Natural Heritage Trust
The Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) was established statutorily in 1968 as a public benefit corporation of the State of New York. The NHT is tax exempt pursuant to Section 170 (b) of the Internal Revenue Code and is a publically supported 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
The NHT's mission is to receive and administer gifts, grants and contributions to further public programs for parks, recreation, cultural, land and water conservation and historic preservation purposes of the State of New York. The NHT accomplishes its mission by accepting donations, raising funds, and through cooperative programs and projects with its agency partners: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Department of State (DOS). The NHT also partners with a number of other public and private entities, not-for-profits and friends groups to secure and administer funding. The NHT is dedicated to building and sustaining relationships with organizations that share mission compatible goals and purposes.
The NHT ensures the safekeeping of funds held in trust and invests funds prudently and in a manner consistent with the underlying gift, grant, or project agreement. Private funding endowed through the NHT has supported a wide variety of cultural and recreational programs, capital projects and improvements, environmental and outdoor education, natural resource protection and restoration, and historic preservation throughout the State for over forty years.
