Outer Banks Forever is one of 36 national park partner organizations to receive a Strong Parks, Strong Communities capacity building grant from the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service.
Outer Banks Forever is the nonprofit partner of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site.
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The Strong Parks, Strong Communities capacity building grant program is to address nonprofit park partner needs that have come to the forefront amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The 36 organizations will receive a total of more than $670,000 for their projects.
The grants help park partners expand their reach through work that includes new technology, website redesigns, creative visitor engagement, strategic plan development, fundraising campaigns, professional development and more.
“This support from the National Park Foundation will allow us to grow our impact in our OBX national parks and reach new audiences with the important stories our parks protect,” said Jessica Barnes Green, executive director of Outer Banks Forever, in a statement. “That heightened awareness will strengthen our ability to assist our OBX national parks in their outreach efforts, explore new partnerships in the community and with other National Park Service units around the country, and raise more funds to support important projects and programs that provide our parks with the margin of excellence locals and visitors have come to expect.”
Green told Coastal Review Online that Outer Banks Forever received $25,000 to bring in part-time staff person to serve as a community engagement coordinator. They are to help with fundraising as well as focus on better engaging the community.
Strong Parks, Strong Communities is an effort to grow national park philanthropy, which consists of about 450 philanthropic organizations across the country. Working together on this initiative, the National Park Foundation, National Park Service and Friends Alliance enhance philanthropic organizations, bringing park philanthropy to an elevated level.
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“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, said in a statement. “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.”
The Strong Parks, Strong Communities capacity building grant program is made possible by the National Park Foundation Board of Directors.
The full list of grantees can be found on the National Park Foundation’s blog.
