Impact Report
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IMPACt REPORT 1 BOard of DIRECTORS STAFF Kelly Nice, Chair Matt O’Grady, Chief Executive Officer Courtney Klinge, Vice Chair Stephanie Linder, Director of Philanthropy Jonathan Rewers, Vice Chair Rachel Norton, Director of Policy and Communications Jaime Jones, Treasurer Jacquelyn Omotalade, Director of the Blue Greenway Christine Gardner, Secretary Steve Schweigerdt, Director of Stewardship Rosemary Cameron, Past Chair John Stoner, Director of Finance and Operations Phil Arnold Marissa Alexander, Park Partner Project Manager Leith Brooks Barry Steve Bowles, Development Associate Carolyn Feinstein Edwards Julia Brashares, Director of Street Parks Chris Guillard Meagan Demitz, Associate Director of Philanthropy Sophie Middlebrook Hayward Kaitlin Fitzmahan, Policy Associate Anne Herrera Stacey Kaiser, Development Coordinator L. Jasmine Kim Sahiti Karempudi, Park Partner Project Manager Jenny Lam Evan Schwartz, Executive Assistant Jim Lazarus Sonia Suresh, Program Associate Brook Mebrahtu Michael Yuen, Accounting Clerk Leah Pimentel Mike Seidenberg Tricia Sellman Tim Seufert Glenn Snyder John Ware Ken Weber LeeAnne Weldon Thank yOU to these outgoing board members for their outstanding service to the organization: Connie Goodyear Baron Mollie Ward Brown Nancy Conner Mary McCue R.P.A. Marcel Wilson 2 HIGIG HL HTS STEWARDSHIP funding our In May, the beautifully re-tiled PARKS Lincoln Park Steps reopened In August 2015, the Parks as a grand entryway to the Alliance published Still Presidio! With fiscal sponsor- Seeking Green, a research ship from the Parks Alliance, a report documenting the community group worked for need for more stable, seven years to bring this lovely sustainable funding for vision to fruition. See page 4 San Francisco parks. See page 6 PLAYGROUNDS T he Parks Alliance’s Playground Initiative partnership with the Action GRANTS Recreation and Park Department For the third year in a seeks to ensure that every San row, the Parks Alliance Francisco child has a safe, clean, fun presented a Volunteer of place to play. This year’s work included the Year award, and action research on playground trends, and grants to promising outreach to parents and park community park projects advocates to engage them in creating to support their work. the next generation of playgrounds. See page 9 See page 7 BLue greenwAy action plan PARTy for the pARKS C ommunity engagement efforts have kicked into high T he weather was balmy, the gear to inform and involve residents of neighborhoods historic Palace of Fine Arts was along the southeastern waterfront in the vision for a beautiful, and the crowd was joyful. network of parks, bike trails and bay access points in this This year’s 10th annual Party for part of the City. The Parks Alliance has brought “The the Parks was the biggest and most Blue Greenway Experience” to over 750 residents since successful event yet. See back the spring of 2015. See page 8 cover S TEWARDSHIP P ark PARTNERS Alemany Farm (Friends of) Once upon a time in the outer Richmond Alta Plaza Park (Friends of) District, there was a gray concrete stairway Amphitheater at McLaren Park (AMP) that led to one of the most stunning vistas in Angel Alley our park system: the view of the Golden Gate Athens Avalon Greenspace Bridge from the 17th hole at Lincoln Park Golf Balboa Park Playground (Friends of) Course. Neighbors Anna Yatroussis and Meg Bernal Gardens (Friends of) Autry thought this ordinary portal deserved a Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema touch of grandeur that hinted at the visual Bike Polo delights just beyond. BRANCH Buena Vista Neighborhood Association They came to the Parks Alliance, which helped Cabrillo Playground (Friends of) them raise $250,000 in private funding, City Guides successfully apply for a $180,000 Community Climate Action Now! Opportunity Fund matching grant from the Connecticut Friendship Garden Recreation and Park Department, engage local Corbett Heights Neighbors neighbors in a design process, and select tile Dahlia Society artist Aileen Barr to create a stunning final Diamond Heights Blvd Median Project product. Dogpatch Playground Working Group Dolores Park Playground (Friends of) The newly grand Lincoln Park Steps opened Dolores Park Works with a community celebration in May 2015, Esprit Park (Friends of) with students from the neighboring Katherine Excelsior Collaborative Delmar Burke school helping to cut the ribbon. Fallen Bridge Mini Park (Friends of) Far Out West Dune Community Garden The Lincoln Park Steps project is just the latest Francisco Park Conservancy in a series of park beautification, restoration and Franklin Square (Friends of) activation efforts the Parks Alliance has helped Garden for the Environment volunteers across San Francisco complete Gateway Park through the Park Partner program, the Street Geneva Car Barn and Power House Parks partnership with SF Public Works, and Geneva Community Garden other stewardship programs around the city. Glen Park Greenway Project Goettingen Neighbors Group Golden Gate Park Band (Friends of) Grattan Playground (Friends of) Green Alleys Project 4 Street PARKS GreenTrust SF Persia Triangle (Pavement to Parks) Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Pioneer Park Committee Street Parks are born from little spaces Avalon Greenspace is an example. Help McLaren Park Plant*SF of land owned by SF Public Works Excelsior District neighbors have worked Honey in the Heart (Pollinator Blvd) Playland at 43rd Avenue (Friends of), —street medians, sidewalks, public with the Parks Alliance and SF Public Howard Langton Community Garden (Pavement to Parks) stairways and plots that are zoned as Works for several years to create this Jackson Playground (Friends of) Polo Cycling Track (Friends of) streets but not used for vehicles, beautiful park, where once there was a Japanese Tea Garden (Friends of the) Portola Park (Friends of) pedestrians or bike throughways. The steep, scraggly hillside adjacent to a Jerry Day Potrero Sustainable Living Group City allows neighbors to improve these public stairway. Joe Dimaggio Playground (Friends of) Precita Valley Neighbors spaces to create gardens, parks or Jungle Stairs Progress Park greenways through an innovative Kenny Alley Beautification Project Residents for Noe Valley Town Square public-private partnership with the Kezar Triangle (Friends of) Ridge Lane Neighbors Parks Alliance. The terraced Athens Kids in Parks Russian Hill Improvement Association Lafayette Park (Friends of) SailSFBay Larsen Playground (Friends of) SF Bee-Cause Laurel Hill Playground (Friends of) SF Lawn Bowling Club Lincoln Park Steps (Friends of) SF Tennis Coalition Lower 24th Street Community Action Plan SF Urban Riders Marina Community (Friends of) Shared Schoolyards Project Marina Earthquake Monument Group South End Rowing Club, Boathouse McCoppin Square Renovation McLaren Bike Park Founders South Park Improvement Association Mission Bay Families Storrie Ord Neighborhood Group Mission Community Market Strawberry Hill (Friends of) Mountain Lake Park Playground (Friends of) Sutro Stewards Ney Street Neighborhood Watch The Piazza (Friends of), (Pavement to Parks) Noe Courts (Friends of) Tunnel Top Park Noe Valley Rec Center (Friends of) Upper Douglass Dog Park (Friends of) NOMADGardens Urban Sprouts Northridge CommUNITY Garden Victoria Manolo Draves Park/Gene Friend Oak Woodlands (Friends of) Rec Center (Friends of) OMI Community Collaborative Washington Sq Park (Friends of) Palou Garden Waterfront Playground (Friends of) Pavement to Parks West Portal Playground Pennsylvania Gardens Youngblood Coleman Park (Friends of) Penny Lane (Friends of) 5 From the City Charter (enacted as Prop. C, March 2000; emphasis added): “SEC. 16.107 (b) The City will continue to set aside from the annual tax levy, for a period of thirty POLICY years starting with the fiscal year 2000-2001, an amount equivalent to an annual tax of two and one-half cents ($0.025) for each one hundred dollars ($100) assessed valuation. Revenues obtained As San Francisco grows more dense, the need thereby shall be in addition to, and not in place of, any sums normally budgeted for the Department for parks and access to green spaces increases. and, together with interest, shall be deposited into the Park, Recreation and Open Space Fund.” However, parks continually lose out in the annual budget process. Over the past 15 years, the City’s General Fund grew 43 percent, but general $89 million operating support for parks only grew 30 percent. Actual General Fund Contribution to Recreation and Park Dept in $Millions The City’s parks generate almost $1 billion a year in economic benefits and yet are not able to keep up Dollar equivalent of 2.1% of City’s GF with needs for tree maintenance, park patrol, and overall facility maintenance and upkeep. Parks need a sustainable, stable source of revenue so that the City can offer every resident access to a clean, safe, fun and beautiful park and recreation system in San $60.0 Francisco. Still Seeking Green, a Parks Alliance research brief 50.0 2.1% of following up on a more comprehensive report GF 1.2% of GF published by SPUR in 2011, looked at park funding since the Open Space Fund set-aside was passed 40.0 in 2000. Both reports have informed a major advocacy campaign over the last year, which 30.0 resulted in Supervisor Mark Farrell introducing a Charter Amendment for the June 2016 ballot that stabilizes park funding in the long term. 20.0 10.0 0 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 1999–002000–01 2001–022002–032003–04 2004–052005–062006–072007–082008–092009–10 Prop C passed Source: Annual Appropriation Ordinances, SF Controller 6 PLAYGROUNDS In February 2015, the Parks Alliance published State of Play, a report summarizing national trends in playground design and local playground improvements to date. More than 50 community members attended a Community Design Forum meeting the same month, to help the Parks Alliance and the Recreation and Park Department set design goals for future playground renovations. G. Cody QJ Goldberg, Executive Director of Harper’s Playground and a nationally-recognized advocate for inclusive play spaces, delivered a special keynote to open the forum.