About The Foundation

Mission

According to the Foundation's 1957 charter, "It shall be the purpose of this Corporation to preserve, protect and foster, for scientific, educational or charitable use and study for the benefit of the people of the nation, the historical sites and relics, trees, plants, and wildlife rapidly disappearing from an area of great natural beauty along the Maryland shore of the historic Potomac River."

History

Founded in 1957 to protect the view from Mount Vernon across the Potomac River, the Accokeek Foundation, an educational nonprofit, became one of the nation's first land trusts. Today, the Foundation stewards 200 acres of Piscataway National Park in Accokeek, MD, where visitors can hike a network of trails winding through wetlands, visit a native tree arboretum, and observe an award-winning forest restoration project.

The Foundation also runs the National Colonial Farm, a living history museum that depicts a Maryland middle-class family farm on the eve of the American Revolution. Through our heritage breed livestock and seed saving programs, nearly extinct heirloom crops and animals are preserved for future generations.

The Foundation's organic Ecosystem Farm emphasizes the future of agriculture as farmers learn the tools of a new trade and practice sustainable use of natural resources. "Shares" of the farm's organic produce are sold to area households. The park's beautiful grounds, trails, and programs are open to the public year 'round.

Download and read the Accokeek Foundation's Annual Reports and Strategic Plan

Frances Payne Bolton

Frances Payne Bolton was the founder and first President of the Accokeek Foundation. She purchased the 500-acre Bliss farm in Accokeek in 1955 to ensure that it would not be developed in any way that would spoil the magnificent view from Mount Vernon. She organized the Accokeek Foundation as a private, non-profit land trust and donated her land to the new organization so that it would be preserved and protected forever. In the history of land conservation in America, Mrs. Bolton’s act was a milestone. Her work with the Accokeek Foundation blazed a trail for all who have come after her. Among the Accokeek Foundation’s accomplishments under her leadership are the following:

Creating the oldest private land trust in the Tidewater Potomac region.
Preserving important genetic diversity within the agricultural gene pool with the establishment of the National Colonial Farm Museum.
With the establishment of Piscataway Park, creating a new kind of national park that includes private property by design, which preserves the public’s interest and private owners’ rights at the same time.
Enabling Prince George’s County, Maryland, to become the first jurisdiction in the nation to grant local tax relief for the donation of scenic easements.
Setting the precedent with the Internal Revenue Service that allows for the deduction of the value of a donated scenic easement.

Frances Payne Bolton in front of Mount Vernon.

Beyond her work with the Accokeek Foundation, Mrs. Bolton was one of the most influential women in America during the 20th century. The daughter of a prominent family, she was elected to Mount Vernon’s board in 1938. The following year, when her Congressman husband died, Mrs. Bolton was appointed to serve out his term. Then she ran and was elected in her own right. By 1955 she had established herself as a powerful member of Congress.

Frances Bolton was the first woman to be elected to Congress from Ohio. She was the first woman member of the Congress to represent the United States in the U. N. General Assembly. She was the first woman Member of Congress to visit a war theatre. She was the first woman to head a Congressional delegation abroad. She sponsored legislation that gave nurses regular officer status in the military. She also battled racial segregation and championed women’s rights for her entire Congressional career.

Mrs. Bolton continued to serve as the Accokeek Foundation’s President until her death in 1977. A bronze plaque in Piscataway Park commemorates her service to the nation.

Consider making a planned gift and joining the Accokeek Foundation's Frances Bolton Society. To learn more, click here.

Standards For Excellence

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The Accokeek Foundation has been awarded the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations' Seal of Excellence for successfully completing the Standards for Excellence certification program. A peer review team examined the Accokeek Foundation's programs and services, management, fundraising and financial practices for compliance with the Maryland Nonprofits' Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector. These standards evaluate a nonprofit's fundamental values such as honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, trust, responsibility, and accountability.

The Standards for Excellence program began in 1998, and the Accokeek Foundation joins Hospice of Charles County as one of the two southern Maryland organizations to receive the seal. The Accokeek Foundation also joins a small group of certified organizations with an environmental focus, including the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, the Alliance of the Chesapeake Bay, and the Center for Watershed Protection. The first effort of its kind in the nation, the Standards for Excellence program was developed by a team of volunteers from the state's nonprofit community.

Catalogue for Philanthropy

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The Accokeek Foundation is proud to be part of the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington. Chosen from a field of some 200 applicants, we survived a rigorous vetting process and were selected, according to Catalogue President, Barbara Harman, as "one of the best small charities in the Washington, DC region." A panel of sixty expert reviewers from area foundations, corporate giving programs, and larger non-profit organizations participates in the annual review process. Each year 68 new nonprofits are featured, and all 350 organizations (including ours!) can be viewed online at cfp-dc.org where donations can also be made.

This year, in a tough economy and volatile stock market environment, nonprofits face an even tougher challenge than usual as they seek to raise money to meet their missions. Donors in this region are fortunate to have in the Catalogue for Philanthropy a trusted advisor on how to make wise end-of-year contributions that will truly have impact.

The Accokeek Foundation has been part of the Catalogue family since 2004. The Catalogue has enabled us to reach out to individuals in the region who would otherwise never have heard our story. The Catalogue also provides us with a stamp of approval, and donors tell us that they appreciate the good housekeeping seal that the Catalogue provides.

Since its inception in 2003, the Catalogue has helped raise over $6.3 million dollars for local non-profit organizations and has emerged as the most wide-ranging philanthropy promotion initiative in the region. We encourage you to learn more about the Catalogue: the new one will be available in November. Request your copy online at cfp-dc.org (single copies are free) and share the Catalogue with family and friends. The Accokeek Foundation is proud to be called "one of the best," and we hope you'll view our profile online and help spread the word about the Catalogue so that all of us can work together to deepen the culture of giving in our nation's capital.

Membership

Members receive discounts on classes and workshops, receive invitations to 'Friends Only' events, receive newsletters with the latest information about the Foundation, and a 10% discount at our gift shop, where we have many unique items.

By becoming a member of the Accokeek Foundation, you support: educational programs that serve thousands of school children and visitors annually; historic preservation and interpretation of the 18th century National Colonial Farm; maintenance of trails and the fishing pier; preservation of heritage breed animals; and the work of our organic and sustainable Ecosystem Farm.

To join by mail, download a copy of the membership form and return it to the Accokeek Foundation. You may also join by making an online donation today!

Admission

There is no general admission fee for Piscataway Park, the National Colonial Farm, and the Ecosystem Farm. Admission for special events, such as Children's Day, African American Heritage Day, Colonial Day, and Winter's Eve varies. Admission for special events is listed under the "Events" section of the website.