Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway
“Preserve and enhance the Blue Ridge Parkway for all to enjoy.”
The work
What they do
Friends group supporting the Blue Ridge Parkway through advocacy, volunteer projects, and fundraising.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “FRIENDS OF THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY HELPS MAKE BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITIES BETTER BY PRESERVING AND CELEBRATING THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL DISTINCTIVENESS OF THE BLUE RIDGE REGION IN VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA. THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS WORKING TO MAKE BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITIES EVEN BETTER.”
Where the money went, FY2024
The work, and what it cost
Boots on the ground
$287KBLUE RIDGE ENRICHMENT TO HONOR THE ORGANIZATION’S MISSION FRIENDS OF THE BLUE RIDGE SUPPORTED EFFORTS TO MAKE BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITIES BETTER.
Read it as they filed it
BLUE RIDGE ENRICHMENT TO HONOR THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION FRIENDS OF THE BLUE RIDGE SUPPORTED EFFORTS TO MAKE BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITIES BETTER. FRIENDS SUPPORTED THE CARROLL COUNTY CREATIVE ARTS CENTER, IMPROVED A NATURAL PLAYGROUND AT NATURAL BRIDGE STATE PARK, HELD ANOTHER BLUE RIDGE JAMBOREE CELEBRATING THE MUSIC HERITAGE OF THE REGION AND IMPROVED TRAILS AND ACCESS AT DEVIL'S DEN NATURE PRESERVE IN HILLSVILLE.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Bringing people into the fight
VOLUNTEERS & COMMUNITY CHAPTERS OUTREACH VOLUNTEERS ARE THE BACKBONE OF FRIENDS OF THE BLUE RIDGE. VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED A TOTAL OF 2,309 HOURS FROM JULY 2023 TO JUNE 2024 TO THEIR LOCAL BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITIES.
Read it as they filed it
VOLUNTEERS & COMMUNITY CHAPTERS OUTREACH VOLUNTEERS ARE THE BACKBONE OF FRIENDS OF THE BLUE RIDGE. VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED A TOTAL OF 2,309 HOURS FROM JULY 2023 TO JUNE 2024 TO THEIR LOCAL BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITIES. FRIENDS VOLUNTEERS PLANTED COMMUNITY GARDENS, HELPED WITH IMPROVEMENTS TO HISTORICAL SITES, CLEANED COMMUNITY PARKS, ASSISTED AT NUMEROUS LOCAL EVENTS, AND HOSTED CONCERTS CELEBRATING BLUE RIDGE MUSIC.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Boots on the ground
FUTURE STEWARDS FRIENDS FUTURE STEWARDS PROGRAM ENCOURAGES YOUTH TO SPEND MORE TIME IN NATURE TO FACILITATE AN APPRECIATION FOR THE OUTDOORS AND ENCOURAGES STEWARDSHIP OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES.
Read it as they filed it
FUTURE STEWARDS FRIENDS FUTURE STEWARDS PROGRAM ENCOURAGES YOUTH TO SPEND MORE TIME IN NATURE TO FACILITATE AN APPRECIATION FOR THE OUTDOORS AND ENCOURAGES STEWARDSHIP OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES. FRIENDS CHAPTERS HOST ALTERNATIVE BREAK PROGRAMS WITH VARIOUS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE FALL AND SPRING. FRIENDS CHAPTERS ALSO HOST SUMMER DAY CAMP EXPERIENCES AND HOST HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE WORKDAYS. FRIENDS ALSO OFFERS A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO ASSIST GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM THE BLUE RIDGE AREA OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA AS THEY PURSUE DEGREES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND CULTURAL STUDIES. THIRTY-FOUR SCHOLARSHIPS WERE AWARDED IN MAY 2024.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
80 cents of every dollar goes to the work
That ratio is a good sign, not a scorecard. Plenty of great groups run leaner and lumpier. What matters is the extremes, and Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway is nowhere near one.
$287,174 programs, $46,258 management, $26,857 fundraising. Form 990, FY2024.
The people
Who does the work
Those 833 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Make it 834The filings
14 years of filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $1,775,858 |
| 2012 | $2,115,679 |
| 2013 | $2,285,187 |
| 2014 | $2,747,180 |
| 2015 | $2,584,011 |
| 2016 | $2,530,416 |
| 2017 | $1,305,671 |
| 2018 | $491,088 |
| 2019 | $415,444 |
| 2020 | $381,118 |
| 2021 | $407,830 |
| 2022 | $368,827 |
| 2023 | $369,033 |
| 2024 | $151,156 |
From $1.8M in 2011 to $151K in FY24, with no missed filing in 14 years. The 2014 peak of $2.7M reads like one-time gifts, so trust the line, not the peak.
The Virginia congressional delegation averages 63 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
The North Carolina congressional delegation averages 28 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
Ways in
How to help
80 cents of your dollar goes straight to the work above.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
Find it on their site ↗SpeakComment and callOpen comment windows and call scripts for fights like these, ready to send.
Public Lands Action NetworkFollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway
38 years on the ground, 833 volunteers, 80 cents of every dollar on the line. That is who is holding it. There is room for one more.