Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
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| Formation | 1997 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA |
Chief Executive Officer | Dr. Carolyn Ward |
| Awards | 2022 National Scenic Byway Foundation Visitor Experience Award; 2022 Public Lands Partner Award from the Public Lands Alliance |
| Website | www |
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is an American nonprofit organization that raises private funding for the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the most visited units of the National Park system. The Foundation works with the National Park Service, individuals, and organizations to address critical needs along the parkway.
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is a nonprofit organization classified as a 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation was created in 1997 by Dr. Houck Medford, to raise private funding for the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the most visited units of the National Park system. In 2022, the Blue Ridge Parkway had more 15,711,004 million visitors.[1]
The Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees. Each Trustee is elected by their peers and serves a three-year term. The CEO runs the day-to-day operations of the Foundation, and is a paid staff member. The current CEO is Dr. Carolyn Ward.
The Foundation is not a membership organization. Its supporters are individuals, organizations, businesses and private and family foundations as well as participants in the North Carolina State Employees Campaign and the Combined Federal Campaign. A portion of funding for the Foundation comes from sales of the North Carolina Blue Ridge Parkway specialty license plate.
All supporters receive The Scenic, a journal describing the Foundation's activities and improvement projects on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation also has a free electronic newsletter.
The Foundation has additional offices in Asheville, N.C., and Galax and Lynchburg, Va.
Purpose
The Foundation exists to support Blue Ridge Parkway programs and projects related to cultural and historic preservation, education and outreach, natural resource protection, and enhanced visitor amenities. The Foundation's support of Parkway programs must meet two criteria: to have a lasting value and to enhance the quality of the visitor experience.
