NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

WASHINGTON, District of Columbia, 20036-4707 United States

Mission Statement

The National Geographic Society is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to exploring our planet, protecting wildlife and habitats, and helping assure that students in K-12 are geographically literate. For almost 130 years, we have funded groundbreaking scientists and explorers and shared their findings with the world. We sponsored Hiram Bingham as he brought back stories of Machu Picchu, documented Robert Ballard’s quest to find the Titanic, and supported Jane Goodall’s study of chimpanzees. Our explorers continue to push the boundaries of knowledge. To date, we’ve given out more than 12,000 grants to scientists and conservationists whose work is making a real difference in the world. Each year, our Emerging Explorers program recognizes and supports uniquely gifted and inspiring innovators who are already making a difference early in their careers.

About This Cause

The mission of the National Geographic Society is to inspire people to care about the planet. Throughout its 126-year history, it has encouraged conservation of natural resources and raised public awareness of the importance of natural places, the plants and wildlife that inhabit them and the environmental problems that threaten them. The Society also encourages stewardship of the planet through research and exploration, and through education. Founded in 1888, the National Geographic Society, is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations, has funded more than 11,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects around the globe. Past and current grantees include polar explorer Robert Peary; Hiram Bingham, excavator of the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu; anthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey; mountain gorilla expert Dian Fossey; author and historian Stephen Ambrose; underwater explorer and discoverer of the sunken Titanic Robert Ballard; anthropologist Wade Davis; marine biologist Sylvia Earle; high-altitude archaeologist Johan Reinhard; and paleontologist Paul Sereno. Through various media vehicles, including its official journal, National Geographic magazine, and other publications, its films, television programs, cable channel, radio, books, videos, maps and interactive media, the National Geographic Society reaches more than 500 million people a month. The Society's unending commitment to integrity, accuracy and excellence has positioned "National Geographic" as a benchmark brand and a leader in publishing, photography, cartography, television, research and education.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
1145 17Th St Nw
WASHINGTON, District of Columbia 20036-4707
United States
Phone 800-373-1717
Twitter @NatGeo
Unique Identifier 530193519