in Atlanta's Vine City neighborhood. The last home that King lived at with his family, it was sold to the foundation in January 2019. King had moved there in 1965, and his children grew up there. The property was purchased from the estate of King's widow for $400,000 and transferred to the National Park Service. The house will undergo repairs and restoration before it is opened 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. In 2024, the Lilly Endowment donated $100 million to the National Park Foundation to support more than 400 national park sites.
Past and present NPF programs have included: