Your support is critical to preserving Washington’s national parks. Donations have supported everything from the purchase of search and rescue equipment to wildlife studies, trail maintenance, and programs that bring wilderness access to underserved communities.
See the projects we’ve funded over the years.
This year, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks need your help more than ever. Learn about the projects we’re raising funds for now in our Project Portfolio.
PROJECT TYPE
NATIONAL PARK
location: Mount Rainier NP
Funds Needed: $180,000
Mount Rainier’s volunteer program is a powerful force for providing vital project support and creating passionate advocates for the park’s mission. Each year...
Mount Rainier’s volunteer program is a powerful force for providing vital project support and creating passionate advocates for the park’s mission. Each year the park’s roughly 2,000 volunteers donate nearly 70,000 hours to the park – an effort worth an astonishing $2 million in services and a priceless investment in building community connections. Volunteers protect the park's fragile alpine meadows through the Meadow Rover program and Alpine Gardens Protection Team, provide roadside assistance through the Roadside Assistance Volunteer Network (RAVN), perform backcountry patrols, wildlife surveys, astronomy and other guest interpretive programs, and contribute to geologic research and archeological work – and so much more. Donations help cover the cost of supplies, housing, uniforms, and vehicles, as well as the interns integral to coordinating the park's key volunteer programs. NPS photo.
location: North Cascades NP
Funds Needed: $175,000
Philanthropic investment in the visitor experience at North Cascades National Park goes beyond providing recreational amenities; it lays the foundation for a lifelong...
Philanthropic investment in the visitor experience at North Cascades National Park goes beyond providing recreational amenities; it lays the foundation for a lifelong commitment to land stewardship, ensuring that future generations are not only beneficiaries of these national treasures but also dedicated custodians of our natural heritage. That's why the role of philanthropic support is so critical, helping the park cover critical needs so their staff can prioritize providing each and every visitor with a transformative experience. Donations help the park with everything from providing incident management training and mental health support for law enforcement officers and emergency responders to providing high-quality interpretive services through the bear essentials safety program, and educating backcountry adventurers with a new wilderness stewardship and safety informational video series for visitors to view when they pick up their backcountry permit online. As visitation to national parks grows, ensuring that projects that protect the wildlife that call the parks home are more important than ever. John Donofrio photo.
location: Olympic NP
Funds Needed: $157,000
The future of our parks depends upon creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds to experience, connect with, and ultimately treasure Washington’s wildest...
The future of our parks depends upon creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds to experience, connect with, and ultimately treasure Washington’s wildest places. With your support, we have funded a number of programs that foster an environment in Olympic National Park where people who experience more life barriers based on their identities can feel welcome and that they belong. Philanthropic support helps the park provide youth internships for youth from a variety of backgrounds, including many underrepresented groups, in addition to providing for the park's popular middle school science field trips for local youth, the Adventures in Your Big Backyard youth program in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sequim and Port Angeles, engagement with neighboring tribes in preserving and protecting the park's precious cultural resources, and researching and sharing stories that reflect the incredible diversity amongst the people who have served within the park over the years, helping the park reach wider audiences and fostering a sense of belonging among park visitors. NPS photo.
Funds Needed: $147,000
Promoting scientific exploration and research in Mount Rainier National Park goes beyond mere conservation efforts; it's a commitment to advancing our understanding of...
Promoting scientific exploration and research in Mount Rainier National Park goes beyond mere conservation efforts; it's a commitment to advancing our understanding of the intricate ecological systems that define this iconic landscape. The park's varied flora and fauna not only contribute to the vibrant biodiversity of the region but also serve as essential components in ecosystem functions, playing roles from pollination to shaping predator-prey dynamics. By allocating resources, we can play a role in bolstering the park's diverse wildlife and protecting its long-term health. This includes initiatives such as restoring fragile, too-often-trampled alpine meadows and endangered keystone species like disease-resistant whitebark pine and involving community scientists in collecting valuable data on climate-vulnerable species such as the Cascade red fox. The translation of key scientific findings within the park ensures that visitors leave with a deep investment in the future of scientific exploration and the wealth of knowledge that Mount Rainier National Park contributes to our understanding of natural systems. NPS photo.
