Eastern National
Eastern National is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cooperating association, founded in 1947, that operates nearly 170 retail stores at U.S. National Park Service sites and the Passport To Your National Parks® guidebook program, generating earned revenue that funds educational programs for America's national parks and public lands partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1947
- HeadquartersFort Washington, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Eastern National does
Eastern National is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cooperating association founded in 1947 and headquartered in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. It is the largest multi-region cooperating association of the National Park Service, operating under a cooperating agreement signed by the NPS Director, and supports the NPS, US Forest Service, Tennessee State Parks, and other public lands partners. Since 1947 the organization has contributed more than $180 million to educational programs and initiatives, including $3.1 million in FY25 aid to parks and $7.4 million in cumulative aid since resuming distributions in spring 2022. All revenue is generated through earned operations—retail, e-commerce, and wholesale—and is reinvested into park support rather than distributed to owners. The organization employs 101-250 staff and runs a multi-brand family that includes the nearly 170-location America's National Parks™ retail brand, the Passport To Your National Parks® guidebook and collectibles program (operating since 1986), and adjacent sub-brands such as Outer Banks Forever, Jamestown Glasshouse, Waite & Peirce, and Highland Lighthouse.
Eastern National firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Eastern National
- Legal name
- Eastern National
- Website
- https://easternnational.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1947
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Eastern National is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cooperating association, founded in 1947, that operates nearly 170 retail stores at U.S. National Park Service sites and the Passport To Your National Parks® guidebook program, generating earned revenue that funds educational programs for America's national parks and public lands partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Eastern National industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Educational Retail and Park Services
- NAICS
- General Merchandise Retailers (455)
- SIC
- Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399), Retail-Nonstore Retailers (5960)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Park Concession Operations (Food, Retail, Fuel, General Stores) (THAAAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Outdoor & Adventure Multi-Category Retail (CRAMABAB), Outdoor & Sporting Goods-Focused Catalog Department Store Retailers (CRAGAIAG)
Keywords
Where Eastern National is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fort Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Eastern National business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Park Store Retail Sales: Operating retail stores at nearly 170 NPS locations generating earned revenue. All revenue supports national park and public lands partners.
- E-commerce Sales: Online sales through ShopANP.org, the America's National Parks Online Store carrying curated selections from national parks across the country.
- Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale distribution of publications and merchandise to other cooperating associations and park partners.
- Checkout Counter Donations: Donation program where customers can add $1, $3, $5, or $10 donations to Eastern National at checkout.
- Grant Funding: Outer Banks Forever received grants from National Park Foundation including $50,000 Capacity Building Grant, $75,000 Partner Housing Catalyst Grant.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Various inquiry types for different customer needs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Eastern National product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Eastern National operates retail stores at nearly 170 National Park Service locations selling educational merchandise, publications, and Passport To Your National Parks® guidebooks. It runs the e-commerce site ShopANP.org, the Arrowhead Store for NPS staff, wholesale distribution to other cooperating associations, and provides interpretive services and educational publishing for national parks and public lands partners. All revenue supports educational programs at these parks.
Product overview
Eastern National is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cooperating association that operates as a multi-brand retail and educational services organization supporting America's national parks and public lands. The company offers a portfolio of products and services centered around its core retail operations and educational publishing mission. The main products include: America's National Parks™ (the primary retail brand operating nearly 170 park stores plus an ecommerce site), Passport To Your National Parks® (the signature guidebook and collectibles program since 1986), and several sub-brands including Outer Banks Forever (philanthropy), Jamestown Glasshouse (glassblowing experience), Waite & Peirce (maritime-themed store), Highland Lighthouse (tours), and the Arrowhead Store (NPS partner merchandise). The product portfolio also includes annual Passport collectibles (stamp sets, calendars, scrapbook kits) and various park store operations. All revenue generated supports national park and public lands partners through interpretive programs, educational initiatives, and direct aid.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- America's National Parks: The largest retail brand operated by Eastern National, with park stores at nearly 170 National Park Service locations and an online ecommerce store (ShopANP.org).
- Passport To Your National Parks
- Outer Banks Forever
- Jamestown Glasshouse
- Waite & Peirce
- Highland Lighthouse
- The Arrowhead Store
Products and services
- America's National Parks™ Retail Stores Retail stores at nearly 170 NPS locations selling educational merchandise, books, apparel, and souvenirs to national park visitors under the America's National Parks brand.
- Passport To Your National Parks® Program Signature guidebook and collectible program launched in 1986 where visitors collect cancellation ink stamps and stickers at national parks. Includes annual stamp sets, wall calendars, and scrapbook kits.
- Outer Banks Forever Official philanthropic partner of the Outer Banks national parks (Cape Hatteras NS, Fort Raleigh NHS, Wright Brothers NM), supporting public engagement, programming, and project support initiatives such as Adopt-A-Sea-Turtle-Nest.
- Jamestown Glasshouse World-famous glassblowing operation at Colonial National Historical Park offering daily public demonstrations of colonial-style glassblowing, with one-of-a-kind pieces available for sale.
- Waite & Peirce Park Store Park Store and Information Center at Salem Maritime National Historic Site featuring gifts inspired by Salem's privateers and maritime history.
- Highland Lighthouse Tours Educational tours and climbs of Highland Lighthouse at Cape Cod National Seashore, including the Keeper's Shop offering lighthouse-related merchandise.
- Arrowhead Store Exclusive e-commerce store for NPS staff, VIPs, cooperating association staff, and Friends Group staff to purchase Arrowhead-branded gear, apparel, and merchandise.
- Annual Passport Stamp Sets Annual collectible stamp sets featuring national park sites, with stickers containing photographs and interpretive summaries celebrating locations' beauty, history, and character.
