The National Park Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the National Park Service, is set to receive a groundbreaking $100 million grant from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc., the largest grant in its history.

The grant will meet the needs of more than 400 national parks and will be used to fund initiatives such as coral reef restoration in Biscayne National Park in Florida and trout reintroduction to western national parks.

The big picture: In addition to protecting sensitive ecosystems and species, the scholarship also aims to give young people the opportunity to visit national parks.

• The donation is part of the National Park Foundation’s Campaign for National Parks, a $1 billion fundraising effort to help strengthen and promote the future vitality of national parks, monuments and historic sites.
• The grant is intended to support the overall goal of making the national parks accessible for future generations.

What they say: “The National Park Foundation is inspired by and incredibly grateful for this extraordinary gift from Lilly Endowment,” said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “For more than 50 years, private philanthropy has played an important role in bridging the gap between parks’ needs and available funds. This gift will allow us to strengthen our efforts to ensure our national parks are there for everyone, including for generations to come.”