In May 2020, a collective of national, family, and community foundations launched the NYC Green Relief & Recovery Fund to support stewardship organizations that care for New York City’s parks and open spaces. The Fund was created in response to the efforts of the Parks and Open Space Partners – NYC coalition to raise awareness of the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on open spaces. The Fund was administered by City Parks Foundation and responded to the most urgent needs facing the City’s parks and open spaces, while spurring decision-makers to address ongoing systemic challenges and provide adequate funding to maintain and improve them. In coordination with City Parks Foundation, the Central Park Conservancy’s Institute for Urban Parks looked closely at the major challenges facing parks and open spaces in NYC and released the NYC Green Fund Literature Review.
Throughout its three-year term, 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.
Going forward, City Parks Foundation will transform the NYC Green Relief & Recovery Fund from an emergency response program into a long-term campaign of financial and technical support for open space stewards with the goal of creating a resilient and equitable NYC parks ecosystem for the benefit of all New Yorkers.
NYC Green Relief & Recover Fund Grants $510,000 to 10 Organizations Promoting Equity and Innovation in NYC’s Parks and Open Spaces (March 23, 2023)
NYC Green Relief & Recovery Fund Grants $503,000 to 7 Organizations Promoting Equity in NYC’s Parks and Open Spaces (February 10, 2022)
NYC Green Relief & Recovery Fund Announces $150,000 in Grants for 112 Grassroots Volunteer Groups caring for Parks and Green Spaces across NYC (September 20, 2021)
City Parks Foundation Announces 109 Grants through NYC Green Relief & Recover Fund and GREEN / ARTS LIVE NYC (July 8, 2021)
How the city’s park stewards can receive more greenbacks – Crain’s (June 23, 2022)
NYC Green Relief & Recovery Fund Announces $150,000 In Grants For 112 Grassroots Groups – Harlem World (September 20, 2021)
$150K In Grants For 112 Grassroots Volunteer Groups, Caring For City Parks – Bronx Daily (September 20, 2021)
Green Relief Grant Awards – Brooklyn Eagle (September 21, 2021)
City Parks Foundation helps bring programming back to NYC parks with several grants – AMNY (August 12, 2021)
Environmental groups team up to expand and maintain city’s rain gardens – NY1 (July 26, 2021)
Collaborative Funding Opportunity with the NYC Green Relief & Recovery Fund – Philanthropy New York (Nov. 18, 2020)
The SNF Continues Its Pandemic Relief Efforts with New Grants Totaling over $10.8M – The National Herald (Sept. 29, 2020)
New Yorkers Step in to Keep City Parks From Turning Into ‘Junkyards’ – Curbed (Sept. 17, 2020)
NYC Green Relief and Recovery Fund Announces Support for Parks and Open Spaces – Arch Daily (June 18, 2020)
COVID-19 update – Brooklyn Daily Eagle (June 18, 2020)
Park advocates call for full funding during coronavirus pandemic – AM New York (May 14, 2020)
Gowanus Green Spaces Vital During Coronavirus: Conservancy – Patch (May 14, 2020)
Relief Fund Launched for NYC Parks – Arch Paper (May 14, 2020)