National Park Foundation receives historic $100 million donation

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION HAS RECEIVED AN HISTORIC $100 MILLION DONATION FROM LILLY ENDOWMENT INC., MARKING THE LARGEST SINGLE GIFT EVER FOR U.S. NATIONAL PARKS.

CURRENTLY, THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION IS IN THE MIDST OF TAKING DONATIONS FOR IT’S ‘CAMPAIGN FOR NATIONAL PARKS’ – AIMING TO RAISE $1 BILLION DOLLARS FOR PARK PRESERVATION EFFORTS.

“FROM MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS TO VIBRANT CORAL REEFS TO THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL, NATIONAL PARKS EMBODY A TAPESTRY OF BREATHTAKING LANDSCAPES, DIVERSE ECOSYSTEMS, AND RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE. BUT THESE CHERISHED PLACES ARE FACING A GROWING NUMBER OF CHALLENGES, THREATENING WHAT THEY HAVE OFFERED VISITORS FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY,” THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION SAID IN A STATEMENT.

THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION SAYS THIS $100 MILLION  DOLLAR GIFT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY BOLSTER THEIR EFFORTS TO PRESERVE AMERICA’S PARKS. 

ACCORDING TO A NEWS RELEASE – THE GIFT WILL GO TOWARDS – INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PARK STEWARDS, CONSERVING AND PRESERVING THREATENED PARKS AND WILDLIFE, ENSURING A WORLD-CLASS VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND TELLING A MORE COMPLETE STORY OF AMERICA.

THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HAD A $3-POINT-3-BILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET IN THE 2024 FISCAL YEAR.

THE CEO EMPHASIZED THAT THIS GRANT WILL ALLOW THEM TO STRENGTHEN EFFORTS TO ENSURE NATIONAL PARKS ARE ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE, FOR GENERATIONS TO COME – BY PROMISING TO ENHANCE PROGRAMMING AND ENSURE THE LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF THE NATION’S PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND HISTORIC SITES.