The Grand Canyon Association (GCA) is the American National Park Service's official non-profit partner raising private funds to benefit the Grand Canyon National Park. The profits raised are used in operating retail bookstores, visitor centers within the park, and providing educational opportunities about the natural and cultural history of the region.
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The GCA was founded by naturalist Edwin D. McKee in February 1932 as the Grand Canyon Natural History Association (GCNHA).[1] In 1937, the GCNHA was legally established as a cooperating association, a private, non-profit organization whose mission was to support the education and preservation programs of federally protected lands.[2] The purpose of the GCNHA was stated to be "to stimulate and encourage scientific research and investigation in the field of geology, botany, zoology, ethnology, archaeology, and related subjects in the Grand Canyon region."[3]
In October 1994, the association's board of directors approved changing the name of the association from the Grand Canyon Natural History Association to the Grand Canyon Association, in part to emphasize an expanding list of services, books, and products focusing on cultural history, thus not always fitting the bill of "natural history."[4]
The GCA publishes on average three to five books annually. Topics of their books include original research on the Grand Canyon, scientific monographs, Native American history, and guidebooks.
In association with the Grand Canyon National Park, the GCA co-publishes the park's newspaper, The Guide, with translations in many languages, including Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, French, German, Korean, and Italian.
In 1990 the GCNHA funded the restoration and reopening of Kolb Studio, and in 1993 reopened the studio's auditorium as a public exhibition space.[5] The venue hosts rotating exhibits that highlight the inspirational power of the Grand Canyon.[6]
The Grand Canyon Field Institute (GCFI) was founded in 1993 to support the Grand Canyon National Park's efforts to offer educational and interpretive services.[7] The GCFI offers more than sixty rim-based and backcountry classes a year.