The National Park Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting and preserving US national parks, has received a gigantic gift of $100 million, by far the biggest donation it has ever received. With over 400 national parks to manage and fund, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, and even the Lincoln Memorial, the money will go a long way in supporting one of the greatest government programs ever created.
More broadly, the Foundation says the funds will be used in four areas. One is inspiring future park stewards, so the responsibility of preserving these sites can be handed down to the next generation. Of course, they want to preserve endangered wildlife. They also want to improve the visitor experience and use the money to present a more inclusive historical narrative that does not leave out the contributions of minority groups in the establishment and care of national parks and historic sites.
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The donation comes from Lilly Endowment Inc., the private philanthropic foundation established nearly 100 years ago by the family that founded the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company. That company has been giving the federal government a whole lot of record-breaking money over the past years—and not just voluntarily. Eli Lilly has paid over $2.7 billion in fines and settled thousands of lawsuits over deceptive sales practices and other violations. That parts a bit less inspiring.
