Parks & Gardens
Most Recent
Lilly’s $100 Million Give for National Parks Breaks Record, Also Highlights a Budgetary Shortfall
A historic gift from the Lilly Endowment follows a year of multi-million-dollar awards for the National Park Foundation, and underlines the system’s growing reliance on philanthropy amid static federal spending.
With DEI Under Fire, a Historic Trust Doubles Down on Funding Civil Rights Sites
The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has raised over $140 million since 2017. Its support is sustaining historical sites, Black churches, HBCUs and more.
Why Philanthropy Should Recommit to America’s National Parks
Guest author Will Shafroth calls on private donors to build on the progress they’ve already made toward protecting and preserving “our common ground.”
How City Parks Foundation Channels Funds to Small Parks Nonprofits Across New York
Since the 1980s, the City Parks Foundation has supported New York’s parks and the programming they offer. With support from big donors, CPF created a fund that channels dollars to parks groups across the city.
“Hear New Voices.” A Look at Mellon’s Latest Move to Reimagine America’s Cultural Landscape
A new grant finds the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation doubling down on its efforts to amplify overlooked histories and stories. It also reflects philanthropy’s growing interest in cultivating a more inclusive body politic.
Eight Things to Know About Billionaire Arthur Blank’s Expanding Environmental Philanthropy
The billionaire Home Depot co-founder has promised to ramp up his philanthropy over the coming years—and the environment is one of three core priorities his foundation recently identified. What can we expect?
“Monuments Must Change.” Mellon Examines Symbols of Power in the American Landscape
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation backed a national monument audit to kick off its $250 million Monuments Project. The results are eye-opening, and raise plenty of questions for arts funders and for civil society at large.
Funder Spotlight: A Brief Look at the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
This sporty Midwestern funder has over a billion in the bank, big spend-down plans and a fondness for parks and recreation. Here’s what you need to know about the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.
To Build Vibrant, Climate-Friendly Spaces, Funders Are Teaming Up With Local Governments
Partners for Places supports green projects that improve neglected areas of cities and help residents grapple with the impacts of climate change. Partnerships across sector are a core part of the effort.
The Pride of Chicago: A Big Gift for Big Cats
The owners of one of the largest general contractors in the Midwest are funding a new lion habitat at the Lincoln Park Zoo. The gift underscores growing support to position zoos as leaders in conservation.
Wall Street Greens: The Top Givers to Environmental Causes from Finance
Leading philanthropists from finance have given more than $2 billion to environmental causes in recent years, transforming this funding landscape. We analyze the giving of these donors, looking at who’s giving to which organizations.
Another Big Gift for a Zoo—Again with a Focus on Conservation
Zoos, which are among some of the nation’s oldest nonprofits, are tapping into new veins of money with work on conservation science and environmental education. The latest example of this strategy comes from Indianapolis.
Take a Hike: Why a Foundation is Giving Millions for Nature Trails
Investing in parks and other nature amenities has become a growing part of place-based philanthropy in recent years. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is the latest funder to emerge in this space, and it has some seriously deep pockets.
In Boston, a Foundation Sees “Radical Trust” as a Key to Managing Public Places
Concerns about gentrification are fueling fraught debates over public places at a moment of rising private grantmaking for parks and other civic amenities. The Boston Foundation is looking to expand who’s heard in these conversations.
Behind a Big Boost for a Legacy Institution, Deep-Pocketed Conservationists
Nature-focused legacy institutions like zoos and gardens are finding creative ways to engage the public and appeal to funders, including the billionaire donor class. A major gift to the Chicago Botanic Garden shows this dynamic in action.
Unlocking Potential: What a Funder is Doing Around Chicago’s Rivers
In Chicago, some funders and civic leaders see transforming the city’s extensive river system as an opportunity to advance environmental goals while also bringing people together in creative ways. The Chicago Community Trust is a key leader of this work.
What It Takes: From Philadelphia, Lessons About Philanthropy and Civic Engagement
With backing from Knight and other funders, Philadelphia has been engaged in a unique experiment to strengthen the city’s civic engagement ecosystem. This initiative has had to overcome a number of challenges.
Behind a Big Investment in City Parks: A Foundation With Deep Pockets and a Timetable
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation has a lot of money to give within a limited time and a limited geography. The funder’s betting on some big parks and trails projects to boost Buffalo and Detroit.
Places to Gather: How a Community Foundation is Growing Public Spaces
Investing in public spaces in a thoughtful way is trickier than it looks. The Rhode Island Foundation is yet another funder that’s ramping up giving in this space. Why is it giving more here? And what’s its approach?
Shifting Debates: Awards Spotlight Environmental Research With Impact
The Heinz Family Foundation recently handed out $1.5 million for its annual awards in public policy, environment, arts and more. Half of the recipients this year are environmental researchers making a serious splash in policy.
Big Gifts Flow to These Legacy Nonprofits. What Are the Takeaways?
Zoos have wooed donors with more sophisticated programming and stronger arguments about how they benefit communities. But a string of big gifts to these institutions also underscores other key trends in philanthropy.
Philanthropy’s Fixing Up Parks and Public Spaces. How Do We Know It’s Helping Communities?
Cities nationwide are mixing public and private funds to upgrade shared spaces. But what are the social, economic and civic effects? A funder-backed initiative is developing the metrics and data to find out.
Who’s Behind Houston’s Largest Parks Grant Ever and Why It Matters
Houston has emerged as one of the most green-forward cities in the nation, largely due to private philanthropy. No couple has given more than Richard and Nancy Kinder, who just made their biggest park gift yet.
Getting It Right: A Parks Project Fueled by Private Dollars, With An Eye on Equity
Glitzy urban parks projects have drawn fire for fueling gentrification and playing to the tastes of the donor class. As funders mobilize behind Philadelphia’s own High Line, they’re looking to avoid mistakes made elsewhere.
Many Things: The Surprising Appeal of Funding Community Parks
Worried about urban equity? Or obesity rates and public health? Or environmental education for young people? Grantmaking for parks is a way to achieve a range of goals. We look at what’s happening in Austin.
City Funders Backing a New Park as a Way to Help Repair Old Wounds
Urban redevelopers often ran freeways through low-income neighborhoods in the 20th century, destroying communities. Pittsburgh is using a park to help repair connections, with foundations pitching in.
A Historic Zoo Gift in the City With the Most Robust “Overall Philanthropic Culture” in the U.S.
Perhaps no city has benefited from the surge in regional philanthropy more than Houston. We dig into a huge gift to Houston Zoo and the various factors contributing to the city’s emergence as a philanthropic power center.
Small Is Beautiful: A Grant Program Fixes up Neighborhood Parks
Atlanta’s got some major parks philanthropy in the works, but there’s also a modest grantmaking program doing the overlooked work of helping neighborhoods spaces in need. What’s the lesson?
Mini-Grant Program Taking on Detroit’s Vacant Lots, One by One
In another example of philanthropic experimentation in Detroit, a program backed by Kresge is funding local groups to turn vacant lots into neighborhood assets. What can other cities learn from this effort?
This $100 Million Project is the Latest Example of the Boom in Parks Philanthropy
Philanthropy has played a key role in Atlanta’s embrace of green spaces. A new project to expand one of its most popular parks will raise 80 percent of its funds from private donors. Are there any downsides?
