Upcoming Events
Fostering a Culture of Belonging Through Inclusive Leadership
Date: March 13, 2025
Time: Noon – 1:00 PM ET
Location: Virtual
Susan Stith, Interim CEO at Concordance and member of Gateway Arch Park Foundation’s Board of Directors, will provide thought leadership and an engaging conversation around the intersectionality of belonging and inclusion during seasons of change.
Dan Blakemore, National Park Friends Alliance Board Member and Vice President for Philanthropy at Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, will lead a moderated discussion with Friends Alliance leaders and members to discuss actions following Stith’s keynote.
Spring 2025 Virtual Meeting
Date: March 13, 2025
Time: 1:15 PM – 5 PM ET
Location: Virtual
Click here to view the draft agenda.
Fall 2025 In-Person Meeting
Date: September 15-17, 2025
Location: Gateway Arch Park, St. Louis, MO
Join us in St. Louis, MO for the annual Fall Meeting. Registration will be available in Spring 2025.
The Best Things Happen Together
The Friends Alliance offers a series of in-person and virtual gatherings throughout the year designed to benefit Friends Groups and their national park partners.
“I find real value in our annual gatherings. They are an important opportunity for us to be in community with our park partners in a very meaningful way. We get to learn from each other, hear directly from NPS leadership, and brainstorm ideas on how we can grow the already vibrant partnerships. I’m proud to be a part of this community, and am enriched by the time we spend together!”
DOUG MITCHELL
Glacier Conservancy
Past Meeting Recap
Spring Virtual Meeting
May 7, 2024
Nearly 200 leaders and practitioners from across the National Park Friends community met virtually and heard about opportunities to advance environmental and climate justice from Vernice Miller-Travis; learned important updates from leadership of NPS, NPF, Friends Alliance; and discussed planning for the upcoming U.S. Semiquincentennial.
Hill Day Executive Director Rock Creek Park Tour
February 6, 2024
In conjunction with National Park Foundation Hill Day, Friends Alliance executive members joined the Rock Creek Conservancy for a networking lunch and bus tour of partnership projects led by Conservancy Executive Director, Jeanne Braha and Rock Creek Park Deputy Superintendent, Brian Joyner.
Fall 2023 Meeting
October 23-26, 2023
Cleveland, OH
Friends Alliance, NPS, NPF and Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park hosted 275 philanthropic partnership and National Park Service leaders at this event for networking, field trips, plenary and breakout sessions. Sessions included topics such as fundraising and leadership skills in philanthropy, partnership program highlights, collaboration between parks and partners, and leaning into Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access, and Justice.
For Members:
Past Meeting Resources
Log in to view the resources for each past meeting in our member portal.
Join Today!
Join the community and be part of a network focused on philanthropy in national parks. Membership in the Friends Alliance gives you access to professional networking opportunities, discounts on the annual meetings, and resources to support your park partnership.