When you invest in endowments, you demonstrate your belief in the long-term viability and strength of the endowment’s beneficiary. By investing in one of our national park endowments you are making an investment in an entity that has staying power and will be there well into the future – quite possibly forever.
Our long-term vision for Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks is to establish several million-dollar endowments for each park, each dedicated to their ongoing priorities – including trails, volunteerism, youth programs, science and research, search and rescue, and historical preservation.
Gifts given to one of Washington’s National Park Fund’s three park endowments – or to a mix of the three – are invested for the long haul. Investment income earned on our park endowments is awarded to the park projects that otherwise would go unfunded.
These guidelines govern acceptance of gifts made to WNPF for the benefit of any of its operations, programs or services.
Download the Guidelines
Have questions about WNPF’s endowments and what they support? Check out this list of some of the FAQs we hear most often.
Download the FAQs
In December 2010, Washington’s National Park Fund (WNPF) received an estate gift of $350,000 from the Eleanor Wilson Trust. $250,000 was awarded to Mount Rainier National Park for the volunteer program over a five-year period. The remaining $100,000 was restricted for the establishment and launch of WNPF’s first Endowment: The Mount Rainier National Park Endowment.
In 2013, the Board of Directors established endowment funds for both North Cascades National Park and Olympic National Park. That same year, the board invested $50,000 into each of the three park endowments. The funds were invested with Vanguard until 2018 when WNPF “brought the funds home” by investing them locally with Laird Norton Wealth Management. That same year, WNPF received its first million-dollar gift from the Bette Wallace Trust (affectionately known internally as “Aunt Bette”). $200,000 was directed/invested into each park’s endowment.
The combined total of the three endowments stands at $1.7 million. In 2021, WNPF invested 5% of the stock market investment gains back into the parks during our year-end distribution.
Special thanks to Linda Glein for being the driving force behind the advancement of WNPF’s three growing endowments!
Ready to get started? Get in touch.
Susan Nebel Director of Philanthropy (206) 623-2063 fund@wnpf.org
Cover photo: Mount Rainier National Park by Art Wolfe; footer photo (below): Olympic National Park by John Chao 📷