Gettysburg Foundation Honored by National Park Service

Date: July 2, 2014
Contact: Katie Lawhon , [phone]

The National Park Service (NPS) has awarded a 2014 Director's Partnership Award to the Gettysburg Foundation, an organization whose philanthropy, stewardship and active Friends group impacts thousands of Gettysburg visitors every day. The Gettysburg Foundation was recognized for its role in funding numerous Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site projects including the park's $103 million Museum and Visitor Center; the acquisition and conservation of artifacts; education programs and conferences; and a year-long series of events and programs commemorating the 150th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg and President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

"Since the beginning of our National Park System, partners have stepped forward to help us support and protect America's national treasures and the Gettysburg Foundation continues this legacy of shared stewardship," said NPS Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. "Their 25 year history of advocacy has increased awareness and relevancy of Gettysburg's story and continues to forge new and lasting relationships with citizens, community organizations, agencies, and educational institutions."

Since 1989, the Gettysburg Foundation has stood with the NPS as the steward of preservation, restoration and education at Gettysburg National Military Park, attending to the serious and ongoing preservation needs of the battlefield, and at the Eisenhower farm.

"The Gettysburg Foundation along with its active corps of 24,000 Friends members have made substantial improvements to the resources and visitor experience at the Gettysburg and Eisenhower parks," said Ed W. Clark, park superintendent.

The Friends group has created more meaningful engagement with the NPS, strengthening and expanding park support from national and international constituencies. The Friends programs and other Foundation projects offer philanthropic support that directly benefits the Gettysburg and Eisenhower national parks and the NPS as a whole. Financial support for the NPS since 1989 is more than $ 15 million.

In additional to the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center project, the Foundation has played a vital role in the park's battlefield rehabilitation efforts, monument and cannon carriage preservation, land preservation, expanding and caring for museum collections, and projects at the Eisenhower Site.

The Director's Partnership Award annually recognizes nationally significant partnership accomplishments, including completion of major partnership programs, projects or fundraising goals; recognition of cumulative partnership achievements; or the retirement or departure of a high performing, valued partners or park leaders. 

Throughout the country, more than 250 program and park partners assist the National Park Service with projects and programs. They leverage a tremendous variety of resources and skill sets to help deliver essential services that preserve our history and lands.