National Park Foundation Awards Sleeping Bear Forever $75,000 Grant

Sleeping Bear Forever has received a $75,000 grant from the National Park Foundation to strengthen the organization’s capacity to preserve the cultural heritage of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, expand meaningful visitor experiences, and build a stronger philanthropic future for this important work.

This investment will help Sleeping Bear Forever elevate philanthropic engagement and fundraising, expand programs and partnerships, and create new opportunities for people to experience the places, stories, skills, and traditions that have shaped this landscape, through increased adaptive-reuse.

“We are thrilled and honored to have been selected for this impactful grant,” said Susan Pocklington, Executive Director of Sleeping Bear Forever. “This investment comes at an exciting time as we expand our work in adaptive-reuse of historic places with a bold vision to bring them back to life, and create new educational and community opportunities for people to experience the rich history of Sleeping Bear Dunes.”

Preserving these historic sites shaped by generations of people who lived and worked here, protects not only the park’s history but also the character and beauty that make Sleeping Bear Dunes such a special place to visit.

“This grant will help bolster our philanthropic engagement and build the resources needed to take this work to the next level. We are deeply grateful for the National Park Foundation’s generous investment in Sleeping Bear Forever and in the future of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to help preserve this amazing place forever,” said Pocklington.”

The National Park Foundation (NPF) is a nonprofit leader and catalyst in safeguarding America’s national parks and ensuring they are accessible and enjoyable—for everyone, forever. As the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, NPF works to conserve and preserve threatened wildlife and land, inspire the next generation of park stewards, tell the complete story of American history, and ensure a world-class visitor experience.

Sleeping Bear Forever has been an official nonprofit partner of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore since 1998. For nearly 30 years, Sleeping Bear Forever has preserved and interpreted dozens of historic buildings and landscapes and enriched visitor experiences through immersive programs. To support the work and vision of Sleeping Bear Forever and learn about our projects and programs, please visit sleepingbearforever.org.