The National Park Foundation (NPF) has announced a $25 million gift from Connie and Steve Ballmer in support of the organization’s national campaign.

The gift from the Ballmer Group co-founders, inspired by the couple’s love of and connection to national parks, supports NPF’s Campaign for National Parks—the organization’s largest fundraising effort. Through the campaign, NPF aims to raise $1 billion by 2028, with an additional $3.5 billion raised collectively by more than 450 park partner organizations throughout the country.

NPF will leverage the commitment to support a variety of programs, such as Open OutDoors for Kids, which connects kids to the parks, and Service Corps, which provides young adults with jobs in parks to build trails and restore wetlands, as well as help parks adapt to a changing climate at places, such as Mount Rainier National Park and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

“Philanthropy is accomplishing more for America’s national parks than ever before,” said National Park Foundation president and CEO Will Shafroth. “Thanks to the leadership and tremendous generosity of Connie and Steve Ballmer, the National Park Foundation will be able to invest their funds in places of greatest need and leverage other public and private funds at a time when the parks need our support.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/thinair28)