Accokeek Foundation Inc, The

Preserving land and history along the Potomac River. Attractions include the National Colonial Farm, the Ecosystem Farm and Piscataway Park.  Teaching sustainable farming and living.  Offering meaningful outdoor experiences.

How do you help people in my community?

We provide low-cost recreational and educational activities for our visitors. The typical family pays less than $10 for admission for the entire day, and many programs are free to members. Membership for families is only $45 per year ($25 for individuals) and supports our multi-faceted educational programs. That funding helps us to provide program programs for local children, from preschool to high school, who participate in organized school tours each year, including public and private schools, as well as homeschoolers. We teach approximately 30,000 visitors each year about history, land conservation, and sustainable agriculture.

We encourage people to think about the value of the Potomac River and this land that we treasure. We demonstrate the environmental, health, and economic benefits of eating local, fresh food and supporting our community’s farmers. We talk with our neighbors about the opportunity and responsibility to tend our homes and communities in a sustainable way. We help our visitors enjoy simple pleasures like walking in the woods, fishing with friends, practicing a craft like candle making or gardening, or learning a new recipe to share.

Why do you need my support?

We teach that people’s connections with the land and the environment have shaped the past and will shape the future as well. Hundreds of donors each year provide gifts to sustain the Accokeek Foundation’s work. With your gifts last year, we operated important public education programs, protected historic buildings and archeologically significant sites, practiced effective land stewardship, trained new farmers, and demonstrated sustainable living activities.

How can I be sure that you will use my money wisely and won't waste it?

For more than 50 years, the Accokeek Foundation’s mission has been to conserve land and protect natural resources, preserve history and educate the public, and demonstrate and teach sustainable agriculture. Our mission remains the same, and our strategies for responsible stewardship of our resources (financial and otherwise) have been proven over time. In FY2007, 89% of our expenses were directly invested in programs!

The Accokeek Foundation takes the stewardship of its financial resources very seriously. We seek to make the most of the funds that have been entrusted to us. Each year begins with a balanced budget. It continues with strong fiscal controls and cash flow management. Each year ends with a rigorous Audit of Federal Awards, supervised by our Audit Committee, which is independent of the Treasurer’s functions. The Foundation’s $2.5 million investment portfolio is managed according to a Board adopted investment philosophy and policy, and overseen by an attentive and experienced Finance and Investment Committee. As a result, the Accokeek Foundation adheres to the highest standards of integrity and diligence in the management and use of its financial resources. Since 1997, the Accokeek Foundation has operated without a deficit.

This will be a challenging year financially. Your contribution is needed now more than ever. Know that you can invest with confidence in the Accokeek Foundation, and that your gift will be an important contribution to your community at this time.

Can I Volunteer? How?

Volunteers are absolutely critical to our success. Volunteers contributed nearly 1,000 hours to the Accokeek Foundation last year, on projects such as environmental landscaping and historical interpretation. We have a job to fit every talent. Please contact the Accokeek Foundation at 301-283-2113 to find out what opportunities are currently available.