About Yellowstone Forever
To protect, preserve, and enhance Yellowstone National Park through educational programs and philanthropy.
Focus Areas
Wildlife research and monitoringTrail and infrastructure maintenanceYouth education and outreachVisitor education and programsHabitat restorationCultural and tribal heritage programs
Who They Fund
park visitors / recreational touristspublic land managers / park stafflocal communities adjacent to Quake Lake
Funding Style
place-based / site-specific supportdirect service enhancement
About Yellowstone Forever
Yellowstone Forever’s recent giving is defined by repeated seven-figure support to the National Park Service for Yellowstone National Park priorities. The three largest recent grants all went to the same recipient, with awards of $4,510,396 in 2023, $3,317,907 in 2024, and $2,288,632 in 2025, each described as fulfilling park priorities. That pattern points to a funder that works through place-based project support rather than broad, unrestricted philanthropy. The foundation’s stated purpose is to protect, preserve, and enhance Yellowstone National Park through educational programs and philanthropy. Its active funding areas include wildlife research and monitoring, trail and infrastructure maintenance, youth education and outreach, visitor education and programs, habitat restoration, and cultural and tribal heritage programs. Program materials also frame giving around protect, preserve, and enhance priorities, with support directed to Yellowstone-related park projects in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. A smaller recent award shows the same site-specific approach in another setting: $5,796 to the US Forest Service for customer service and interpretation around Quake Lake.
What Yellowstone Forever Funds
Wildlife research and monitoring is one of the clearest program areas in Yellowstone Forever’s portfolio, alongside habitat restoration and ecosystem protection. The organization’s project support materials explicitly include those priorities for Yellowstone National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Visitor-facing work is another recurring theme. A recent grant of $5,796 to the US Forest Service supported furthering customer service and interpretation of public lands around Quake Lake, tying funding to public lands interpretation and the visitor experience. Education also appears in the foundation’s stated focus areas, including youth education and outreach and visitor education and programs. Its active program descriptions place education and interpretation alongside park operations and safety, showing that the foundation funds both resource protection and how people experience the park. Cultural and tribal heritage programs are also named as a focus area, along with cultural resource preservation in the project support program.
How Yellowstone Forever Gives
Yellowstone Forever’s grant sizes are large by default: the 25th percentile is $1,717,923, the median is $2,803,270, and the 75th percentile is $3,616,029. That distribution reflects a portfolio built around substantial project support rather than small awards. The grants shown also suggest continuity across years, with National Park Service awards in 2023, 2024, and 2025 all framed as fulfilling park priorities. The foundation makes program-related investments and does not fund individuals. Its project support materials are public and organized around named priorities, and the active programs indicate it does not accept unsolicited applications.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.3M
Total Assets
$70.5M
Total Revenue
$41.8M
Total Expenses
$16.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $1.7M and $3.6M, with a median of $2.8M.
25th Percentile
$1.7M
Median
$2.8M
75th Percentile
$3.6M
Geographic Reach
Regional2 states funded
About 0% of grants go to recipients in WY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
LISA DIEKMANN
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