Many people and organizations support our national parks. The National Park Foundation (NPF) was chartered by Congress in 1967, but over 450 private organizations across the country work to protect these special places, working alongside the National Park Service (NPS). Partners support NPS’s mission directly and indirectly, through philanthropic giving, management of programs and services, engagement of volunteers, support of staff and operations, and much more.
The strength and resiliency of the park partner community shines through in their ability to provide more basic operational support to NPS, serving as educational partners, and generating over 600 million dollars in park related revenue per year. NPF’s Community Partnerships team provides innovative and far-reaching strategies and the highest level of resources and support to provide the National Park Service with a system of park partners that are effective and creative in their support of parks who in turn collectively grow the impact of philanthropy to NPS. This work is done collaboratively in partnership with the National Park Service and the National Park Friends Alliance, a professional networking organization that supports all official NPS philanthropic partners in their work to support their local parks.
NPF’s Strong Parks, Strong Communities program provides direct grants to park partner organizations to build their individual capacity, undergo organizational assessments and strategic planning, provide professional development opportunities for staff, and more.
As a leader in the park partner community, NPF regularly undertakes a survey of the park partner community to both provide a comprehensive report of the landscape of park partners and identify key initiatives to target in the coming years. Read the latest Park Partner Report and Infographic.
NPF’s Community Partnerships team provides a national and strategic perspective by providing park partners with communication tools such as newsletters, fireside chats, webinars, a resource portal, and more on topics that are relevant to park partners. For more information and access, park partners can email us.
NPF provides thought-partnership and resources to the National Park Friends Alliance as they grow into their next chapter as a network. National Park Friends Alliance meetings, held annually, offer park partners opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, leadership updates, and strategic discussions.