- ShopANP.org E-commerce America's National Parks Online Store with curated product selections from national parks across the country, including Passport merchandise and educational products.
- Wholesale Distribution Wholesale distribution of publications and merchandise to other cooperating associations and park partners.
- Educational Publishing Development of educational products, publications, and interpretive materials that support park interpretation and visitor education across national parks.
- Interpretive Services Services supporting interpretive programs and activities at government land management agencies including the National Park Service, US Forest Service, and other public lands partners.
- America250™ Merchandise Line Licensed product line commemorating America's 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, including ribbon stickers, pop art decals, and handcrafted ceramic mugs.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $180 million contributed to educational programs since 1947
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Eastern National
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Eastern National technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature4 records
Eastern National partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Outer Banks Visitors BureauminorPartnership for webcam installation at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and virtual sea turtle nest excavation programs.
- National Park ServicecoreEastern National is the largest multi-region cooperating association with cooperating agreement signed by the Director of NPS. Supports interpretive programs and activities at NPS locations through retail operations, educational products, and grants.
- US Forest ServicecoreCooperating association partner supporting interpretive programs and activities at US Forest Service locations.
- Bass Pro ShopsminorSponsor of Oregon Inlet Kayak Launch project at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
- Ocean Atlantic RentalsminorSponsor of Oregon Inlet Kayak Launch project at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
- TowneBankminorSponsor of Oregon Inlet Kayak Launch project at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
- Dare County Arts CouncilminorPartnership to develop Artist in Community residency program at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
- National Aviation Heritage AreaminorPartnership to develop Wright Route virtual and in-person learning experience connecting Dayton Aviation Heritage NHP and Wright Brothers National Memorial.
- First Flight SocietyminorPartnership to develop Wright Route connecting Wright brothers' history between Ohio and North Carolina parks.
- Department of Defense SkillBridgeminorProgram connecting transitioning service members with civilian work experience during last six months of active duty.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Eastern National competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Public Lands Alliance: Trade association for cooperating associations and friends groups operating in national parks and other public lands. Sets industry standards, runs the Innovative Product of the Year award that EN's Passport Scrapbook Kit won, and is a natural ecosystem peer.
Broad incumbents
- REI Co-op: Large outdoor and adventure multi-category retailer with a strong e-commerce storefront. Competes with ShopANP.org and EN park stores for outdoor/adventure enthusiast purchases and gifting.
- National Park Foundation: Official national nonprofit partner of the National Park Service; not a single-park retailer but a system-wide funder. Comparable in mission and relationship to NPS, and a direct grant funder of Eastern National-affiliated entities like Outer Banks Forever.
Direct peers
- Mesa Verde Museum Association: NPS cooperating association for Mesa Verde National Park selling educational merchandise and operating interpretive retail. Direct peer in the museum/cooperating-association retail model, and mentioned in EN board member background.
- Mount Rainier National Park Conservancy: Cooperating association for Mount Rainier National Park supporting education, preservation, and visitor services. Compares to Eastern National's mission and revenue mix of earned retail income reinvested in park programs.
- Smokies Life (Great Smoky Mountains Association): Another NPS cooperating association operating retail and publishing for a major national park (Great Smoky Mountains). Same mission, same retail-concession model, and EN's board includes Smokies Life's retired CEO — directly comparable in structure and revenue model.
- Yosemite Conservancy: Nonprofit partner of Yosemite National Park providing retail, publishing, and philanthropy. Compares to Eastern National on retail concession operations, educational publishing, and park-aid distribution model.
- Glacier National Park Conservancy: Nonprofit partner of Glacier National Park operating park stores and fundraising. Directly comparable single-park cooperating association with the same retail-and-philanthropy model as Eastern National.
- Yellowstone Forever: Official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park operating park stores, publishing, and educational programs. Operates the Yellowstone Park Store and the same retail-concession-plus-education model as Eastern National.
- Grand Canyon Conservancy: Official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, operating retail, publishing, and philanthropy. Direct peer to Eastern National in the NPS cooperating-association model with a similar portfolio of stores, education, and donor programs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Eastern National social profiles
Digital presenceEastern National financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Eastern National leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Eastern National subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Eastern National funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Eastern National M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Eastern National
What does Eastern National do?
Eastern National operates retail stores at nearly 170 National Park Service locations selling educational merchandise, publications, and Passport To Your National Parks® guidebooks. It runs the e-commerce site ShopANP.org, the Arrowhead Store for NPS staff, wholesale distribution to other cooperating associations, and provides interpretive services and educational publishing for national parks and public lands partners. All revenue supports educational programs at these parks.
Is Eastern National a public or private company?
Eastern National is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Eastern National founded?
Eastern National was founded in 1947. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Eastern National based?
Eastern National is headquartered in Fort Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Eastern National make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Park Store Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Sales, wholesale Distribution, checkout Counter Donations and grant Funding.
Who are Eastern National's main competitors?
Public Lands Alliance is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are REI Co-op and National Park Foundation. Direct peers are Mesa Verde Museum Association, Mount Rainier National Park Conservancy, Smokies Life (Great Smoky Mountains Association), Yosemite Conservancy, Glacier National Park Conservancy, Yellowstone Forever and Grand Canyon Conservancy.
Does Eastern National have an API?
No public API is recorded for Eastern National.
What industry is Eastern National in?
Eastern National's product category is Nonprofit Educational Retail and Park Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAGAA, Park Concession Operations (Food, Retail, Fuel, General Stores), with a secondary code of CRAMABAB, Outdoor & Adventure Multi-Category Retail. Its NAICS code is 455 and its SIC code is 5399.