Annual Report 2014 Letter from the Executive Director
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PEOPLE PLUS PARKS | austinparks.org Annual Report 2014 Letter From the Executive Director Dear friends, neighbors and park champions, Thanks to you we’ve been able to maintain more Special Project Construction Education parks, fund more improvements and reach further In 2014 we broke ground on two special projects This year we launched our newest program focused into the Austin community than ever before. Your affecting two very different parks. First, we are on educating park adopters, as well as the wider support helped us achieve great things in 2014: transforming Dove Springs District Park, formerly community. Our Park Improvement Education a disused public space, into one of Austin’s premiere Series (more lovingly known as PIES) has been a Volunteerism play areas with the help of our partners and the Dove great success. We held nine sessions in five parks and In 2014 we saw an increase of 26% in our overall Springs community. We are excited to reveal the fresh educated 270 park champions. We hope to see this volunteer corps, and a 22% increase in projects face of this park in 2015. Also in 2014, we began program grow next year as we partner with TreeFolks during our city-wide volunteer days. That’s over refreshing one of Austin’s iconic parks—Auditorium to add more arborist focused sessions to the series. 6,000 citizens stepping up and taking ownership of Shores. The new turfgrass and irrigation, renovated their parks! hike and bike trails, off-leash dog area and waterfront We’ve got so much to be thankful for, but still launch are set to open in the fall of 2015. We’re so much more to do. We want to thank each and Grant Funding proud to know we, as well as C3 Presents, SXSW, every one of you for your support, and ask that This year we granted almost $300,000 to help 12 TGB Partners, Clean Scapes and the City of Austin you continue your commitment to one of Austin’s park adopter groups maintain and improve their Parks and Recreation Department were able to come greatest assets—our parks! parks. The ACL Music Festival Grants Program together to make this space welcoming for everyone. continues to grow, and we are so proud to offer this Sincerely, program with the support of such a great partner. MARCH 2006 Colin Wallis APRIL 2005 SEPTEMBER 2006 Executive Director | Austin Parks Foundation Yoga In The Park Movies In The Park Starting Number of Parks: 1 ACL Grants 2014 Number of Parks: 3 Starting Number of Parks: 1 Total Given In Inception Year: $8,535 2014 Number of Parks: 2 Total Given in 2014: $290,335 A non-profit established in 1992, Austin Parks Foundation was created OCTOBER 2012 to fill the gap in funding for public parks, trails and open spaces in National Public Lands Day Austin and Travis County. 2012 Number of Projects: 14 2014 Number of Projects: 38 JUNE 2012 2012 Number of Volunteers: 435 National Trails Day 2014 Number of Volunteers: 1,265 2012 Number of Projects: 10 2014 Number of Projects: 29 MARCH 2012 2012 Number of Volunteers 258 It’s My Park Day 2014 Number of Volunteers: 506 2012 Number of Projects: 60 2014 Number of Projects: 101 2012 Number of Volunteers: 1,722 2014 Number of Volunteers: 2,863 Since 2012, APF has facilitated nearly 400 park projects with 10,794 volunteers during our city-wide volunteer days. Volunteers come from neighborhoods, private companies and student groups—most return each year, and many complete multiple projects in a single year. Board of Directors President Secretary Ford Alexander Tim Hendricks Jen Ohlson Daniel Woodroffe Sania Shifferd Oxford Commercial Cousins Properties Interactive Health Technologies, LLC dwg. Landscape Architecture SDSGroup Jim Alsup Glee Ingram Chip Pate Immediate Past President Treasurer Jackson Walker LLP Growing Designs, Inc. Community Volunteer Ralph Webster Margaret Menicucci Peppermint Cleaning Co. Braun & Gresham Libbey Fernandes Stuart Laves Anna Stepan Adjunct, UT Law School Texas Capital Bank Texas Association of Maxwell, Locke, and Ritter PC School Boards Vice President Bill Talbot Sara Marler Ryan Gravelle CA Technologies Community Volunteer KHRG Michael McGill City of Austin Greg Weaver Catellus Parks Supported by APF in 2014 grants 2014 GRANT RECIPIENTS 2014 GRANT CONSTRUCTION Boggy Creek Greenbelt Dove Springs District Park Brentwood Neighborhood Park Plaza Saltillo Gaines Creek Park Walnut Creek Greenbelt Patterson Park Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitanactivation Park Bartholomew District Park Franklin Park Perry Park Ponciana Park 2014 SPECIAL PROJECTS Stillhouse Hollow Nature Preserve Auditorium Shores at Town Lake Heritage Oaks Park Metropolitan Park Barton Springs Pool Republic Square construction Alderbrook Pocket Park Alderbrook Pocket Park Onion Creek Park Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum Armadillo Park 2014 PARK ACTIVATION Wooldridge Square special projects Old Bakery and Emporium Republic Square 2014 VOLUNTEER PROJECTS volunteer Alderbrook Pocket Park Northwest Recreation Center Shoal Creek Greenbelt - Allendale Odom Playground Allen Memorial County