Why Nonprofit Partnerships Are Essential for the Future of Austin's Parks

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department is seeking community input on additional funding sources for parks management, land acquisition, amenities, facilities, and maintenance in alignment with City Council Resolution No. 20241121-072 and have asked to public to submit their input by April 11.  You can do so here. 

Why Nonprofit Partnerships Are Essential for the Future of Austin's Parks

We all love our parks. They're where we go to recharge, connect, recreate, and celebrate the best parts of Austin. But behind every tree-lined trail and community gathering lies a reality we don't talk about enough: parks don’t fund themselves.

Parks are not a luxury—they’re essential civic infrastructure. A growing body of research shows that access to high-quality green space improves physical health, reduces stress, supports emotional well-being, and strengthens community bonds. According to the Trust for Public Land, people who live near parks are more likely to get regular exercise, report lower levels of depression, and experience stronger social cohesion.

But the benefits go far beyond human health. Parks support biodiversity, improve air and water quality, and help cities manage flooding and extreme heat—key functions in a warming climate. They also make economic sense. Parks increase nearby property values, attract businesses and tourism, and reduce municipal costs through ecosystem services and public health improvements. In short: healthy parks help create healthy, resilient communities.

And yet, despite all these benefits, cities like Austin struggle to fund, maintain, and upgrade their parks at the scale needed. That’s where nonprofit partnerships come in—and why we can’t afford to overlook them.

The Case for Collaboration

In Austin, parks and green-space nonprofits have contributed significantly to our parks health and upkeep.  For example, seven Austin nonprofits collectively contributed:

• $10.7 million in operations, maintenance, and park support in 2024 alone,

• $47.6 million in capital improvements since 2014

• 52,000 volunteer hours to public parks annually

That’s a massive lift—none of which would be possible without nonprofit partners working alongside the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department (PARD).

These partnerships are not about privatization or handing over public control. Austin’s “PARKnerships” program was built with transparency and community benefit at its core. From grassroots “Friends of” groups to major conservancies, these nonprofits operate under formal agreements with clear deliverables, financial protections, and city oversight baked into the process.

Common Misunderstandings

It’s understandable to ask hard questions about how public funds are used. After all, parks are public spaces, and they should always serve the public first. But many of the criticisms about nonprofit partnerships—while rooted in genuine concern—are based on misunderstandings about how these relationships actually work in Austin.

Let’s take a few of the most common critiques head-on.

“This is just privatization.”
It’s not. In Austin, parkland remains fully owned and governed by the City. Nonprofits do not own park assets, and they cannot profit from them. What they can do— in partnership with PARD —is contribute resources to support city-approved projects. These agreements are structured with clear performance metrics, City Council oversight, and regular reporting requirements.

Nonprofits are not “taking over” Austin’s parks. They are supporting PARD, not replacing it.

“Nonprofits are just private businesses with no accountability.”
This is a common misconception. Legitimate nonprofit partners in Austin must meet high standards for transparency, community engagement, and financial accountability. For example:

• Nonprofit partners in the City's highest-tier agreements must submit annual independent financial audits, maintain board governance best practices, and align with City of Austin and PARD strategic goals.

• Salaries for nonprofit executives are paid by private donors, not city money.

• Revenue earned from events or concessions must be reinvested to benefit the park.

In fact, there is often more accountability built into these agreements than in many other city contracts.

“Parks should be managed by public employees—not nonprofits.”
PARD staff are—and will continue to be—essential to Austin’s parks. Nonprofit partnerships aren’t about replacing city workers; they’re about augmenting their work when the city doesn’t have the staff or budget to meet all the needs.  Indeed, nonprofit employees can bring expertise and skills that city staff may not have.

This isn’t theoretical. In cities like New York and St. Louis, nonprofit partners fund hundreds of millions of dollars in improvements and services that the city simply couldn’t afford to deliver on its own. 

National Success Stories That Prove the Model

This isn’t just an Austin story. Across the country, nonprofit partnerships have proven essential to delivering high-quality public parks, especially as city budgets lag behind public needs.  This has been a trend in parks throughout our country for the past 15-20 years.

• Central Park Conservancy – New York City

Perhaps the most famous example, the Conservancy now manages 85% of Central Park’s budget and raised over $100 million in a single donation in 2012. The organization works under a formal agreement with the City of New York to ensure accountability and access remain public.  Importantly, its role changed over the years to meet city-approved needs and responsibilities for a beloved and heavily used park.

• Colorado Springs – Trails and Open Space (TOPS) Tax

In 2023, voters approved a 20-year extension of a 0.1% sales tax expected to generate $240 million for parks and open space. The measure passed with 78% of the vote, thanks in part to strong advocacy and groundwork by nonprofit partners.

• St. Louis – Great Rivers Greenway

This multi-jurisdictional park system uses a blend of dedicated public taxes and nonprofit partnerships to create regional trails and greenways. Nonprofit collaborators help secure grants, lead community engagement, and fundraise for projects that would otherwise stall.

Let’s Not Miss Our Moment

Austin is growing fast. Our park system is beloved, but underfunded. And funding pressures are only increasing at a time when Austin is facing annual budget shortfalls of at least $33 million per year, and that’s before the effects of any economic slowdown or recession occurs.  In a time when public trust is fragile, it’s easy to let fear of “outsiders” derail partnerships that are actually helping the city meet its goals.  But the  reality is that nonprofit partners bring financial support, expertise, people power, and fresh ideas to the table. They help fill in gaps the city can’t meet alone. And in return, they’re held to high standards—on financial protections, public engagement, and alignment with Austin’s values.

The choice isn’t between “city-run” or “privatized.” The real choice is: Do we work together to make our parks better—or let them fall behind?

Let’s choose partnership.