The Park Foundation is a family-run foundation established in 1966 by Roy H. Park. They are dedicated to creating a more just and sustainable society across the United States and in their hometown of Ithaca, NY.

The Foundation offers grants in 8 priority areas: Democracy, Civic Participation, Media, Environment, Animal Welfare, Sustainable Ithaca, Community Needs, and School Food and Nutrition. Eligibility varies by funding area.

Letters of interest are not required, but are highly recommended. After submitting your LOI, do not submit a full proposal until you hear from a Foundation staff member. LOI’s can be submitted at any time. Proposals are reviewed on a quarterly basis. Upcoming due dates are: September 22, 2023, and January 5, 2024.

Funding Priorities

Democracy

Eligibility

Grants under this category are open to nonprofit organizations across the United States.

Prioritized Activities

• Expanding voting access
• Advocating for reform at the local, state, and federal levels
• Ending partisan gerrymandering
• Eliminating dark money in elections
• Holding government officials accountable
• Overturning Citizen’s United
• Supporting a field of diverse, young leaders
• Promoting progressive agendas

Civic Participation

Eligibility

Grants under this category are open to nonprofit organizations across the United States.

Prioritized Activities

• Working to stop voter suppression
• State-based groups educating, motivating, and mobilizing voters
• National and state groups protecting voters’ rights and election integrity

Media

Eligibility

Grants under this category are open to nonprofit organizations across the United States.

Prioritized Activities

• Public broadcasting
• Investigative journalism
• Media policy

Environment

Eligibility

Grants under this category are open to nonprofit organizations working on a national level or in New York State.

Clean Water: Prioritized Activities

• Investment in publicly owned and operated water utilities
• Reduced bottled water consumption
• Strong, enforced policies
• Empowering people to defend their right to clean water

Energy

Grants under this category are open to state-level organizations in New York for:

• Advocacy
• Policy development
• Organizing
• Corporate responsibility

Animal Welfare

Eligibility

Grants under this category are open to nonprofit organizations across the United States working on projects of national significance.

Focus Areas

• Indigenous wildlife management
• Organizing, educating, and advocating on behalf of endangered species and ecosystems
• National and regional efforts to preserve birds, pollinators, whales, and wolves

Sustainable Ithaca

Eligibility

Grants under this category are open to nonprofit organizations in Ithaca and Tompkins County, NY.

Program Priorities

• Ecosystem conservation
• Energy and climate change
• Environmental education
• Smart growth

Community Needs

Eligibility

Grants under this category are open to nonprofit organizations in Tompkins County, NY.

Program Priorities

• Developing interventions in partnership with low income residents
• Identifying barriers to success and implementing programs to overcome them
• Tailoring programs using data about subpopulations to ensure needs are being met

School Food and Nutrition

Eligibility

Grants under this category are open to nonprofit organizations in Tompkins County, NY.

Goal

Breaking the self-reinforcing cycle of poverty, hunger, poor health, negative social and academic impacts, and limited future opportunities.