About Us

Nature Friends Los Angeles Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity based in Southern California that supports conservation, education, and historic preservation projects rooted in the Nature Friends movement. We are legally separate from the Nature Friends of California membership corporation and its three branches, but we partner closely with them—especially Nature Friends Los Angeles—to fund restoration, wildfire resilience, and community programs that benefit both members and the broader public.

Nature Friends International is the global umbrella organization for the Nature Friends movement, uniting national and local groups in more than 40 countries and hundreds of thousands of members around the world.  The California branches— including Nature Friends Los Angeles, Oakland Nature Friends, and the Tourist Club San Francisco— are part of this international network, while the Nature Friends Los Angeles Foundation aligns with NFI's values but operates as an independent U.S. public charity focused on California-based projects.

The Nature Friends of California is a single nonprofit membership corporation that owns and oversees the three California Nature Friends branches: San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. Each branch operates its lodge, activities, governance, and bylaws independently, while sharing a common Nature Friends heritage and values of nature appreciation, conservation, and friendship.

Nature Friends Los Angeles (historically the Nature Friends Los Angeles Tourist Club) is the Southern California branch of the Nature Friends of California and is our closest on‑the‑ground partner. It is a historic membership club that runs local lodges, events, and outdoor activities, while the Foundation focuses on tax‑deductible fundraising and charitable projects that support and extend this work.

Oakland Nature Friends is the East Bay branch of the Nature Friends of California and manages its own lodge, programs, and governance in the Oakland area. It is a membership‑based tourist club dedicated to outdoor recreation, cultural events, and conservation, and can benefit from Foundation‑supported projects when they align with our mission and resources.

The Tourist Club San Francisco is the San Francisco branch of the Nature Friends of California and operates an alpine lodge on Mt. Tamalpais above Muir Woods. Like Oakland and Los Angeles, it is a private membership club with its own board and branch rules, and the Foundation may support projects there that advance preservation, education, and access to nature.