Frequently Asked Questions

You can sign up through our Stay Connected page.  

Our apologies — we can resolve this! Please email us at [email protected] and we’ll make sure you start receiving emails. 

Please update your email preferences here, or send us an email at [email protected] to specify your email preferences. You are also welcome to adjust which lists you’re on or unsubscribe from our emails at any time by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link in the footer of any email we send.   

We’re happy to update your email address! Update it online here, or email us at [email protected] with your new email address and we will update your contact information. 

Please reach out to [email protected] to request less paper mail or to be removed from all paper mailings. We will confirm that we received your request and begin processing this removal. Please excuse any stray mailers while the system updates. The recycled content of our paper mailings is 30% post-consumer waste.

Sign up through our Stay Connected page. Make sure you select the “Sign me up for SMS messages” checkbox to sign up for text message alerts. By submitting your cell phone number, you are agreeing to receive periodic text messages from the organization. Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP at any time to stop receiving text messages. 

FastAction is a safe and secure way for you to save your contact and payment information, allowing you to easily show your support in the future with a single click. FastAction is a service of Bonterra that allows you to quickly auto fill on any website that offers FastAction. Bonterra is a family of tools dedicated to serving nonprofits. We use this for our online donation and action alert forms. For more information, please visit Bonterra’s privacy policy.  

No. To decline saving your information to FastAction, make sure the checkbox for “Remember me so that I can use FastAction next time” is not checked, before you submit the form. 

If you don’t want FastAction to automatically fill in your information, select the “Forget this device.” link on any of our forms. It should be displayed next to the FastAction logo on all our online forms. 

Yes. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our tax identification number is EIN 94-1707583. Your gift is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. To calculate the tax-deductibility of your donation, deduct the fair market value of any of the items you may have received in consideration of your contribution. You'll find the fair market value of the benefits you received listed on the acknowledgement letter we send you after you make your donation. If you choose to decline all of the benefits with a listed fair market value, then your contribution is fully tax-deductible. 

We are proud to have received the highest-level ratings from Candid (Platinum) and Charity Navigator (Four-Star) in 2024. You can find more information on our Charity Navigator profile and Candid profile. We are also environmental partners with 1% for the Planet, a globally recognized certification that represents thousands of businesses and environmental partners. 

You can find our all our financial documents and annual reports on our website. There you can view our most recent independent audit review, Form 990 (information on assets, our board, officers, and more), and Annual Report (narrative around our impact with data and visuals). Regarding where donations are applied, our most recent percentage breakdown is 74% programs, 19% fundraising, 7% admin.  

Yes. This portion of the website includes our 990 forms and annual reports. From time to time, this portion of the website will be updated to reflect new information. If you do not find the information you are seeking here or elsewhere on our website, we urge you to contact us at  [email protected]. We will do our very best to answer your questions. 

In order to check the status of a donation, please  email us at [email protected]. Please include your name and the donation amount for reference. 

If you make a gift any time online on or before December 31 at midnight PST, it will qualify for your taxes for that same calendar year. Credit card contributions sent via postal mail must also be processed on or before December 31. For checks or cash sent via postal mail, your contribution must have a postmark of December 31 or earlier.  

You should receive your donation tax receipt via email or postal mail, depending on how you made your gift. You can also request a copy of any receipt by  emailing [email protected]. We are happy to resend your donation receipt if needed. 

Thank you for inquiring and for your commitment! Currently our self-service donor portal is utilized for monthly donation updates, such as adjusting a donation amount or updating card information on file. You can log in here. A one-time access code will be emailed. Please note, only recent online donations will populate.   

Thank you so much for giving twice! If you make another $25+ gift within three months of your membership expiration date, it will count as your membership renewal for another year. Otherwise, it will count as an additional gift. If you donated recently, please excuse any stray join or renewal notices while the system catches up. 

You can find all information on donating by mail here. 

You can learn more about our planned giving options here and find the option that works best for your goals. Our planned giving team is also happy to speak with you in confidence, with no obligation. Feel free to contact them using this form. 

Yes. Donor-Advised Funds (DAF) are a convenient way to simplify your charitable giving to California State Parks Foundation. Find more information here. 

Yes. Not all donations have to be cash based. Consider donating stock, bonds, or mutual funds to benefit our work on behalf of state parks. You may additionally benefit by eliminating capital gains taxes and receiving an income tax deduction. Find more information here. 

Yes. To make an honorary or memorial gift, fill out this donation form and make sure you select the checkbox that says “I’d like to make this contribution in honor or in memory of someone.” and fill out the required information after. 

You can also give the gift of a California State Parks Foundation membership via this form. 

From time to time, we offer different membership benefits than our standard California State Parks Foundation tote bag. You may have received an email or mailing offering a different benefit, such as a puzzle or state parks passport, but these are only until supplies last! If you act quickly, you’ll receive the limited-time benefit; otherwise, you will receive our standard membership tote bag. 

We do not. If you receive an unsolicited call from someone asking for contributions and claiming to be California State Parks Foundation, please do not provide the caller with personal or financial information. You may report phone and text scams to the  Federal Trade Commission. You may also reach out to us by email at  [email protected].