By the Washington’s National Park Fund Board of Directors

In alignment with the statement we made in June in support of black lives, and the commitment we made to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Washington’s National Park Fund, below is our new learnings and additional steps.

WHAT WE ARE DOING

We are committed to increasing our efforts to supporting Washington’s national parks as they strive to become more accessible to all, including especially communities that have been traditionally underrepresented in our parks. To that end, Washington’s National Park Fund, in collaboration with our national park partners, is focusing on these current initiatives:

1. Maintaining and growing dedicated funding streams for additional programs that bring low-income individuals and students from underrepresented communities to our national parks. Examples include:

• • Supporting Community Resilience through the Food Sustainability Project in the North Cascades National Park. This program teaches students in the Darrington and Lummi school districts the skills to support tribal food sustainability and food sovereignty. It primarily supports the Lummi and Sauk-Suiattle people on their tribal homelands.
  • Mount Rainier Field Trips for underserved children. We work with organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs and Casa Latina and their families.
  • Olympic Science Field Trips for 4^th and 8^th graders from Port Angeles and other Olympic Peninsula towns that teach young people about the interest and intrigue associated with science in Olympic National Park.

2. Hosting additional virtual field trips that feature park employees and programs serving diverse audiences.
3. Diversifying our board so it better represents all people who frequently visit Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic National Parks today.

WHERE WE ARE HEADING

Moving forward, Washington’s National Park Fund is seeking to accomplish these goals:

1. Formalizing partnerships with organizations that are serving underrepresented communities, particularly those focused on the outdoors and those serving youth. This effort will begin with small group meetings as we listen, learn and leverage the work that is already taking place within our national park partners. We hope that the outcomes from these partnerships lead to new projects and opportunities for underrepresented groups.
2. Actively seeking opportunities to fund career pathways like internships that support the National Park Service’s goal of increasing diverse staff representation.
3. Developing highly visible fundraising opportunities for national park-led projects benefiting underrepresented communities.
4. Using our communication platforms (e.g., newsletter, blog, social media etc) to feature park staff and park visitors from diverse backgrounds.

WHAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO

Washington’s National Park Fund will continue looking inward to make sure that, as an organization, we learn about, support and value diverse individuals and perspectives. To that end, we will:

1. Invest in additional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training for board and staff.
2. Increase our efforts to build diverse representation on our board.
3. Give this work a sense of urgency, maintaining a strong commitment to action.

HOW WE WILL REMAIN ACCOUNTABLE

The DEI Committee will lead Washington’s National Park Fund as together, we hold ourselves accountable to attaining these goals. The Committee will regularly measure and report on our progress to both the full board and the general public.

Learn more about our efforts.