PLATINUM2022

FRIENDS OF STATE PARKS INC

Raleigh, NC   |  https://www.ncfsp.org

Mission

Friends of State Parks and its local chapters protect and care for North Carolina state parks through advocacy, support and education. Purpose To serve the mission and needs of the North Carolina state park system as an independent, nonprofit advocate, provide support at a local level through NCFSP chapters, and act as a source of park information and environmental education to the general public. Vision A beautiful, healthy and accessible North Carolina state park system for the enjoyment and appreciation of all.

Ruling year info

1986

President

Mr. Dewey Matherly

1st Vice President

Mr. Tim Aydlett

Main address

PO Box 37655

Raleigh, NC 27627 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

58-1634155

NTEE code info

Natural Resource Conservation and Protection (C30)

Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution (N12)

Youth Development Programs (O50)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2019, 2018 and 2017.
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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Friends of State Parks is working on better communication with our stakeholders and members.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Junior Ranger Program

Junior Ranger Programs engage elementary age children ages 6-12 in meaningful learning by participating in park educational programs, completing an activity booklet, and learning about stewardship of natural resources. Children can earn a badge by completing the activity booklet for a park. They complete the booklet for multiple parks and collect additional badges. They have the option of joining a free Department of Parks and Recreation newsletter for Junior Rangers.

Population(s) Served
Adolescents
Children
Preteens

Friends of State Parks is focusing attention on getting students outside the classroom into our state parks. Our state parks preserve some of North Carolina’s greatest examples of geology, ecology and cultural history. Field trips give children meaningful experiences with these tangible resources. Their increased knowledge and improved attitudes towards history and science can have long-lasting effects.

Schools are finding it increasingly difficult to take students on nature outings and many families lack the resources to do this on their own. A challange the parks face is having enough staff to accommodate all the individuals and groups who want to participate in their programs.

Youth in Parks - Environmental Education (YIP-EE) project is envisioned as a partnership between a state park, the park’s friends group and a public school.

Population(s) Served
Adolescents
Children
Preteens

Where we work

Awards

Governor's Conservation Achievement Award 2013

Wildlife Federaltion

Affiliations & memberships

NCForever 2022

NC Conservation Network 2022

NC Center for Non Profits 2022

National Association of State Park Foundations 2022

EarthShareNC 2022

National Park and Recreation Association 2022

North Carolina Park and Recreation Association 2022

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of stakeholders/stakeholder groups with whom communication has been achieved and expectations shared

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Children

Related Program

Junior Ranger Program

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

• Communicating with the NC State Parks & Recreation division, park rangers, state legislators, local chapters and
the general public about concerns, needs and issues affecting state parks.
• Leveraging independent, nonprofit capabilities to address needs in areas where government action
may be restricted.
• Raising money to complement government funding for park improvements and education initiatives.
• Providing financial, legal and outreach resources to local Friends chapters and bringing chapters together for
membership meetings.
• Engaging local communities by maintaining membership and sponsorship programs focused on supporting our
state parks and projects.
• Coordinating volunteer efforts to support programs, events and other park initiatives.
• Providing a means to request and manage legacy gifts and other investment opportunities.
• Promoting healthy, outdoor recreational opportunities at NC state parks.
• Encouraging youth involvement in parks through environmental education programs.
• Developing initiatives to increase the diversity and inclusiveness of state park use

PASSION: Commit to the stewardship of NC’s scenic landscapes and natural resources..
EDUCATION: Inform and inspire to encourage public engagement.
ADVOCACY: Act as a voice for state parks at the state and local levels.
COMMUNITY: Welcome all to be a part of our community and mission.
TRANSPARENCY: Communicate clearly about our actions and desired goals.

Friends of State Parks serves the mission and needs of the North Carolina state park system as an independent, nonprofit advocate, provide support at a local level through NCFSP chapters, and act as a source of park information and environmental education to the general public.

Friends of State Parks advocates for funding of North Carolina's State Park System and has been successful in recent years by ensuring the Park and Recreation Trust Fund is properly funded. FSP has also been able to advocate and fund Schools in Parks and Youth In Parks - Environmental Education which encourages local friends groups and park staff to work with local schools to educate students about the environment.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    North Carolina State Park system, park visitors, North Carolina Schools

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, 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 identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    Friends of State Parks recently decided to hire a communications and marketing manager to better communicate with the local groups and members who support us.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is hard to come up with good questions to ask people, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback

Financials

FRIENDS OF STATE PARKS INC
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • 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.

FRIENDS OF STATE PARKS INC

Board of directors
as of 03/08/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Mr. Dewey Matherly

Friends of Crowders Mountain State Park

Term: 2020 - 2022


Board co-chair

Mr. Tim Aydlett

Friends of Dismal Swamp State Park

Term: 2021 - 2023

Tim Aydlett

Friends of Dismal Swamp State Park

Rob Hewett

Friends of Raven Rock State Park

Linda Thornley

Crown Hotel Group

Keith Walsh

The Walsh Group

Joy Shuck

REI - Charlotte

Steve Shelton

Fence Builders, Inc.

Abrahim Oudeh

Former Mayor of Dunn, NC

Elijah Woods

Proctor and Gamble - Retired

Will Hendrick

North Carolina Conservation Network

Terri Ashby

Truist Bank

John Harris

Kitty Hawk Kites

Louis Rogers

U.S. Army Airborne Infantry Veteran

Vince Morton

Exact Sciences

Ashley Futrell, Jr.

The Washington Daily News

Gregory Schneider

NC State Parks - Retired

Jim Richardson

IBM - Retired

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • 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? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 3/8/2022
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

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
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data