A national park friends group is an independent nonprofit, usually run by local people, that gives a park money, time and practical help. The National Park Service calls these groups philanthropic partners and notes that most focus on a single park or region. If you have ever met a cleanup crew, a walk leader or a volunteer at a visitor center table, there is a good chance a friends group was behind it.
We’re Friends of Olympic National Park, a small friends group in Port Angeles. This guide explains how the friends group model works in general, how it differs from other park partners, and how you can join one or start your own.
How the friends group model works
National parks run mainly on federal funding, and they can’t go out and fundraise for themselves. One NPS park page puts it plainly: parks are forbidden by federal law to raise money on their own, so friends organizations do it for them. That gap is the reason friends groups exist.
A friends group is not part of the government. It has its own board, its own members and its own nonprofit status, and it works alongside park staff rather than for them. The park decides what it needs and what is allowed on park land, and the friends group helps where it can.
When a partnership grows, the NPS asks for a written agreement. Its partnership manual says one is needed when fundraising is expected to pass $25,000, or when the relationship runs longer than 18 months. The agreement most often used with friends groups is signed by the park’s superintendent with regional approval.
Friends groups and other national park partners
The NPS directory of National Park Service philanthropic partners lists more than 290 philanthropic organizations and cooperating associations. They do related but different jobs, and the names can blur together, so here is the short version.
Types of park partners compared
| Partner type | Main job | How you take part |
|---|---|---|
| Friends group | Raises money and gives time to one park or region | Join as a member, volunteer, donate |
| Cooperating association | Runs park bookstores; funds educational, scientific, historical and interpretive work | Buy books, maps and guides |
| Philanthropic fund partner | Raises larger gifts and grants for projects the park selects | Donate, often online or by mail |
| Individual volunteer | Gives time directly, once or on a schedule | Sign up through park programs |
Some parks have all of these at once, and the lines aren’t always sharp. A friends group may also run a fund, and some parks name one organization as their official philanthropic partner. The name on the door varies too: conservancy, foundation, association or friends.
What members of a friends group actually do
Membership is the backbone. In many groups, modest dues help pay for supplies and programs, and every member adds to the voice of local support. Members don’t have to do anything more than that, but many do.
- Show up for work days. Cleanups, trail work and garden care, always under park guidance.
- Share what they know. Leading walks, giving talks or helping at kids’ events.
- Serve on the board. Planning projects, keeping the books and talking with park staff.
- Spread the word. Bringing a neighbour to an event or passing on the newsletter.
How friends groups support national parks
According to the NPS, friends group support ranges from fundraising and recruiting volunteers to donating goods and providing educational programs. In practice, that support tends to fall into four kinds of help.
- Money: member dues and gifts that fill small gaps the federal budget doesn’t reach.
- Hands: organized volunteer days that park staff couldn’t staff alone.
- Learning: walks, lectures and youth programs that help people understand the park.
- Thanks: recognizing the staff and neighbours who give the park their best.
Friends groups come in many sizes, from large organizations with paid staff to small circles of neighbours. Ours is volunteer-led, and groups like ours are often the ones at the trailhead on a Saturday morning with gloves and trash bags.
Olympic National Park’s friends group: an example
Friends of Olympic National Park (FONP) shows what a small, local friends group looks like. We were founded in 2002, registered as a 501(c)(3) in 2023, and are led by a volunteer board of 12 community members. The park’s own partner page lists us among its funding partners, alongside Washington’s National Park Fund, which is the park’s official philanthropic partner.
Our work fits the four kinds of help above: we educate, volunteer, fund and honor. We run seven projects, including the adopt-a-trail crew on the Heart O’ the Forest Trail, beach cleanups in Olympic National Park, the Winter Perspectives lecture series and National Junior Ranger Day. Each year we also present two Most Inspirational awards, one for a friend of the park and one for a park employee.
If you are weighing the different ways to help Olympic specifically, our guide to Olympic National Park support organizations lays them side by side. You can also read more about Friends of Olympic National Park and our history since 2002.
How to join or start a friends group
Joining one
Start with the park you love. Its website usually has a partners or support page that names its friends group, and the NPS partner directory covers groups authorized to fundraise. Then join, come to a meeting and try one volunteer day to see if it fits.
Starting one
If your park has no friends group, the path is slower but well worn. These steps reflect common practice, and your state’s rules will differ.
- Talk with park staff first, so the group grows around real park needs.
- Gather a small founding circle of neighbours willing to serve on a board.
- Write a mission and bylaws, incorporate in your state and apply for tax-exempt status.
- Agree with the park on how you’ll work together, in writing once fundraising grows.
- Begin with one simple, visible project and build from there.
Near Olympic, the easiest first step is to become a member of Friends of Olympic National Park. Memberships are $15 for students, charter members and current armed services, $25 for individuals and $30 for families. Members get a decal, our friends-only newsletter, invitations to annual events and volunteer opportunities in Olympic National Park.
Curious who keeps it running? Meet our volunteer board, 12 community members who serve without pay.
Frequently asked questions
What is a national park friends group?
It is an independent nonprofit, usually local, that supports a park with money, volunteer time, donated goods and education. The National Park Service calls these groups philanthropic partners.
Are friends groups part of the National Park Service?
No. A friends group has its own board, members and nonprofit status. It works with park staff, and the park decides what work happens on park land.
What is the difference between a friends group and a cooperating association?
A friends group raises money and gives time to a park or region. A cooperating association mainly runs park bookstores and funds educational, scientific, historical and interpretive work.
Does Olympic National Park have a friends group?
Yes. Friends of Olympic National Park is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) founded in 2002 in Port Angeles. Washington’s National Park Fund is the park’s official philanthropic partner.
How do I start a friends group for a park?
Talk with park staff, gather a founding board, write bylaws, incorporate and seek tax-exempt status, then agree with the park on how you will work together. A written agreement is needed once fundraising grows.
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