The Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society (PRPS) Board of Directors created the People, Parks & Community Foundation (PPCF) by formal resolution in November 2023, and it was subsequently incorporated as a 501c3 subsidiary and received its IRS determination. Its initial financing was derived from a fund created for that purpose from Friends membership dues not used for annual operations.
In September 2024, the PRPS Board appointed the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Its eleven members, including two ex-officio positions of the PRPS Executive Director and a part-time Foundation President, are responsible for its complete management.
Unlike most parks foundations that exclusively serve one park system, the People, Parks & Community Foundation’s benefits are open to all Pennsylvania communities, supporting recreational and educational opportunities, sustaining parks and open spaces, and promoting vibrant communities.
The Foundation’s grant programs are directed toward the owners and stewards of public lands, resources, and facilities to meet the needs of inclusive, sustainable community recreation and engagement, especially to under-resourced communities and organizations.
The first grant period, for projects up to $30,000, opened to municipalities and registered nonprofits from April 21-May 30 this year. More than 340 website portal users submitted 95 applications under the Recreational & Educational Development program, and another 26 for Capacity & Community Development grants, for a total of 121. Applications originated from 41 counties and included 47 from DCED-designated Distressed Communities. The total funding request amounts to $3,185,841.
The Board of Trustees is currently evaluating the grant applications and scoring them according to 10 objective criteria, including project statement, goals and objectives, workplan and budget, public engagement, maintenance and sustainability, assessment and partnerships. Under-resourced communities receive a small scoring boost.
The Trustees expect to announce its grant awards by the end of the summer. Despite the robust interest from potential grantees, the Foundation will be able to fund only a small fraction of the more than $3 million in requests.
The Foundation’s current assets of $1.2 million are invested in a mix of equities and bonds and managed by Westbourne Investment Advisors according to an investment policy enacted by the PPCF Trustees.
Other first-year foundational progress includes beginning relationships with potential donors and other foundations; creating a website, online grant portal, and internal management infrastructure; developing policies for all aspects of operations and grantmaking, and plans for revenue generation and communication & marketing; and establishing financial, payroll, insurance, professional membership, and IT accounts.
The PPCF Board of Trustees thanks the PRPS Board of Directors for its foresight, stewardship, and wisdom to create the Foundation as a special way to help bridge the permanent funding gap for parks and recreation, and contribute to vibrant, livable communities throughout Pennsylvania.
To increase the Foundation’s grantmaking capacity, donations are very welcome; look for a Year-End giving campaign to be announced soon. Contributions are accepted online at https://peopleparks.org/ways-to-support or may be sent to the People, Parks & Community Foundation, 2131 Sandy Drive, State College, PA 16803.