NYC Parks and Open Space Partners

Mission:

The NYC Parks and Open Space Partners (POSP) coalition works to organize, elevate, and sustain a community of practice amongst organizations dedicated to caring for our City’s open spaces. The coalition fosters a network of peer support, shares ideas to address common challenges, amplifies advocacy efforts, and offers concrete technical assistance and guidance in service of an equitable and resilient parks system for all New Yorkers.

Vision:

A resilient citywide parks and open space network that prioritizes health, equity, accessibility, and biodiversity.

Interested in learning more about the Coalition? Sign up here or email us at adminposp@cityparksfoundation.org.

Interested in supporting the Coalition? Please contact Billy Fidler at bfidler@cityparksfoundation.org or donate online here.

OUR CORE VALUES

Equity – We work to ensure that all New Yorkers can access high-quality parks and open spaces in their own neighborhoods.
Resiliency – We strive to create sustainable parks and open spaces that can withstand governmental, financial, health, and climate changes.
Collaboration – We are a network of peers who mutually support one another by sharing information, best practices, and advocacy efforts across organizations, the public sector, and our communities.
Inclusivity – We believe in open space environments that foster social justice, empowerment, and belonging for all.

HISTORY OF THE COALITION

In March 2020, amidst growing concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of open-space nonprofit leaders from across NYC started an ad-hoc weekly discussion. As the group grew, it evolved into the NYC Parks and Open Space Partners, a 50+ member coalition, with the initial goal of coordinating to help address the impacts of decreased staffing at a time of rising usage of public space. In May 2020, the coalition released the “Report on COVID-19 Impact on Open Space,” building awareness of the funding needs to keep public spaces open, clean, and maintained.

A collective of national, family, and community foundations responded to the call to action by launching the NYC Green Relief & Recovery Fund to support stewardship organizations that care for New York City’s parks and open spaces. Throughout the pandemic, the Fund was a lifeline of financial support for open spaces and stewardship groups during a time of unprecedented use and need, ultimately impacting millions of New Yorkers who benefit from access to local green spaces.

Since 2020, the coalition has continued to evolve, with City Parks Foundation serving as the coalition’s organizer and convener. The coalition serves as a support network for open space-focused nonprofits—sharing insights and resources to advance New York City’s public realm.

LEADERSHIP

The NYC Parks and Open Space Partners coalition is led by a committee of nine open space leaders across NYC:

Morgan Monaco

President and Administrator, Prospect Park Alliance

Co-Chair and Brooklyn Representative, POSP

Lynn Kelly

Executive Director, New York Restoration Project

Co-Chair and Citywide Representative, POSP

Merritt Birnbaum

President & CEO, Riverside Park Conservancy

Manhattan Representative, POSP

Victoria Munro

Executive Director, Alice Austen House

Staten Island Representative, POSP

Stephanie Ehrlich

Executive Director, Van Cortlandt Park Alliance

Bronx Representative, POSP

Rebecca Pryor

Executive Director, Guardians of Flushing Bay

Queens Representative, POSP

Sarah Charlop-Powers

Executive Director, Natural Areas Conservancy

Citywide Representative, POSP

Adam Ganser

Executive Director, New Yorkers for Parks

Ex-Officio, POSP

Heather Lubov

Executive Director, City Parks Foundation

Ex-Officio, POSP

MEMBERSHIP

The Parks And Open Space Partners Include:

PLAY FAIR FOR PARKS

NYC’s parks are critical infrastructure that have been overlooked and underfunded for too long. City parks cover 14% of NYC but the NYC Parks budget is just 0.5% of the total City budget. The Mayor and City Council need to adopt the Five Point Plan for Park Equity and fully dedicate 1% of the budget to NYC Parks so that New Yorkers can finally secure the equitable, 21st-century parks system they deserve.

Take Action for Parks!

Sign the petition calling on Mayor Adams to fund parks at 1% of the City Budget.

WITH THANKS

Generous private support for the NYC Green Fund is provided by the Albert Giving Fund, Altman Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, The Charles H. Revson Foundation, Con Edison, Essex Avenue Foundation, Freedom Together Foundation, The J.M. Kaplan Fund, Klein Family Foundation, Leon Levy Foundation, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, Libra Fund, The Monarch Foundation, The New York Community Trust, and The Thompson Family Foundation.

DONATE

Contribute to the well-being of your fellow New Yorkers by donating to the NYC Green Fund – a fund created to support organizations that help keep our parks and open spaces clean, green, and vibrant centers of community.

More than ever before, New Yorkers have come to rely on parks and open spaces, the most fundamentally democratic and accessible of public resources. Parks and open spaces are critical to New Yorkers’ health and well-being – offering respite, recreation, and connection to nature – and a crucial part of our city’s infrastructure and environmental resiliency.

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