National Parks Celebrate Record $100M Donation as Budget Shortfall Looms

August 27, 2024

America’s national park system faces a growing list of challenges — but an enormous donation could help fill the funding gaps. The National Park Foundation (NPF) will receive a “historic” $100 million grant, according to an announcement Monday from the National Park Service (NPS).

Foundation leaders called the donation “transformative.” It’s the largest grant ever received by NPF and the biggest grant benefitting national parks in U.S. history.

The money comes from Lilly Endowment, an Indianapolis-based foundation created in 1937 by the owners of pharmaceutical business Eli Lilly and Company. A spokesperson for the organization declined to comment on the rationale behind the donation. Gear Junkie