National Parks Traveler
“Independent journalism covering America’s national parks.”
The work
What they do
Nonprofit news organization covering national park management, policy, and issues. Acts as a watchdog for NPS decisions and transparency.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “NATIONAL PARKS TRAVELER IS THE WORLD'S TOP-RATED, EDITORIALLY INDEPENDENT, NONPROFIT MEDIA ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO COVERING NATIONAL PARKS AND PROTECTED AREAS ON A DAILY BASIS. THE TRAVELER'S JOURNALISTS WORK TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF ENVIRONMENTAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND NEWSWORTHY DEVELOPMENTS SURROUNDING, INVOLVING, AND AFFECTING THESE AREAS AND THEIR GOVERNING BODIES.”
Where the money went, FY2024
The work, and what it cost
The work as filed
$98KNATIONAL PARKS TRAVELER IS THE ONLY MEDIA ORGANIZATION FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON EDITORIAL COVERAGE OF NATIONAL PARKS AND PROTECTED AREAS.
Read it as they filed it
NATIONAL PARKS TRAVELER IS THE ONLY MEDIA ORGANIZATION FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON EDITORIAL COVERAGE OF NATIONAL PARKS AND PROTECTED AREAS. IT PROVIDES FREE COVERAGE THROUGH ITS FLAGSHIP WEBSITE, NATIONALPARKSTRAVELER.ORG, A WEEKLY PODCAST SERIES, ITS APPLE NEWS FEED, AND ITS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. DURING FY23-24, TRAFFIC ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS DIPPED ~ 5.3% PERCENT FROM THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR. LOOKING ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS, TRAVELER'S CONTENT GENERATED ~ 1.84 MILLION VIEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. WHILE THE BULK OF THE EDITORIAL COVERAGE STEMS FROM DAY-TO-DAY EVENTS ACROSS THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM, THE PAST YEAR SAW THE RISE OF ISSUES THAT DESERVED EXTENDED COVERAGE. FOR EXAMPLE, HOW THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE IS STRUGGLING TO DEAL WITH INCREASING VISITATION AND DECREASING STAFF, HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS IMPACTING NATIONAL PARKS AND THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES, HOW THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE IS FUNDED AND HOW ITS EMPLOYEES ARE COMPENSATED, AND BIODIVERSITY ISSUES ACROSS THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
78 cents of every dollar goes to the work
Read it as a snapshot, not a scorecard. Splits move year to year with grants and campaigns, and healthy shops live all across this range.
$97,630 programs, $18,550 management, $9,447 fundraising. Form 990, FY2024.
The people
Who does the work
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. Orgs that claim their page can update it same-day. Work at National Parks Traveler? Claim this page.
Those 7 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If National Parks Traveler is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Make it 8The filings
5 years of filings
5 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $64,762 |
| 2021 | $132,952 |
| 2022 | $135,320 |
| 2023 | $136,386 |
| 2024 | $212,688 |
From $65K in 2020 to $213K in FY24, with no missed filing in 5 years.
Ways in
How to help
78 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 National Parks Traveler
21 years on the ground, 7 volunteers, 78 cents of every dollar on the line. That is who is holding it. There is room for one more.