|
About San Francisco Parks Trust Mission and Programs
Our Mission is to provide leadership and support to San Francisco's
parks, open spaces and recreation programs.
Healthy Parks Initiative 2004-2008
San Francisco Parks Trust initiated the Healthy Parks Initiative for the purpose of reinvigorating San Francisco's parks and recreation centers.
A healthy park is clean, safe, inviting, and relevant to the local community it serves. Healthy parks promote healthy people and enable a city to thrive. To this end, San Francisco Parks Trust funds programs that encourage park use; cultivate a sense of stewardship for parks; and build community interest and support for parks.
Project ReCreation
This volunteer-workday program targets high-use, under-served recreation centers for single-day improvement projects. SFPT partners with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, community members, to make improvements to neighborhoods, recreation centers, playgrounds and clubhouses.
Project JumpStart
Launching in Spring 2005, Project JumpStart builds community support for parks by seeding neighborhood-initiated activities and programs that take place in city parks and recreation centers. Local organizations and groups propose ideas then collaborate with SFPT to develop and maintain the programs with the long-term aim of becoming self-sustaining.
Playfields Initiative
The goal of this initiative is to address and improve the current public playfields situation. Currently, the 20 fields available for play throughout the city cannot accommodate the demand. As a result, the fields are overused, and cannot be adequately maintained. SFPT's Playfields Initiative will increase the use and decrease the maintenance of soccer fields in San Francisco by organizing stakeholders and funding the renovation and creation of soccer fields with artificial turf. The stakeholders include the SFRPD, Public Schools, Private Schools, Community Groups, Soccer Teams, Philanthropists, Corporations and other interested parties.
Volunteer/Education Programs
Our volunteer program interests and educates community members through several programs. Interpretive Guides at the Conservatory of Flowers enhance the visitor experience, Curriculum-based Docent-led school tours at the Conservatory offer children a chance to learn outside the classroom, Golden Gate Park Historical and Stroller Walks offer interested people companionship, park history and exercise, and the Golden Gate Park Shuttle Guides Intern Program and the San Francisco Parks Visitor Center Information Guides promote parks to local residents and visitors to San Francisco.
Capital Projects
SFPT funds high-impact capital projects that restore and beautify parks while promoting self-sustenance. The renovation of the Conservatory of Flowers represents the Trust's most significant successful capital project to date. The Trust currently provides volunteer support, retail sales, management oversight, fiscal agent and fundraising services for the Conservatory's ongoing operations. SFPT is currently researching possibility of renovating the Japanese Tea Garden. Phase I will assess the physical, cultural and historical preservation needs.
Park Partners
San Francisco Parks Trust's long-standing fiscal agency program has always offered invaluable services to neighborhood organizations, recreation centers, and local groups. San Francisco Parks Trust offers fundraising, legal advice, project management and documentation services to local groups allowing them to utilize San Francisco Parks Trust's infrastructure to accomplish their goals without overhead. Currently fiscal agency services are being provided for more than 50 organizations, including the 16th Avenue Tile Steps Project, Strictly Bluegrass, and Green Schoolyard Alliance, among others.
San Francisco Parks Trust also partners with SFRPD in order to enable the Department to apply revenues, grants or donations to park programs. Currently we offer free fiscal agent and grant-writing services for selected projects, such as Midnight Music, Summer Youth Games and Camp Mather.
Park Stewardship Programs
A major goal of the new Initiative is to nurture and educate citizens as the future stewards of the parks. Through events and activities hosted by San Francisco Parks Trust in collaboration with local neighborhoods such as Music in the Parks, Field Day, Opera in the Park, and SFPT member receptions, visitors will be invited to use parks more widely and connect with other people, encouraging community growth and a healthy use of parks.
|
