access to great parks for every Austinite
29 Years of People + Parks
Founded in 1992, Austin Parks Foundation (APF) is dedicated to partnering with our community to enhance people’s lives by making our public parks, trails and green spaces better through volunteerism, innovative programming, advocacy and financial support.
With a focus on creating equitable access to great parks for all Austinites, APF is helping fill the City's parks funding and resource gap. Funding initiatives like APF’s community-initiated grants have distributed over $3 million since 2006, and the annual flagship volunteer event, It’s My Park Day, results in an average of $650,000 in volunteer labor each year. APF also fosters unique public/private partnerships like the Zilker Train, empowers neighbors all over the city to create a parks system that serves their needs, and is a presenting partner and beneficiary of the popular Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Metropolitan Park
Though 2020 brought many challenges, Austin Parks Foundation is proud of the triumphs we were able to gain for our parks. Among the highlights are:
- Transforming the Parks Summit from an in-person day of learning into a monthly series of important virtual conversations viewed by 2,500 park enthusiasts.
- Continuing our legacy of stewardship via safe in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities resulting in nearly $530,000 worth of volunteer labor
- Completing 13 park improvement projects including Georgain Acres Park, Colony Park District Park, Alliance Children’s Garden and Comal Pocket Park
- We also re-committed to our work of building more equity in Austin's parks, and doing the personal and organizational anti-racism work needed to bring justice and liberation to our community.
Completed Projects
Project Playback: Investing in the Treasured Barton Springs Pool
Preservation Motivation: Investing in Austin’s Nature Preserves
Project Playback: Helping the Georgian Acres Neighborhood Get Their Park
Project Playback: A Decade of Investing in Zilker Botanical Garden
In 2020, APF Was Able to...
Transformed the Parks Summit into a monthly series of important virtual conversations watched by 2,500 park enthusiasts
Complete 13 park improvement projects including Georgian Acres Park, Alliance Children's Garden and more!
Invest more than $530,000 in volunteer labor hours into the parks. Our projects help bridge the park system budget deficit.
Contribute 80 percent of every dollar given to Austin Parks Foundation directly to park projects and programs.