Funds Needed: $47,000
Unlocking the wonders of North Cascades National Park isn't just about exploring nature; it's about breaking down barriers and ensuring that everyone, regardless...
Unlocking the wonders of North Cascades National Park isn't just about exploring nature; it's about breaking down barriers and ensuring that everyone, regardless of background or circumstance, has the opportunity to connect with the great outdoors. Philanthropic support is critical in implementing park projects that aim to make outdoor experiences more accessible for people of all backgrounds, integrating them into the fabric of daily life at schools and libraries in the communities around the park, as well as bringing them to the tribal communities that surround and partner with the park. This support will help the park partner with the Sedro-Woolley school district, which serves a community that is 23.8% Hispanic/Latino and 56.4% low-income and often faces additional challenges in accessing and enjoying federal lands. Programs like these embody a thoughtful approach that ensures cultural and linguistic barriers are dismantled, making the national park a welcoming space for all. NPS photo.
Investments in enhancing the visitor experience at Olympic National Park are a commitment to helping build the groundwork for a lifelong commitment to...
Investments in enhancing the visitor experience at Olympic National Park are a commitment to helping build the groundwork for a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship from each and every visitor who enters its boundaries. This commitment ensures that future generations not only enjoy the benefits of these national treasures but also become devoted guardians of our natural heritage. Donations make a difference, providing the park with a foundation of support so they can focus on providing life-changing experiences to visitors. Funding supports the park's efforts to improve backcountry ski access and safety at Hurricane Ridge, a beloved destination for park visitors, and facilitates initiatives such as night sky interpretive programs, Wilderness Youth IDEA Rangers who are trained to provide wilderness education through the lens of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Accessibility (IDEA) principles, and the park's artist-in-residence program. NPS photo.
Funds Needed: $54,000
Philanthropy plays a crucial role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within Mount Rainier National Park, ensuring that the park's natural wonders...
Philanthropy plays a crucial role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within Mount Rainier National Park, ensuring that the park's natural wonders are accessible and enjoyed by people from all walks of life. Funding projects that prioritize these values not only enhance the overall visitor experience but also contribute to a more inclusive representation of diverse communities in outdoor spaces. This support will provide for the long-standing Mount Rainier National Park Trail Crew and Washington Trails Association Partnership, which will work on trails in the Carbon River and Mowich area. In addition to funding a WTA crew leader and two seasonal NPS trails employees to provide logistical support, technical expertise, and trail project oversight, this project focuses on bringing single identity youth trail crews to the park – crews organized in the past have included LGBTQ+, All Girls, Asian Pacific Islanders, and crews from Latino Outdoors – and providing them with opportunities to connect with nature, with the park, and with park staff. NPS photo.
Funds Needed: $69,000
Philanthropic support plays a pivotal role in sustaining Olympic National Park's volunteer programs, ensuring the parks continued success in conservation, education, and community...
Philanthropic support plays a pivotal role in sustaining Olympic National Park's volunteer programs, ensuring the parks continued success in conservation, education, and community engagement. These contributions empower dedicated volunteers to make a lasting impact, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and stewardship for this natural treasure among individuals and communities alike. One key example? The Matt Albright Native Plant Nursery is a vital operation for restoration efforts in Olympic National Park, bringing together volunteers to plant seedlings to revegetate areas of degraded habitat in both front and backcountry park areas. The restoration behind what was once the Elwha River Dam is a shining example of the program’s tremendous success, and since then, the nursery has grown into a resource center that supplies partners across the Olympic Peninsula with native plant materials and revegetation expertise, including cooperative agreements for revegetation and restoration work with the Quinault Indian Nation, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, the 10,000 Years Institute and Washington Department of Transportation. More than 44,000 volunteer hours make all of this happen – and those volunteers are supported by donations. This funding supports program interns, a volunteer coordinator to conduct community outreach and bring in groups like the Northwest Youth Corps’ LGBTQ and deaf/hard-of-hearing crews, and expanded beach clean-up volunteer opportunities.
Get in touch:
Susan Nebel Director of Philanthropy (206) 623-2063 fund@wnpf.org
Special thanks to the National Park Service, who provided many of these project pictures. Our cover photo features NPS staff conducting aquatic surveys in Mount Rainier National Park, captured by Mitch Pittman, and the photo below features peaks in the Olympics, taken by Nate Brown. 📷