VIRTUAL CLASSROOM: Establishing and Sustaining a Philanthropic Partner for Local Park Systems (4 week – synchronous, virtual course)

Is your community interested in adding or increasing philanthropic funding for your park system? Do you have interest but need some guidance how to get started or how to scale up sustainably. This course is designed to provide communities the tools and insight to establish a local philanthropic partner for your park system.

Course Overview:

The importance of parks and the public realm has never been greater for communities across the country. The reasons why parks are an integral factor in community health are well documented including serving as an economic engine for a local economy, strengthening community connections and improving the natural environment and protecting natural wonder close to home. Yet in many communities, philanthropy isn’t invested in the public realm and city parks as a catalyst for change and growth. 

The public realm, parks, trails, playgrounds, ballfields, and natural areas remain one of the last vestiges where we come together regardless of cultural, social, and economic barriers. As communities strive to maintain meaningful connections among neighbors and across communities, the places that bring vitality to our cities are often struggling with long-term maintenance and programming costs while transformative investments are hampered due to poorly coordinated funding. By spending time intentionally developing a plan for creating strong philanthropic partnerships and the agreements guiding them, local park systems can leverage new funding resources, gain champions for their parks, and establish a long-term funding partner to improve parks and public realm.

Structure: Live, online classroom with peers from around the country.

Modules: 4 modules over 5 weeks

Focus Areas:

Establishing and expanding a local philanthropic partner to your public park system including governance structures, partnership agreements and MOU, strategies for identifying and securing grants, individual annual donations, capital campaign gifts and endowments, and how to engage a wider community in the work.

Who Should Take This Course?

·      Park Agency Directors

·      Park Foundation Staff

·      Park Champions

·      Community and Regional Foundations

·      “Friends of the Parks” and “Park Foundation” board members

·      Park advisory council members

·      City elected officials interested in establishing a local parks foundation.

Schedule:

Tuesday’s 11:00-1:00 (Central Time)

April 8,  April 15, Off week, April 29, May 6.

(4/8) SESSION #1: STRUCTURES OF PHILANTHROPY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

·      Introductions and Ground setting

·      Welcoming exercise – getting the most for your community from this training

·      Positioning Philanthropy within a park system while maintaining democratic structures

·      What is Philanthropy and how does it improve public park systems

·      Taxonomy of Philanthropy

·      Methods of Philanthropy

·      Role of Nonprofit sector in public park systems

·      National Organizations and Collaborations to track 

·      Philanthropy: attention to impact and inclusion

·      Articles, Materials, Links and “Homework”

(4/15) SESSION #2: FORMALIZED PARTNERSHIPS AND AGREEMENTS

·      Reflection on readings and observations

·      Understanding the public sector where Foundations bring support

·      Structured agreements between Parks Foundations

·      Articles, Materials, Links and “Homework”

(4/22) BREAK

(4/29) SESSION #3: GOVERNANCE AND CONSTITUENCY

·      Establishing / expanding the nonprofit – 501c3

·      Board Development for a thriving nonprofit

·      Staffing to sustain and grow

·      Programs and Practices

·      Strategic Planning and Campaign Planning

·      Developing a Fundraising practice to complement public funding

·      Structuring expectations and cultivating culture of philanthropy

·      Systems and Resources

·      Articles, Materials, Links and “Homework”

(5/6) SESSION #4: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER – PROCESS AND NEXT STEPS

·      Community Stakeholders Analysis     

·      Vision and Community Engagement

·      Measuring impact – it matters if it’s measured

·      Establishing agreements and structure

·      Launching the Foundation

·      Next Steps – Launching the vision and inviting others to join

Commitment

• 1.5 hours weekly: Synchronous live sessions on Zoom.
• 1 hour offline: Approximately 60 minutes asynchronous work and reading
• Additional 30 minute session with instructor is available upon request after class time.

Learning Objectives

·      Develop strategies for creating and sustaining a robust philanthropic partner dedicated to your local city or county park agency.

·      Gain a deeper understanding the various pathways in which philanthropy moves to and through the public realm and establishing structures, agreements, and practices to capture new and increased funding for parks and public spaces.

·      Learn the “Taxonomy of Philanthropy” for park systems and how to establish best practices for securing philanthropic funding including: individual major gifts; annual membership, foundation and corporate grants, events, sponsorships, volunteer programs, and planned gifts for endowments.

·      Gain clarity about the various governing structures in practice around the country and determine the best structures for your community with sample agreements.

·      Understand new strategies for leveraging increased public funding with philanthropy.

·      Connect with national expertise that has been established to support park foundations and park agencies around the country.

·      Build connections and network with park professionals exploring similar opportunities,

·      Begin developing a framework for a local fundraising agreement and an MOU between a local park agency and a nonprofit philanthropic partner.

·      Develop strategies and a timeline for initiating and managing capital and capacity campaigns supporting increased public park investments.

Pricing: $499 (NAPF Membership Required)

Included within this training:

·      Board Structure and Governance for a Parks Foundation

·      Building, growing, and managing a budget for sustainability

·      Optimal Staffing growth and structures for small park foundation

·      Grant writing and Major Donor Cultivation strategies and practices

·      Operating agreements with public partners

·      Launching a focused capital campaign for the public realm

·      Advocacy and Education for public realm funding

·      Endowments for the public realm

·      Signature fundraising events and volunteer cultivation

Ready to Elevate Your Your Agency's Philanthropic Partnership ?

Please complete the form below, or email NAPF Executive Director Kevin D. Korenthal, CAE at execdir@the-napf.org to inquire about and/or secure your seat today.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain expert insights, connect with peers, and apply practical solutions to your organization’s challenges.

The Advancing Park Foundations program has been an invaluable resource for our team. As our foundation gains momentum and our revitalized board moves forward with renewed energy, this program has provided the tools and insights we need to navigate our refresh effectively. The content is practical, well-structured, and directly applicable to the challenges park foundations face.

I especially appreciate how Tom and Nathan were able to really dial in on the program material—it gave us clear direction on strengthening our governance, partnerships, and fundraising efforts. Additionally, the NAPF directory has been an excellent resource, allowing us to see what other foundations are doing across the country. I highly recommend this program to any park foundation looking to grow and succeed. -David Angeles, Director, Plano Parks & Recreation

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