Strengthening Park Partners

Our national parks welcome millions of visitors a year and provide a variety of experiences. Each year, philanthropic partner organizations to the National Park Service (or park partners) support these national park sites in projects around preservation, research, volunteer programs, education programs, restoration, visitor experience, and much more. The 2020 Park Partner Report, conducted through the support of the National Park Service (NPS), the National Park Friends Alliance, and the National Park Foundation (NPF), indicates that this park partner community of over 450 organizations plays a vital part in connecting people to their respective national park sites and ensuring that they are protected for the enjoyment of future generations. These philanthropic organizations range from all-volunteer organizations to groups with over 50 staff members; therefore, park partners experience a diverse set of needs.

The National Park Foundation’s Community Partnerships team works with the park partner community to help address these diverse needs in a number of ways. Through the Strong Parks, Strong Communities (SPSC) initiative, a partnership between NPF, NPS, and the National Park Friends Alliance, NPF provides support such as online tools, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and national and regional meetings, as well as capacity building programs. The SPSC capacity building programs have been able to reach over 100 partner organizations, helping them develop and strengthen different aspects of their organizations, such as board and leadership development, strategic planning, brand identity, and organizational culture. These resources and programs were found to be invaluable to the park partners who were able to participate.

However, 2020 created a brand-new set of challenges. NPF worked with park partners to better understand the hardships they were experiencing and what types of resources would be most helpful to them, especially as they navigated a global pandemic. Ultimately, park partners conveyed their need to invest in their own organizations, strengthening their resiliency and ability to weather times of uncertainty. With the support of its Board of Directors, NPF took action, announcing the SPSC Capacity Building Grant Program. The first of its kind, this grant program helps build the organizational capacity of park partner organizations, allowing them to make the most impact possible in their work to protect and preserve natural and cultural resources, reimagine the possibilities of interpretive and educational programming, and increase access to national parks for all people.

After a competitive grant process with many creative and impactful capacity building ideas, NPF selected 36 partner organizations to receive the 2020 SPSC Capacity Building Grants, totaling over $670,000. The chosen organizations span across the nation, consisting of organizations of all sizes, and including parks that preserve battlefield sites, rivers and trails, heritage areas, and more.

The projects that were chosen are unique to each partner organization. While some are focused on building their capacity through new technology, website redesigns, and creative visitor engagement, others will involve strategic plan development, the launch of fundraising campaigns, or leadership professional development. Additionally, some projects will highlight new education, volunteer, or outreach programs. Other projects will be centralized around accessibility in parks, as well as expanding engagement efforts both internally and externally to represent all park visitors. All of the projects help address the current needs of park partners across the country, ensuring that each organization is stronger and more resilient for the next chapter in its history.

Each of these exciting projects will take place throughout 2021 and we look forward to sharing more as they progress. NPF is excited to support these organizations and projects in the new year.