Executive Summary of Best Practices and National Park Highlights
The following sections are excerpts from Best Practices in Friends Groups and National Park. The report was prepared in September 2005 by Michael Heaney and Mindy Cherng at the National Parks Conservation Association's Center for Park Management.
As budgets have grown tighter in recent years, partnerships have become a way for parks to accomplish more with less. Most parks look towards their Friends for access to resources that would otherwise be unavailable. The use of "Friends" in this study, when unnamed, refers to the collective group of non-profit entities dedicated to the support of America's national park units. The greatest appeal of these Friends is their ability to fundraise. Several Friends conduct major capital campaigns for special projects and others create endowments for parks to use in perpetuity. However, Friends add more than economic value; they provide community legitimacy and access to key business and political leaders. Friends fundraise, friend-raise and advocate.
Given the reality of federal appropriations for parks, Friends are a vital part of the future of the Park Service. The National Park Service has given mandates to many parks to partner with the private sector and seek out Friends. Superintendents are now often judged by their ability to partner successfully. The process of fostering successful relationships still remains unclear to most, and many park units face difficulty in getting their Friends off the ground. As friends learn from each other, parks and Friends groups can learn from each other. This report highlights examples of past successes and suggests elements that might lead to future successful partnerships. This report was initiated by the Superintendent of Valley Forge National Historic Park as part of a larger analysis of their partnership landscape, but should be of use to all interested parks and Friends.
The Best Practices in Friends Groups and National Parks Highlights contains useful information for any park on: