Glacier National Park Conservancy
Preserving and protecting Glacier National Park for future generations.
Learn how to support this organization
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Glacier National Park Conservancy strives to protect Glacier National Park for the benefit of future generations. Given the current public funding situation, increased philanthropic support is needed to provide for this treasured public resource. Without private support, critical education, preservation, and scientific research projects in the park would not be possible. The Glacier National Park Conservancy, as the official non-profit partner of Glacier National Park, works to fill that important gap and makes possible dozens of projects every year, each of which is directed at preserving the park for future generations.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Wilderness
The Conservancy funds projects and programs that preserve Glacier National Park’s wilderness character to provide an authentic, sustainable, and accessible wilderness experience for visitors to Glacier National Park.
Wildlife
The Conservancy funds priority projects for Glacier National Park that preserve, monitor, and promote biodiversity, connectivity, and healthy wildlife populations. Glacier National Park is a thriving home to over 240 bird species and 65 species of native mammals. Its habitat extends well beyond Glacier National Park’s borders, making the Crown of the Continent one of the most biologically intact ecosystems in North America.
Wonder
The Conservancy supports strategic education initiatives designed to engage current and future Glacier National Park stewards of all ages. In this context, education is viewed in a broad sense to include work being done through curriculum-based education, interpretation, environmental education, science education, and community engagement. Projects seek to educate and inspire visitors about conservation, preservation, stewardship, safety, and respect for the cultural and natural resources and wildlife in the Park and surrounding areas.
Where we work
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reports3.5 million in funding to Glacier National Park
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups
Related Program
Wilderness
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
funding to support education, preservation and scientific research projects in Glacier National Park.
Citizen Science Volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Wildlife
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
182 Citizen Science Volunteers contributed 6,796 volunteer hours to conduct 596 goat and loon surveys.
25 Glacier Conservation Corps participants contributed 2,976 hours to critical park projects. 4,798 Native plants were propagated at Columbia Falls High School greenhouse for planting in the park.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Young adults
Related Program
Wilderness
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
31 Glacier Conservation Corps participants contributed 3,760 hours to critical park projects. 3,662 Native plants were propagated at Columbia Falls High School greenhouse for planting in the park.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Glacier National Park Conservancy will implement specific projects each year that preserve and protect Glacier National Park for future generations. We aim to have a direct impact on three key areas: education, preservation, and scientific research.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Glacier National Park Conservancy uses a robust grants process to collaborate with park staff and park leadership. Working a year in advance, the Conservancy staff, along with the Board of Directors Grants Committee, help to develop and review a set of grant requests for implementing projects across Glacier National Park. Projects that would not be possible without private support. The Board of Directors authorizes fundraising for a set of projects in the spring of the year prior to their intended implementation date.
Meanwhile, the Glacier National Park Conservancy staff works with donors and corporate partners to raise funds to support those projects. Part of the fundraising apparatus is the retail stores (Park Stores), which the Conservancy operates on behalf of the park in its visitor centers.
All funds raised, or earned from Park Stores, go to support the mission of the Glacier National Park Conservancy, preserving and protecting the park for future generations.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Glacier National Park Conservancy is dedicated to preserving and protecting the park for future generations. Executive Director Doug Mitchell brings a diverse skill set developed through leadership roles in government, private enterprise, and non-profit work in Montana. Philanthropic and retail staff constantly innovate and adapt, working to increase the Conservancy’s ability to help the park. Members of the Board of Directors bring an overwhelming variety of professonal experience to the mission.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since the merger of the Glacier Natural History Association (established 1941) and the Glacier National Park Fund (established 1999) in January of 2013, the resulting combined organization, the Glacier National Park Conservancy, has provided private support to fund projects in Glacier National Park – projects that would not have been possible without its donors.
In 2017, the Glacier National Park Conservancy established a five-year goal of doubling the amount of philanthropic support it could provide for critical education, preservation, and scientific research projects across Glacier National Park. In addition, the Glacier National Park Conservancy is hoping to expand its current endowment programs to create meaningful, long term sustainability, allowing it to provide a dependable stream of support for the park.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Glacier National Park Conservancy
Board of directorsas of 06/20/2024
Margaret Notley
Lana Batts
Zak Andersen
Rick Bennet
John Donovan
Jeanette McKee
Margaret Notley
Greg Olson
Joseph Raudabaugh
Cathy Stein
Susan Hay Patrick
Darrell Worm
Susan Brooke
Morris Stein
Orrin Webber
Lana Batts
Chesler Randy
Glaser Jodi
Courtney Stone
Cheryle Cobell Zwang
Gayle Prete
Richard Miles
Margo Jacobs
Jodi Glaser
Tom Walker
Kelly Handley
Lisa Kelley
Rose Bear Don't
Walk
Brian Massey
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 06/30/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.