Friends of the Flagstaff National Monuments Receives New Capacity Building Grant from National Park Foundation

GRANT EXPANDS THE FRIENDS IMPACT AT WUPATKI, SUNSET CRATER VOLCANO AND WALNUT CANYON NATIONAL MONUMENTS

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (January 20, 2021) The Friends of the Flagstaff National Monuments (“Friends”) is one of 36 park partner organizations to receive a Strong Parks, Strong Communities capacity building grant from the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. This grant will enable the Friends to professionalize their website and other digital media, and to further build its presence and capacity in the community. The full list of grantees can be found on the National Park Foundation’s blog.

“This grant will allow our organization to better communicate with the public, and in turn to raise general and financial support for projects not funded through federal dollars” according to Board Chair Mary Blasing. “We hope to continue and grow our support of educational outreach and special programs within the monuments” Blasing added, while thanking board member Wolf Gumerman for leading the grant writing effort.

The Strong Parks, Strong Communities capacity building grant program helps address nonprofit park partner needs that have come to the forefront amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Park partners identified resiliency and ability to weather times of uncertainty as priority needs. These grants will enable park partners across the country to expand their impact through new technology, website redesigns, creative visitor engagement, strategic plan development, fundraising campaigns, professional development, and more.

“The National Park Foundation is committed to increasing national park philanthropy across the board, and being responsive to current needs,” said LaTresse Snead, chief program officer for the National Park Foundation. “The capacity building grants help advance park partners’ goals to preserve natural and cultural resources, increase access to public lands for all people, and develop innovative programming.”

Strong Parks, Strong Communities is a collective effort to grow national park philanthropy, which consists of approximately 450 local philanthropic organizations across the country. Working together on this initiative, the National Park Foundation, National Park Service, and Friends Alliance enhance local philanthropic organizations, bringing park philanthropy to an elevated level.

The Strong Parks, Strong Communities capacity building grant program is made possible by the National Park Foundation Board of Directors.

The Friends of the Flagstaff National Monuments is a not-for-profit, 501 c (3) organization supporting the three National Monuments in the Flagstaff, Arizona area – Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater Volcano, and Wupatki, through preservation of the monuments’ natural and cultural heritage by increasing stewardship, education, and community engagement. Learn more at https://flagstaffmonuments.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help protect more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts and connect all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.

###