Donor Wall

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Donate to a Project or our General Fund

By donating to the Sierra State Parks Foundation you will receive discounts and special invitations to activities and events throughout the California State Parks we serve. Your generosity ensures that our natural and cultural resources are preserved for the future.  

The Sierra State Parks Foundation is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.  Please consider a Legacy Gift and join others who have named the Sierra State Parks Foundation in their will. For estate plans or to discuss gifts of appreciated assets, please contact our office at 530.583.9911, or e-mail us at info@sierrastateparks.org.

Projects for which we are currently seeking funding: 

Donating is easy and secure. Scroll down to indicate how you would like your donation to be used.
Thank you for supporting your Lake Tahoe – Donner area State Parks!

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Vikingsholm Tour

General Fund (We will use your donation where it is needed the most.)

These Board Designated Funds are directed to the most immediately critical projects identified by our State Park partners. Projects that have been funded in the past include: hiring park tour guides, educational and maintenance staff, plus commissioning of required reports and permits to enable restoration projects to include the Vikingsholm sod roof, the Vikingsholm electrical system, Ehrman Mansion electrical system upgrade, Donner Visitor Center front desk staffing, and much more. In 2015, the Sierra State Parks Foundation designated over $420,000 in support of State Park projects. Put my donation to where it is needed most!

Workers evaluating the Donner Monument for the restoration project.

Workers evaluating the Donner Monument for the restoration project.

Donner Memorial State Park:
The Donner Project: Pioneer Monument Restoration

Goal $1.5 million

The Pioneer Monument was dedicated on June 6, 1918 and erected in honor of all who made the difficult trek across the western plains and mountains to reach California during the 1840s. Constructed near the site of the cabins that gave shelter to the Donner Party, work on the monument began in 1901. Since then, the monument has stood in testament to the thousands of families and individuals who risked all for a better life, and honors the pioneer spirit of those who came before us.

The monument needs our help!  After nearly 100 Truckee winters it is in dire need of repair.

In addition to the monument restoration the project includes:

  • Improving the landscaping around the monument
  • Creating a group area, complete with a wagon for the kids.

Donation levels over $1,000 will be recognized on the Donor Wall in the Visitor Center foyer. All donation levels over $50 include a one-year membership to the Sierra State Parks Foundation and other “thank you” gifts at various donation levels. We will be pleased to send you our Donner Fundraising Campaign materials or meet with you to share our vision.

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Help us remain open year-round.

Donner Memorial State Park:
Visitor Center Fundraising Campaign

Centering on the theme, “Crossing the Sierra Divide,” the new Visitor Center at Donner Memorial State Park is an inspiring tribute to all people who lived in and crossed this physical boundary. Federal transportation money constructed the building and a state park bond funded the displays. The State General Fund is able to pay for basic staffing. The Sierra State Parks Foundation is raising money to bring this building to life! This campaign will ensure that educational programming, volunteer program support, and community programming are available all year long.

Visitor Center Projects that need funding include:
Production of an updated introductory movie ($70,000)
Construction of a year-round outdoor educational pavilion ($30,000)
Expansion of the volunteer and docent programs ($5,000)
Additional natural history displays and exhibits ($15,000)
Production of a self guided exhibit tour brochure ($3,500)

Donation levels over $1,000 will be recognized on the Donor Wall in the Visitor Center foyer. All donation levels over $50 include a one-year membership to the Sierra State Parks Foundation and other “thank you” gifts at various donation levels. We will be pleased to send you our Donner Fundraising Campaign materials or meet with you to share our vision.

State Park Interpreter

Interpreters bring our parks to life!

Emerald Bay, DL Bliss and Sugar Pine Point State Parks:
State Park Interpreter (seasonal)

Goal $40,000/year or endowment

California State State Parks does not have the funds to support a permanent interpretive position to provide educational programming during the summer season at Lake Tahoe.  We are committed to bringing campfires programs, Junior Rangers, nature hikes, and other like programming back to our parks on a permanent basis.  Your help is needed to ensure that this position will become a fixture at our parks.  Consider sponsoring one week of programming for $1,200.

Vikingsholm, historic photo from 1929.

Emerald Bay State Park:
Vikingsholm Gardens Restoration

Goal $40,000

World famous Vikingsholm Castle is visited by over 100,000 people each year and admired by boat by tens of thousands more. The gardens have fallen fallow and are in dire need of restoration. We have an historically approved, professionally prepared plan, to tackle this task. Our plan is to hire a full time gardener during the summer season who will implement the Garden Restoration Plan. These funds will also enable the purchase of tools, supplies, plant materials and fencing.

Mobile Park App: All parks in the Lake Tahoe – Truckee region.

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Enhance your visit with our proposed mobile app.

GOAL: $35,000

In our effort to connect more people with regional State Parks, we are requesting assistance with the cost of developing a mobile cell phone app (application) that functions as an interpretative “tour guide” for people visiting Lake Tahoe – Truckee California State Park sites. The app would be available as a free download for visitors using Android and Apple IOS devices. The purpose of the mobile app is to fill in the gap for the ever increasing demand and decreasing availability for interpretative services for Sierra State Park visitors.

The app will feature the following parks: Kings Beach SRA, Donner Memorial SP, DL Bliss SP, Emerald Bay SP, Sugar Pine Point SP, Washoe Meadows SP, and Tahoe SRA.

The app will:

  1. Deliver an interactive opportunity to deepen the understanding and appreciation of parks in the Tahoe-Donner region
  2. Improve the delivery of the park’s educational curriculum for school age children
  3. Complement existing interpretative tours and programs
  4. Promote the recreational trails and activities of each park
  5. Have the ability to direct users to become members and make donations
  6. Capture metrics such as user demographics, most used features, time utilized, and clicks to other websites and links, etc., that will facilitate fundraising efforts

SSPF expects this convenience will result in increased stewardship of our valued parks.

 

Olympic Heritage trail

Freshly groomed trails await you.

Sugar Pine Point State Park:
Olympic Heritage Snow Trails

Goal $10,000

The Sierra State Parks Foundation maintains over 15 KM of groomed trails through the original Olympic Trail System at Sugar Pine Point State Park. Past support has enabled the purchase of a groomer, annual repairs and maintenance, insurance, and personnel.  Help us to continue this most valued service.

We are pleased announce a $1,000 grant from the West Shore Association in support of the 2017 program.

Donation project

Weather takes its toll.

Sugar Pine Point State Park:
South Boathouse Rail Repairs

Goal $85,000  $45,000!

During the winter of 2012, a fierce storm severely damaged the historic marine railing system at the South Boathouse.  In addition, damage to the retaining wall and 1903 building has caused closure of the building and the relocation of the vessel, Mercury.  Because of the generosity of our donors, we have completed the engineering plans and have contracted for the repair of the boathouse.  Funds are now being sought for:

  • Repair/replacement of the rails
  • Return of the Mercury
  • Revised interpretive panels

Help us, “Save the Rails”!

Hiking in Washoe Meadows State Park.

Washoe Meadows State Park:
Washoe Meadows Interpretive Trail Signing

Goal $25,000

These funds will be used to design and install three interpretive panels to be placed along the paths that wind through the park.  These professionally designed and fabricated panels will highlight the unique natural wonders found in the park.  They will be constructed for year-round usage.