The California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) is a statewide membership organization dedicated to protecting, enhancing and advocating for California’s magnificent state parks. Since its founding in 1969, CSPF has raised more than $209 million to benefit California's 280 state parks. Among CSPF’s top current priorities are keeping parks open and ensuring their long-term sustainability. To assist those organizations that have entered into either an operating agreement or donor agreement with DPR on behalf of a state park or parks, CSPF is pleased to announce a third round of Park Partnership Grants. The term of these grants will be for one year. CSPF will not consider multi-year grants at this time.

CSPF is providing this grant opportunity to:

• Support and promote innovative and collaborative models of park management, leadership and operations that have the potential to improve and sustain our parks over the long term; and
• Support organizations that stepped up to keep parks open by entering into an operating and/or donor agreement with DPR and help position them for success.

Purpose of Grant Funds

Grant funding is intended to help fill a gap between revenues (earned income plus contributed funds) and expenses to move an organization closer to reaching a park’s budgetary needs. Grant funds are not intended to fill the entire gap. Grant funds must also support activities that are core functions of operating or managing a park.

This is a Competitive Grant Program. Priority will be given — in the order outlined below — to:

• Organizations that have entered into an operating agreement with DPR to operate a specific park or parks that were on DPR’s May 2011 list of 70 parks slated for closure.
• Organizations that have entered into a donor agreement with DPR to raise an agreed upon amount of funding annually to support a park or parks that were on DPR’s May 2011 list of 70 parks slated for closure.
• If and when resources allow, CSPF will consider awarding grants to organizations that have entered into either an operating agreement or donor agreement with DPR to operate of financially support operations at a specific park or parks that were not on DPR’s May 2011 list of 70 parks slated for closure.

Timeline

• May 31: Proposals due to CSPF via email (preferred) or snail mail
• July 1: Grant awards announced

Click to download the complete Park Partnership Grants Guidelines and Process PDF.

Questions? Email or call Nancy Shillis (nancy@calparks.org) or 415-262-4408