The official non-profit organization of the US national park service is set to receive the largest grant in its history, a $100m gift the fundraising group described as transformative for the country’s national parks.

The National Park Foundation, which Congress created in the 1960s to support national parks, will receive the donation from the Indianapolis-based foundation Lilly Endowment Inc. The park foundation described the gift on Monday as the largest grant in history benefiting US national parks.

The money will be used to address the needs of the country’s more than 400 national park sites, said Will Shafroth, president and chief executive officer of the National Park Foundation.

In addition to funding initiatives that protect fragile ecosystems and species, Shafroth said the money will also be used to create opportunities for young people to visit national parks.

“This grant will allow us to supercharge our efforts to ensure our national parks are for everyone, for generations to come,” he said.

Source: The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/26/national-park-grant-lilly