Friends of the Park (FoP) groups tie into the core values of Park Pride by creating the framework for an inclusive, collaborative, and systemic approach to transforming greenspaces. Despite differences in size and scope, every Friends of the Park group features a group of park users (and community and business leaders) actively working to improve one or more parks in a defined geographical area – usually a neighborhood.
Program Benefits
Registered Friends of the Park groups have access to numerous programs and services to assist your greenspace initiatives, including:
Park Visioning Program
We provide professional assistance to communities as they develop master plans for their neighborhood parks. Learn More
Grant Programs
From the smallest clean-up project to a full-scale park overhaul – or even building a park from scratch – Park Pride’s matching grant programs offer multiple options for communities in City of Atlanta and DeKalb County to go about go creating and funding their ideal greenspace. Learn More
Fiscal Sponsorship Program
The Fiscal Sponsorship program provides easier access to funding for community groups trying to raise money for park projects. Learn More
Organized Volunteer Workdays
We can help bring out a team of volunteers to help with your park project. Learn More
Quarterly Park Meetings
The quarterly Park Meeting brings together FoP group members, community leaders, and park advocates from throughout Atlanta for education and networking, and to support each other in efforts to improve our parks and park system.
Capacity Building Resources + Workshops
Park Pride makes resources and information available to group members that support group organization and governance, skill strengthening, and best practices enhancement in your own time.
Friends of the Park group members also have the opportunity to attend workshops to learn and build their capacity to serve their community and park. Workshops range from such useful topics as raising funds for your park, creating a planting plan, grant writing, volunteer leader training, and much more!
Park Play Library
When planning a fun event at your park, our Park Play Library offers rental recreational equipment packages for all kinds of activities. Learn More.
What to Expect
A Friends of the Park group truly has a positive impact on a park that can be both seen and felt by the surrounding neighborhood. Once your FoP group becomes active, you can expect:
- To see a more vibrant active park
- That your park will become a cleaner, safer place to enjoy nature in the city with your family and friends
- That you’ll get to know your neighbors!
Get Started
Officially forming a Friends of the Park group will have many intangible benefits, such as giving neighbors an opportunity to meet and interact, and creating a single unified voice for the park.
Click below to register your new Friends of the Park group:
Review our list of Friends of the Park (FoP) groups. If there is a link with contact information for the FoP group in your neighborhood, please reach out to them directly. If there is no link / or no contact information for the FoP group in your neighborhood, email Friends of the Park staff at Park Pride.
View Friends of the Park Groups
Yearly registration is required to keep your Friends of the Park group active and eligible to access Park Pride’s resources.
Click below to renew your Friends of the Park group registration.
Learn More
Friends of the Park Program Resources
Title | Topic | Description |
---|---|---|
Digital Toolkit Workshop | Friends of the Park | Demo video |
Best Practices: Navigating the Park Project Approval Process Video | Friends of the Park | Learn about the approval process for community projects in parks. |
2020 Park Design Workshop Slides | Friends of the Park | Slideshow from 2020 Park Design Workshop |
2020 Check-In Survey Results | Friends of the Park | 2020 Check-In Survey Results |
Workshop: Invasive Species Removal | Volunteer Program, Friends of the Park | Best practices and the right tools for removal of invasive species |
2019 Grant Programs Presentation | Grant Programs - Legacy Grant, Friends of the Park, Grant Programs – Community Building | Presentation from the 2019 Applying for Park Pride Community Building and Legacy Workshop |
Best Practices: Volunteer Management Video | Friends of the Park | This video will introduce you to the basics of recruiting, organizing, and successfully hosting volunteers for workdays in your park. |
Best Practices: Community Fundraising PowerPoint | Friends of the Park | A short overview of fundraising best practices to set you on the path to raising money for your park. |
Park Play Library | Friends of the Park | When planning a fun event at your park, our Park Play Library offers rental recreational equipment packages for all kinds of activities. |
Park Tool Shed | Friends of the Park | The Park Pride tool shed is a free service that provides basic landscaping tools and equipment to more efficiently equip volunteers for your park projects. |
Group Volunteer Request & Waiver Forms
Title | Topic | Description |
---|---|---|
Atlanta Volunteer Parental Permission Slip | Volunteer Program | Atlanta Volunteer Parental Permission Slip |
Volunteer Waiver for FoP Groups – Brookhaven | Volunteer Program, Grant Programs – Small Change Grant | Volunteer Waiver for FoP Groups - Brookhaven |
Volunteer Waiver for FoP Groups — City of Atlanta | Grant Programs - Legacy Grant, Volunteer Program, Grant Programs – Community Building, Grant Programs – Small Change Grant | Volunteer waiver form for City of Atlanta FoP groups. |
Volunteer Waiver for FoP Groups — DeKalb | Volunteer Program, Grant Programs – Community Building, Grant Programs – Small Change Grant | Volunteer waiver form for DeKalb FoP groups. |
DeKalb Volunteer Parental Permission Slip | Volunteer Program | For DeKalb FoP groups only: Volunteer waiver for minors volunteering in a park. Form needs to be signed by their parent/guardian. |
DeKalb Parks Beautification Application Form | Volunteer Program | For DeKalb FoP groups only: Submit this form to DeKalb RPCA for workday support, including borrowing of tools. |