Philanthropy and the National Park Service

As the National Park Service prepares for its centennial in 2016, this book provides an in-depth analysis of the role of philanthropy in national parks, with a focus on non-profit organizations known as friends groups and cooperating associations. Providing a historical review of partnerships through the lifetime of the NPS, up to a contemporary analysis of the legal and organizational framework under which non-profit philanthropic partners operate, Jacqueline Vaughn and Hanna J. Cortner explore the challenges the National Park Service faces in dealing with non-profit partners. Based on personal interviews with more than 50 non-profit leaders and National Park Service staff, financial data, and comprehensive site visits, Vaughn and Cortner offer a unique and informative view of the landscape in which philanthropy groups succeed - and sometimes fail.

Dr. Jacqueline Vaughn is Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Northern Arizona University, USA where she also teaches in the School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability. Her previously published books include Environmental Politics: Domestic and Global Dimensions (now in its 6th edition), George W. Bush's Healthy Forests: Reframing the Environmental Debate (with Hanna Cortner), and Green Backlash: The History and Politics of Environmental Opposition in the United States..

Dr. Hanna J. Cortner retired from her position as Research Professor in the Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University, USA in 2004. She is the co-author of The Politics of Ecosystem Management (with Margaret Moote); co-editor of The State of Nature (with Jeanne Clark); and co-author of George W. Bush's Healthy Forests: Reframing the Environmental Debate (with Jacqueline Vaughn).

1. Philanthropy Through Park Partnerships
2. A History of Support for the National Parks
3. The Legal and Organizational Framework
4. Friends Groups: "You Get By With A Little Help From Your Friends"
5. Cooperating Associations: "The Bookstore People"
6. Issues, Trends, and New Directions