National Park Foundation

As the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation generates private support and builds strategic partnerships to protect and enhance America’s national parks for present and future generations. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation is rooted in a legacy that began more than a century ago, when private citizens from all walks of life took action to establish and protect our national parks. Today, the National Park Foundation carries on that tradition as the only national charitable nonprofit whose mission is to directly support the National Park Service. The History of Our National Parks The preservation of our most magnificent and meaningful places for the purpose of public appreciation and recreation is a uniquely American idea. The Yosemite Grant was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864. And with it, for the first time, the federal government set aside parkland for preservation and public use. This protected landscape includes iconic American features such as Bridalveil Fall, Half Dome Rock, and some of the oldest trees on Earth, the giant Sequoias. In 1872, Congress established Yellowstone National Park as a "public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people," placing it under the control of the Secretary of the Interior. In the subsequent years, the U.S. authorized additional national parks and monuments, many designated due to community activism and lobbying. In a couple of decades, the Department of the Interior was managing a large portfolio of protected landscapes across the country—but had no official or unified leadership. Action from journalists, businesspeople, and nature conservationists led to the establishment of the National Park Service by Congress in 1916. NPS's mission is to “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.” NPF Vision & Mission Vision: Inspiring all people to connect with and protect America’s national parks. Mission: As the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation generates private support and builds strategic partnerships to protect and enhance America’s national parks for present and future generations.