Shenandoah National Park Association
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO INCREASE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING, APPRECIATION, AND STEWARDSHIP OF SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK BY PROVIDING INTERPRETIVE/EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, AND SERVICES IN RESOURCE EDUCATION.
- Income
- $1.8 million
- Spending
- $1.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- 37.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- other income, 85%
- Employees
- 16
- Volunteers
- 11
- Highest pay
- $136,434, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 96 out of 100. Higher than 89% of charities in its peer group (recreation and sports, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 37.2 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 23% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 40% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 82% of charities in its peer group (recreation and sports, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2511 of 11 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $905,737 spent. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVED THE 2025 BUDGET WITH A PROPOSAL TO DONATE $120,000 AS DIRECT SUPPORT TO SHENANDOAH. DUE TO THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BEGINNING OCTOBER 1 AND THE BUSY FALL COLOR SEASON, SNPA SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE PARK TO FUND THE COST TO REOPEN THE TWO VISITOR CENTERS. SNPA DONATED ANOTHER $101,015.33 TO NPS TO COVER THE SALARIES OF THE PARK VISITOR CENTER STAFF. BOTH VISITOR CENTERS REOPENED ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10. THE FUNDING COVERED FROM OCTOBER 10 THROUGH NOVEMBER 12, THE DATE THE GOVERNMENT WAS FUNDED. PARK VISITORS WERE EXTREMELY PLEASED THAT THE VISITOR CENTERS WERE OPEN AND SNPA SAW AN INCREASE IN THE ROUNDUP DONATIONS AT THE CASH REGISTERS AND DIRECT DONATIONS TO SNPA TO HELP OFFSET THE EXPENSE.SNPA CELEBRATED ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY DURING 2025. A SPECIAL SNPA MEMBER/75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WAS HELD ON SATURDAY, MAY 17. OVER THE 75 YEARS SNPA HAS CONTRIBUTED OVER $5.6 MILLION IN DIRECT AID TO THE PARK, WITH AT LEAST 3.2 MILLION OF THAT DONATED JUST OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.SNPA PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR THE WILDFLOWER WEEKEND INCLUDING PROVIDING FUNDING FOR THE PRIZES FOR THE PARK'S WILDFLOWER ART CONTEST.SNPA SPENT $12,764.25 TO REPRINT 15,000 JUNIOR RANGER BOOKLETS AND PURCHASE 5,000 CUSTOMIZED SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK JUNIOR RANGER PENCILS TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO CHILDREN VISITING THE PARK. THE PARK ADDED THE BARK RANGER PROGRAM AT SHENANDOAH IN 2025. SNPA FUNDED THE PRINTING OF 3,500 BARK RACK CARDS AND THE PURCHASE OF 2,500 WOODEN BARK RANGER BADGES (DOG TAGS).NPS DID NOT HAVE THE FUNDING FOR THE PARK BROCHURES THAT ARE GIVEN OUT AT THE ENTRANCE STATIONS. SNPA FUNDED THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE (GPO) PRINTING OF 350,000 AT A COST OF $63,350.00SNPA CONTINUES FUNDING THE RENTAL OF AN OFFICE SPACE FROM MIMSLYN INN IN LURAY FOR THE EDUCATION OFFICE. THIS LOCATION GIVES THEM A SPACE TO SET UP FOR DISTANCE LEARNING AND SNPA FUNDS THE EXPENSE FOR COMCAST HIGH SPEED INTERNET. SNPA IS WORKING TO FIND A CONTRACTOR WHO CAN RENOVATE THE OLD SNPA OFFICE TO MOVE THE EDUCATION OFFICE. THIS WOULD ALLOW THEM TO MOVE THEIR DISTANCE LEARNING TO THIS OFFICE AND END THE RENTAL IN LURAY. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE COMPLETED IN 2026.THE PARK NEWSPAPER, EXPLORE SHENANDOAH, WAS PUBLISHED WITH FUNDING FROM SNPA. THE 8-PAGE PAPER IS CREATED TO PROVIDE INTERPRETIVE INFORMATION ALONG WITH THE PARK RANGER PROGRAM SCHEDULE AND INFORMATION ON FACILITIES MANAGED BY THE PARK CONCESSIONER. 250,000 COPIES WERE PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTED DURING THE SUMMER AND FALL SEASON AT A TOTAL COST OF $9,090.50.SNPA PROVIDED $31,818.89 TO FUND STIPENDS AND HOUSING FOR TWO INTERNS THAT WORKED IN THE INTERPRETIVE DIVISION DURING THE SEASON.SNPA FUNDED THE REPLACEMENT OF A PROJECTOR AT THE DICKEY RIDGE VISITOR CENTER AUDITORIUM AND PROVIDED FUNDING FOR MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES, SOFTWARE UPGRADES, AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS IN THE PARK. SNPA HAS CONTINUED TO PAY THE MONTHLY FEE TO A HOSTING SITE THAT PROVIDES FULL SUPPORT FOR THE TWO LIVE CAMERAS THAT WERE INSTALLED IN 2022. THESE CAMERAS HAVE BEEN VERY POPULAR WITH THE PUBLIC AND ARE USED OCCASIONALLY BY LOCAL TV STATIONS.SNPA SPENT $5100 TO SUPPORT THE MEDIA TEAM TO PURCHASE LARGE HARD DRIVES TO BE USED FOR STORAGE FOR THE MANY PHOTOS THAT ARE TAKEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.SNPA FUNDED THE $7,806.00 PURCHASE OF THREE ACCESSIBILITY HIKING CARTS FOR THE PARK'S EDUCATION STAFF AND BYRD VISITOR CENTER TO HAVE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC. THESE CARTS ALLOW STUDENTS AND CHILDREN OF PARK VISITORS THAT HAVE MOBILE ISSUES, TO BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE A HIKE OVER MANY OF THE TRAILS IN THE PARK.SNPA FUNDED THE COST TO REPLACE THE FRONT DOORS OF THE BYRD VISITOR CENTER AT A COST OF $50,209.00. THIS INCLUDED UPDATING THE DOORS TO BE FULLING HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE.SNPA ALSO STARTED PROVIDING AID TO THE CEDAR CREEK BELLE GROVE NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK WHICH WE HAVE BEEN MANAGING THE SMALL PARK STORE IN THE VISITOR CENTER SINCE 2013. SNPA FUNDED A REQUEST FOR INTERPRETIVE SUPPLIES INCLUDING A TENT AND CHAIRS FOR RANGER PROGRAMS, AND BACKPACKING GEAR TO CARRY THEIR MATERIALS. THE COST WAS $719.51 AND THEN $1,930.49 WAS PUT INTO THE INTERPRETIVE RESERVE FUND TO BEGIN BUILDING FUNDS FOR FUTURE NEEDS FOR THEIR INTERPRETIVE PROGRAM.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1967.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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