All too often, we are told that to make a difference we must “go big or go home.” However, thanks to the collective work of committed individuals, we’re proving that small, grassroots strategies to park improvements have a big impact within our greenspaces and communities.
How, you ask? Consider the following graphs showing three years of data from two Park Pride programs that facilitate community-led park improvements. When combined, the hours volunteered and dollars invested result in a significant contribution to parks and a positive impact for our quality of life and city.
Under the umbrella of Park Pride’s nonprofit status (the Fiscal Partners Program), Friends of the Park groups have raised over $840,000 for neighborhood parks since 2015.
Taken together, contributions to these two programs have leveraged over $2.1 million in support for local neighborhood parks.
These examples illustrate that even small investments in our parks, our communities, and in Park Pride have a significant and positive impact on our community. Small is surprisingly powerful. It is authentic, inclusive, inspirational, and empowering. Small is beautiful.
Thank you for giving your energy, time, and dollars to support great parks and the communities that love them!
How Can YOU Contribute?
Would you like to help your community leverage the big power of small investments? Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Give a bit of your energy – check out the Park Pride calendar and sign up to join us for a volunteer project. Or, plan a special volunteer outing for your corporate team or community group! When commenting on why Wells Fargo invests in parks and Park Pride, Kristina Christy, Wells Fargo Vice President, Atlanta and North GA Community Affairs, noted, “It is a great partnership for us when we fund an organization and our team members are involved in the program as well.” parkpride.org/volunteer
- Give a bit of your time – wear green and join us at a monthly Park Meeting to connect with other park advocates and learn about opportunities to engage with the parks movement. parkpride.org/parkmeeting
- Give a monthly gift to Park Pride – a little each month makes a huge difference for the greener good! parkpride.org/monthlygift