Yellowstone Park Foundation

Yellowstone National Park is one of America's greatest treasures. Every year, millions of visitors like you come to experience Yellowstone's beauty and mystery. They come to wonder at the world's largest collection of geysers and hot springs. They come to catch glimpses of the only wild bison herd that has survived continuously since prehistoric times. 

By 1993, 100 million people had visited this magical place. The Yellowstone Park Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization created in 1996 to raise funds for important projects and programs that protect, preserve and enhance Yellowstone National Park. While the Park's annual budget from federal appropriations covers Yellowstone's basic day-to-day operating needs, it is not adequate to fund proj-ects such as wildlife research, trail restoration, or new visitor center exhibits.

Through generous donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations, the Yellowstone Park Foundation has raised over $37 million to fund more than 135 projects. Past projects have included the protection of native species like the grizzly bear and cutthroat trout, repair and preservation of the historic Yellowstone Chapel, and trailside exhibits about the ecological role of wildland fires in Yellowstone.

There are in addition to a successful $15 million capital campaign to build a Visitor Education Center at Old Faithful and a completed initiative to fund a major landscape restoration of the beloved Artist Point overlook at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Fundraising initiatives, such as the Yellowstone Visa^® Credit Card and Yellowstone License Plate have made it easier for individuals to play a role in caring for Yellowstone.

Yellowstone National Park has made many contributions to America's scientific, cultural and recreational history since its inception in 1872 as the world's first national park. From "DNA fingerprinting" technology (using microorganisms discovered in a Yellowstone hot pool), to inspiring generations of famous painters and writers, to providing countless moments of wonder in the lives of visitors, Yellowstone continues to be a great gift to our nation. The Yellowstone Park Foundation gives individuals an opportunity to play role in caring for the Park. To learn more about the work of the Foundation, or to become a "Friend of Yellowstone," visit www.ypf.org or call (406) 586-6303.