National Park Foundation — Official NPS Philanthropic Partner

The National Park Foundation (NPF) — established by Congress in 1967 (Pub. L. 90-209) and codified at 54 U.S.C. §§ 103101–103108 — is the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, chartered by Congress to accept private donations and grants on behalf of the national park system and to use those funds for projects, programs, and initiatives that complement and enhance the NPS mission. The NPF bridges the gap between what Congress appropriates for national parks and what the parks need: with NPS managing more than 400 park units covering 85 million acres on an annual budget that, while substantial (~$3.5 billion in FY2024 discretionary), leaves significant needs unmet — from deferred maintenance (estimated at $22 billion across the system) to educational programming, invasive species management, and wildlife corridors. The NPF raises approximately $150–200 million per year from corporate partners, individual donors, foundations, and special campaigns, directing funds to park projects through a competitive grant process and through direct-funded programs. Corporate partnerships (REI, Subaru, American Airlines, and others) are a major NPF revenue source; the NPF's Subaru/NPS National Parks Conservation Partnership has been one of the largest corporate-NPS collaborations in history. The NPF also administers specific public-private programs including the Every Kid Outdoors program (providing free NPS annual passes to fourth-graders and their families), the Parks Climate Challenge, and wildlife connectivity initiatives. As a congressionally chartered nonprofit — not a federal agency — the NPF can move faster, accept donations more flexibly, and partner with the private sector in ways that federal agencies cannot.

Current Law (2026)

Legal Authority

• 54 U.S.C. § 103101 — Establishment and purposes: establishes the National Park Foundation as a charitable and nonprofit corporation to receive and administer gifts, devises, and bequests of real and personal property for the benefit of, or in connection with, the National Park Service and its activities
• 54 U.S.C. § 103102 — Board of directors: the Foundation is governed by a board of directors that includes the Secretary of the Interior as an ex officio member; other directors are appointed by the board itself (self-perpetuating); the Secretary's board membership creates the formal federal-private link
• 54 U.S.C. § 103103 — Gifts, devises, and bequests: the Foundation may accept, receive, solicit, hold, administer, and use any gifts, devises, or bequests of real property, personal property, or money made for the benefit of the national park system or in connection with the NPS; the Foundation may also purchase and own property for park benefit
• 54 U.S.C. § 103104 — Disposition of donated property: property accepted by the Foundation shall be used for the benefit of the national park system and its visitors; the Foundation transfers funds and property to NPS for park projects
• 54 U.S.C. § 103105 — Corporate status: the Foundation is a corporation and has the powers of a corporation under the laws of the District of Columbia; it may make contracts, employ staff, and take other corporate actions
• 54 U.S.C. § 103106 — Exemptions from taxation: the Foundation and its income are exempt from federal income taxation; donors may deduct contributions as charitable gifts
• 54 U.S.C. § 103107 — Liability of the United States: the United States shall not be liable for any debts or obligations of the Foundation; the Foundation is financially independent
• 54 U.S.C. § 103108 — Audits: the Foundation's financial statements must be audited annually by an independent auditor; results reported to NPS and available publicly

Key Programs

Every Kid Outdoors — The NPF administers the federal Every Kid Outdoors program, which provides fourth-grade students and their families with free annual passes to all federal lands and waters (national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and BLM lands). The program — formerly called Every Kid in a Park — has been a bipartisan success, reaching hundreds of thousands of fourth-graders annually. The NPF handles the logistics of the program, including the digital pass system and outreach to schools and underserved communities.

Connect Kids — An NPF initiative specifically targeting urban youth from underserved communities, providing transportation funding and programming to bring groups to national parks. Recognizes that the access barrier for many children is not the pass cost but the transportation cost and logistical challenge of reaching parks.

Parks Climate Challenge — NPF-funded climate resilience projects at parks facing acute climate stress: coral reef restoration in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands, coastal erosion mitigation, glacial monitoring, and wildlife corridor projects as species ranges shift.

Corporate Partnerships — The NPF's corporate partnership model has been significant: Subaru's "Share the Love" program has donated millions to NPF; American Airlines has been a longstanding partner for transport and tourism programs; outdoor retailers (REI, Patagonia, others) have supported specific park projects. These partnerships operate through the NPF rather than directly with NPS, allowing the corporate tax deduction to flow and avoiding federal procurement complexities.

Key Numbers

• 1967: Year of congressional charter (Pub. L. 90-209)
• ~$150–200 million: Annual NPF fundraising
• $22 billion: Estimated NPS deferred maintenance backlog — the scale of need that justifies private philanthropy
• 400+: NPS units covering 85 million acres that the NPF serves
• ~3.5 billion: Annual NPS appropriation (FY2024) — NPF philanthropic support is ~5% of this, targeted at specific projects
• Fourth grade: Grade level receiving free federal lands passes through Every Kid Outdoors
• 1: Secretary of the Interior ex officio board seat — the formal statutory federal-private linkage

How It Affects You

If you are a national park visitor or supporter: The NPF is the most efficient mechanism for making tax-deductible donations that directly benefit specific national parks or the system broadly. Unlike general federal appropriations, NPF donations can be directed to specific park programs, memorial installations, restoration projects, or educational initiatives. The NPF website allows donors to give to specific parks or programs. Corporate matching gift programs often recognize NPF as an eligible recipient.

If you are a fourth-grader (or the parent or teacher of one): The Every Kid Outdoors program provides a free annual pass to all federal lands. The pass is issued in the student's name but covers their entire family's entry fees. Applications are available at everykidoutdoors.gov (administered by NPF). The pass is valid for the academic year spanning the fourth-grade year.

If you work in corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, or ESG: The NPF is one of the most well-known and credible conservation partners for corporate giving programs. Partnerships with the NPF provide national visibility, association with one of America's most beloved institutions, and documented impact reporting. The NPF can structure both cash contributions and in-kind support (services, equipment, volunteer hours) as charitable contributions.

If you work in federal agency philanthropy or nonprofit law: The NPF is the model for congressionally chartered federal agency "friends" organizations — a structure used across the federal government (Smithsonian Institution, National Gallery of Art, Kennedy Center) to accept private donations that supplement appropriated funds. The key legal features: 501(c)(3) status enabling donor deductions; independence from federal procurement rules; ex officio government board membership creating the official link; financial independence so the U.S. is not liable for NPF obligations.

Recent Developments

The NPF has increasingly focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion in outdoor recreation access — recognizing that the national park system was historically designed for and marketed to predominantly white, middle-class visitors and that meaningful engagement from communities of color, low-income communities, and urban populations requires targeted outreach and barrier removal. The Connect Kids initiative, Every Kid Outdoors, and NPF's park ambassador programs are part of this effort.

The NPS deferred maintenance backlog — estimated at $22 billion in 2024, driven by decades of underfunding for infrastructure maintenance — has elevated the political and philanthropic salience of private park support. The Great American Outdoors Act (2020) dedicated $1.9 billion over 5 years from energy revenues specifically for NPS deferred maintenance, partially addressing the backlog. The NPF has increasingly targeted its giving toward the most urgent deferred maintenance projects not covered by the GAOA funding.

The Trump administration's 2025 NPS workforce reductions (part of DOGE-related agency restructuring) have complicated NPS operations and created concern about park service quality. The NPF has been in the position of potentially needing to fill operational gaps — a role it was not designed for — while maintaining its supplemental (not substitutional) mission relative to federal appropriations.