Minnesota · Nonprofit
NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION
NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION (Minnesota) receives grants from 13 organizations whose IRS filings report $1,079,605 to it, the largest being NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION ($471,886). 6 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2025
- $352k
- Funders on record
- 13
- Grants received
- $1.1M
- Net assets
- $204k
What National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation does
Mission
The National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation (NPLSF) exists to provide financial support for projects and programs that preserve the natural resources and cultural heritage of the five Lake Superior national parks: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Grand Portage National Monument, Isle Royale National Park, Keweenaw National Historical Park, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Together with the National Park Service and affiliated tribal nations, we work to conserve and restore Lake Superior's water quality and ecological health, with a special focus on moose habitat; support inclusive cultural interpretation and education through programs for youth, curriculum, and support of cultural events; improve park infrastructure and visitor experiences by working to raise support for projects such as staff housing; and serve as an active voice for the long-term sustainability of our parks so they can be enjoyed by future generations.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
On its FY2025 return the organization reported starting a significant new program.
NPLSF launched a major new initiative in 2025: the Northern Moose Alliance, a partnership effort with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 1854 Treaty Authority, and Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. NPLSF is hosting a Wildlife Biologist carrying out research on young moose and is leading public engagement and communications efforts to build a strong and active constituency for actions, such as habitat improvement, that will help our region's struggling moose populations.
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 2).
Isle Royale Solar: NPLSF advanced multiple projects to improve park resilience and reduce maintenance costs through energy efficiency and transitioning off fossil fuel onto renewable electricity. Our major staff dormitory winterization project and new solar installation at Isle Royale are nearly complete and we provided three e-bikes to the island to replace diesel-powered park vehicles.
$142,490 spent$130,000 earned by the program32% of program spendingUntold Stories Grand Portage: Our work on inclusive cultural interpretation and education also made important progress. In partnership with the Grand Portage Band, we raised resources for, helped develop, and are poised to install an interpretive exhibit at the Band's Hat Point Ferry Building, a busy entry point for travel between Grand Portage and Isle Royale. We sponsored another successful year of Agaaming Aki (the land across the water) an experiential learning program involving the Grand Portage and Red Cliff Bands, Grand Portage National Monument, 1854 Treaty Authority, and NPLSF. NPLSF also sponsored Rendezvous Days at Grand Portage and the Lutsong Music Festival.
$21,214 spent$20,064 earned by the program5% of program spendingOther programs: NPLSF led multiple effective communications efforts to improve public awareness and collaboration among park partners. Our Lake Superior Podcast continues to inspire and inform thousands across the region about issues impacting our parks and lake. We also advanced park-specific communication efforts including securing resources for a major planning process at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore to coordinate volunteer efforts and forming a Heritage Council for the many partners at Isle Royale engaged in historic preservation. Across Lake Superior's five national parks we also supported smaller projects, such as lighthouse renovations and tours, to maintain the unique features of our parks and engage the public.
$277,924 spent$75,394 earned by the program63% of program spendingOther program services, not described on the e-filed return.
$0 spent0% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $441,628.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2024 to 2025, from $386k to $230k (−40%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
95% of NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION’s revenue is contributions — more reliant on donations than three-quarters of its peers (18% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 3 of the last 9 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Tom Irvine
Executive Director
Board chair
Andrew Miller
Board President
As listed on its FY2025 Form 990.
Who funds it, year by year
2018 → 2023: the base broadened from 1 funder to 5 funders, grant income rose $1k → $447k.
5 of 13 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 30% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION leans on a few funders — its largest provides 44% of grant income and the top three 81%; half comes from just 2 funders.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 2 funders to its left
73% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2018 100% · 2019 65% · 2020 67% · 2021 62% · 2022 60% · 2023 56% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
50% of NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 46% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION draws 80% of its grant income from funders outside Minnesota, across 6 states in all.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $319k arriving through sponsors registered in 5 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION has grown faster than three-quarters of the 10,453 recreation & sports nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 10,453 recreation & sports nonprofits $100k–$1M, FY2025
Organizations like NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Minnesota
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
85% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
100%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 2 states
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION?
- NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION (Minnesota) receives grants from 13 organizations whose IRS filings report $1,079,605 to it, the largest being NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION ($471,886). 6 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION have?
- IRS filings report 13 organizations giving $1,079,605 in grants to NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION, 6 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION?
- NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION is the largest funder on record, with $471,886 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like NATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Minnesota. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds National Parks of Lake Superior →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2017–2025), and the filings of 13 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing