The National Park Foundation has awarded $5m in grants to strengthen the organisational and philanthropic capacity of 77 park partners, official non-profit organisations that support specific national parks or regions through philanthropic giving, program management, vital park infrastructure, volunteer coordination, and more.
This year’s capacity-building grants represent NPF’s largest investment to-date to further the collective impact of philanthropy in national parks.
Demands on the national park community are growing, which is why it’s important to invest in partners to accelerate their growth and catalyse new funding. NPF began deploying capacity-building grants in 2020 to support partners as they build new capabilities, increasing their impact on-the-ground in national parks.
With more than 270 grants issued to date, NPF has helped park partners across the country invest in creative solutions to their most pressing internal needs. Some grantees identify a new website as their greatest priority, while others focus on launching a major gifts programme or strengthening strategic partnerships with the National Park Service site or sites they support. In a recent assessment, grantees reported growth in their revenue at a rate nearly twice as fast as non-grantees — with 94% of grantees increasing revenue — between 2020 and 2024.
“Behind so much of the work happening in our national parks are nonprofit partners committed to helping these special places thrive and endure,” said NPF’s chief program officer Lise Aangeenbrug.
“The National Park Foundation is proud to be part of the broader national park community and continue our investments in empowering park partners to raise more support, engage more people, and take on new opportunities alongside the National Park Service. That’s good for parks, and it’s good for everyone who cares about them.”
This year’s 77 grantees will expand fundraising and marketing efforts, board and staff development, system upgrades, membership programmes, and more.
Examples include the Great Basin National Park Foundation, which will focus on scaling its annual revenue and number of individual donors to better support Great Basin National Park in time for the park’s 40th anniversary.
Glacier National Park Conservancy will launch targeted campaigns and measurably expand its philanthropic support for Glacier National Park by enhancing data systems to strengthen its donor engagement.
Manassas Battlefield Trust will develop a comprehensive marketing plan, including digital marketing and advertising, a promotional video, and more to increase MBT’s brand visibility, revenue, and overall impact in Manassas National Battlefield Park.
National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation will fortify and formalise its park alliance model, convening park stakeholders and partners, and developing park-specific alliance plans and a unified regional strategic plan to better champion Isle Royale National Park, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Grand Portage National Monument, and Keweenaw National Historical Park.
Overmountain Victory Trail Association will hire and onboard its first paid executive staff, transitioning from its model from a capable, all-volunteer organisation to a more professional, sustainable, and resilient non-profit partner for Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.