Park Onion Creek Metropolitan Park Anne Richards Bridge Onion Creek - Perez Elementary Bartholomew District Park Onion Creek Greenbelt Battle Bend Neighborhood Park Patterson Park Bauerle Ranch Park Pease District Park Blunn Creek Nature Preserve Ponciana Park Bruning Green Red Bud Isle Roy and Ann Butler Hike and Bike Trail Robert E. Lee Tributary Williamson Creek Greenbelt Ron Rigsby Park Cherry Creek Park Rosewood Neighborhood Park Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park Waller Creek Convict Hill Quarry Neighborhood Park Seider Springs Greenbelt Copperfield Nature Trail Shoal Beach at Town Lake Metropolitan Park Covert Park at Mount Bonnell Shoal Creek - 5th Street Crestmont Park Shoal Creek - 10th Street Del Curto Park Shoal Creek Trail - 29th Street Dick Nichols District Park Shoal Creek Trail Gap - 5th Street Wells Branch Disc Golf Course South Austin Park and Recreation Center Dottie Jordan Park Springfield Park Dove Springs District Park St. Edward’s Park Duncan Park Stephenson Nature Preserve And Outdoor Emma Long Metropolitan Park Education Center Franklin Park Swede Hill Park Gaines Creek Greenbelt Tarrytown Neighborhood Park Gaines Creek Park Veloway Garrison Park Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park Heritage Oaks Park West Austin Neighborhood Park Barton Creek Greenbelt - Homedale West Bouldin Creek Greenbelt Joslin Neighborhood Park West Enfield Park Kealing Park East Williamson Creek Greenbelt Little Zilker Park Wooldridge Square Seismic Wall Wooten Neighborhood Park Mabel Davis District Park Zilker Botanical Garden Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park Zilker Nature Preserve Mayfield Nature Preserve Zilker Metropolitan Park Murchison Pool Zilker Polo Fields CORE CONTRIBUTIONS VOLUNTEERISM Austin Parks Foundation is grounded in the generosity of the Austin community. Volunteerism has been at the center of who we are as an organization since our earliest days, and we place tremendous value on the individuals, groups and companies that make up our dedicated volunteer corps. From our citywide volunteer days—It’s My Park Day, National Trails Day and National Public Lands Day—to individual project days held throughout the year, we leverage thousands of volunteers to help maintain and preserve Austin’s 300+ green spaces. Below are just some of the highlights of what we were able to accomplish in 2014. It’s My Park Day 231 In 2014, nearly 3,000 6 1 4 6 VOLUNTEER PROJECTS Austin volunteers in 2014 participated in more than VOLUNTEERS in 2014 100 park-improvement projects across the city, the largest event Total number of Total number of Total number of PARKS IMPROVED PARK ADOPTER PROJECT LEADERS to date. by Volunteers in 2014 115 GROUPS 92 in 2014 121 CORE CONTRIBUTIONS VOLUNTEERISM CITY WIDE DAYS YEAR ROUND 167 PROJECT DAYS 63 PROJECTS 167 1512 VOLUNTEERS PROJECT LEADERS 4,634 PROJECT VOLUNTEERS LEADERS 37 CORE CONTRIBUTIONS RESOURCES Connecting people to resources is integral to our mission of connecting people to their parks. Park Adopters are exceptional volunteer groups TOOL WAREHOUSE who dedicate large portions of their time, leading long-term park improvements that Austin’s limited city budget cannot support. In TOOLS PARK PROJECTS support of these projects, Austin Parks Foundation initiated the ACL 1,387 used in in 2014 Music Festival Grants Program, which has funded 131 park improvement 216 projects since 2006—each executed by ardent park adopters who care deeply about their local parks. In addition to grants, APF offers Park Adopters free access to our Tool Warehouse and our new Park Improvement Education Series (PIES) workshops. From Dove Springs to Allendale and everywhere in between, these programs benefit not VALUE FOR SERVICE just the park adopter groups most invested in the improvements, but the $25,000 in 2014 whole community. (Based on average rental price of $11.50 per tool and average group size of 10) ACL GRANTS GRANTS PARKS FUNDED PARK IMPROVEMENT EDUCATION SERIES GIVEN BY GRANTS in 2014 12 in 2014 Number of Number of ATTENDEES SESSIONS 9 $290,335 GIVEN in 2014 270 in 2014 in 2014 CORE CONTRIBUTIONS SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS As a conservation organization, Austin Parks Foundation is committed to innovative and creative solutions to Austin’s urban sustainability questions. We have the flexibility to try new approaches to age-old issues, and invest in strategic pilot projects throughout the city to address issues like water conservation, the promotion of our urban tree canopy, poison ivy control and more. FUTURE FOREST PROJECT B-CYCLE VENDORS In 2011, we introduced an intensive five-year program Austin Parks Foundation is a founding partner of Austin’s In an effort to reinvigorate some of Austin’s underutilized park designed to significantly increase Austin’s urban tree B-cycle, the bike share program designed to transform the way spaces, Austin Parks Foundation partnered with food trucks canopy—the Future Forest Project. Given the size of people access the city’s urban core. With the help of Austin to bring new life, and new proceeds, to Old Bakery Emporium and Wooldridge Square parks.