National Park Foundation Receives Historic $100 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.

August 26, 2024 – The National Park Foundation (NPF) today announced a historic $100 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. This transformative grant — the largest ever received by the NPF and the largest grant benefiting national parks — celebrates a pivotal moment in safeguarding the future of America’s treasured national parks.

From majestic mountains to vibrant coral reefs to the Lincoln Memorial, national parks embody a mosaic of breathtaking landscapes, diverse ecosystems and rich cultural heritage. But these treasured places face a growing number of challenges, threatening what they have offered visitors for more than a century.

Thanks to generous support from the Lilly Endowment, NPF can help address these challenges.

“The National Park Foundation is inspired by and extremely grateful for this extraordinary gift from the Lilly Endowment,” said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “For more than 50 years, private philanthropy has played a vital role in bridging the gap between park needs and available funding. This grant will help us galvanize our efforts to ensure our national parks are accessible to all, for generations to come.”

The Lilly Endowment grant will serve as a catalyst to scale and accelerate the NPF’s impact. Working with the National Park Service and park partners, the NPF will allocate funds to four key priority areas:

• Inspiring the next generation of park rangers:Create opportunities for youth and young adults that will foster a deeper understanding of history, an appreciation for environmental stewardship, and a connection with our natural world.

• Conserve and preserve threatened parks and wildlife:Tackling critical initiatives that will ensure the health and longevity of the fragile ecosystems and diverse species that call our national parks home.

• Ensuring a world-class visitor experience:Ensuring a future where national parks can adapt to unprecedented growth and take advantage of new technologies, while remaining accessible and awe-inspiring for all visitors.

• Telling a fuller story of America: Provide a more complete historical narrative, including the experiences of communities whose voices and contributions have not been fully told within American history.

“Our founders were inspired by the beauty and wonder of the natural world and supported research and education programs in the archaeology and cultural history of our nation.” said N. Clay Robbins, chairman and CEO of Lilly Endowment. “We are therefore pleased to support their interests through this grant. We believe that the National Park Foundation’s campaign will enhance programming and foster the future vibrancy of our nation’s wonderful system of parks, monuments and historic sites.”

The grant contributes to The campaign for national parksThe NPF’s billion-dollar fundraising campaign that will help address urgent needs in America’s 430 national parks. The campaign for national parks This campaign also galvanizes the efforts of park partners across the country, whose collective goal is to raise $3.5 billion. Together, the campaign will generate more support than ever for national parks to ensure they not only endure, but thrive, for the benefit of all who cherish them.

“The impact of this donation will be felt in our parks and surrounding communities for generations to come,” added Chuck Sams, director of the National Park Service“This is a truly visionary investment and an example of how the power of philanthropy can amplify this critical work that we all believe in so much.”

To learn more about the National Park Foundation’s mission and to make a donation today, visit nationalparks.org.