Connecting Grantmakers to Information and Each Other
The Funders Learning Network grew out of a convening of foundation and corporate grantmakers at City Parks Alliance’s Greater & Greener 2017 international urban parks conference in Saint Paul, MN. At that meeting, participants expressed a need for a dedicated platform to connect funders with each other around the opportunities and challenges of creating vibrant and equitable communities through investments in dynamic parks and public spaces. The result of that dialogue is the Funders Learning Network, with specific programming for funders including park study tours, webinars, and other networking opportunities.
Funders Learning Network programming for 2019 is made possible with support from the William Penn Foundation, Cleveland Foundation, Gates Family Foundation, Hyde Family Foundation, and our foundation members.
Upcoming & Recent Events
Funders Learning Network events are curated and facilitated exclusively for grantmakers who invest in urban parks, recreation, and public spaces.
- Funders Learning NetworkPeer Conversation
Silver Linings: Lessons Learned, New Opportunities for Public Spaces in a Post-Pandemic Time
May 17, 2022VirtualIn May 2020, City Parks Alliance hosted a Funders Learning Network peer conversation to discuss how grantmakers were thinking about parks and public spaces in …
Foundation Membership
In addition to Funders Learning Network events, foundation members have access to all City Parks Alliance member programming, including our popular webinar series and our library of park partnership agreements, case studies, and other resources to support vibrant park partnerships.
Related Resources
Active Parks, Healthy Cities: Recommendations from the National Study of Neighborhood Parks presents replicable case studies from cities of varying sizes and geographies. It’s a how-to guide for park and recreation professionals, health organizations, advocacy groups and others to address public health challenges through park use.
This five-part series documents the multi-functional benefits of urban parks. With growing urban populations and aging infrastructure, local governments and their city planners are taking a fresh look at parks as a wise investment of municipal resources to address our greatest urban challenges—from stormwater management and reducing public health costs to economic revitalization and job growth.
Our new report, published in partnership with Urban Institute, documents equitable funding strategies for urban parks and green space with a focus on lower-income communities. The report is part of a national initiative to help cities address park equity and promote innovative strategies for funding parks and green infrastructure. This work is made possible with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
