Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is a non-profit organization
classified as a 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue Service
. The Foundation was created in 1997 to raise private funding for the Blue Ridge Parkway
.
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. None of the other Trustees receives any compensation.
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 large part of the funding for the Foundation comes from the NC Blue Ridge Parkway Specialty plate.
All supporters receive the Scenic, a biannual journal describing the Foundation's activities and highlighting Blue Ridge Parkway projects. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation also has an electronic newsletter that is free to all subscribers and is available online, http://www.brpfoundation.org.
and the Conservation Trust of North Carolina to preserve the Parkway's scenic qualities.
The Foundation funds Parks As Classrooms, the National Park's education outreach in elementary schools which allows seasonal park rangers to travel to the schools in twenty-nine counties. The program teaches elementary age children about the National Parks, the Parkway's natural resources
, and the importance of conservation.
The Foundation also sponsors the Kids in Parks Initiative along with, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. Working together with partners throughout the community, its mission is to increase physical activity of children and their families, to improve nutritional choices, and to get kids outdoors and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Details about the Kids in Parks program can be found online at http://www.kidsinparks.com.
The Foundation also rewards visitors who have traveled all 469 miles of the Parkway, whether in one visit or many through its End-to-Ender program. Travelers can apply for their certificate at http://www.endtoender.org.
The Blue Ridge Parkway celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2010. The Parkway is the most visited unit in the National Park System, hosting over 16 million visitors each year.
resources. Endowment funds exist for the preservation of Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and its carriage trails, the Museum of North Carolina Minerals which is in the Spruce Pine Mining District
, as well as for the Blue Ridge Parkway's Parks As Classrooms.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
classified as a 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
. The Foundation was created in 1997 to raise private funding for the Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles , mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains...
.
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. None of the other Trustees receives any compensation.
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 large part of the funding for the Foundation comes from the NC Blue Ridge Parkway Specialty plate.
All supporters receive the Scenic, a biannual journal describing the Foundation's activities and highlighting Blue Ridge Parkway projects. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation also has an electronic newsletter that is free to all subscribers and is available online, http://www.brpfoundation.org.
Purpose
The Foundation exists to support Blue Ridge Parkway programs primarily for visitor services and education, cultural and historic preservation, planning and scientific research. 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.Priorities
The Foundation works with land conservation organizations including Western Virginia Land Trust, High Country ConservancyHigh Country Conservancy
High Country Conservancy is a non-profit land trust operating in northwest North Carolina. Its mission is "to protect the natural resources of Appalachia by conserving land with significant ecological, cultural, recreational, or scenic value in the North Carolina High Country." Through 2007 HCC...
and the Conservation Trust of North Carolina to preserve the Parkway's scenic qualities.
The Foundation funds Parks As Classrooms, the National Park's education outreach in elementary schools which allows seasonal park rangers to travel to the schools in twenty-nine counties. The program teaches elementary age children about the National Parks, the Parkway's natural resources
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
, and the importance of conservation.
The Foundation also sponsors the Kids in Parks Initiative along with, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. Working together with partners throughout the community, its mission is to increase physical activity of children and their families, to improve nutritional choices, and to get kids outdoors and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Details about the Kids in Parks program can be found online at http://www.kidsinparks.com.
The Foundation also rewards visitors who have traveled all 469 miles of the Parkway, whether in one visit or many through its End-to-Ender program. Travelers can apply for their certificate at http://www.endtoender.org.
The Blue Ridge Parkway celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2010. The Parkway is the most visited unit in the National Park System, hosting over 16 million visitors each year.
Endowments
In addition to directly funding projects, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation maintains endowment funds for the benefit of Blue Ridge ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles , mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains...
resources. Endowment funds exist for the preservation of Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and its carriage trails, the Museum of North Carolina Minerals which is in the Spruce Pine Mining District
Spruce Pine Mining District
The Spruce Pine Mining District is a swath of the valley of the North Toe River in northwestern North Carolina that is home to one of the richest deposits of gems and minerals in the world. Mined for its mica, kaolin, quartz and feldspar, the district provides much of the raw materials used in...
, as well as for the Blue Ridge Parkway's Parks As Classrooms.