There are many worthwhile park projects than the Fairfax County Park Foundation can actively support within fundraising resources. Partnerships with individuals and organizations are welcome to accomplish more improvements and care of YOUR Fairfax County parks!

This page provides resources and information to assist park advocates and friends groups in fundraising for their projects:

Mastenbrook Volunteer Matching Fund Grants

The Park Authority funds the Mastenbrook Volunteer Matching Fund Grant Program which awards grants of up to $20,000 to match volunteer funds and in-kind services for projects that improve Fairfax County parks and facilities.

Grants Research and Training Center (GRTC)

The Grants Research and Training Center (GRTC) is a Fairfax County community resource for nonprofit organizations students, artists, and other individuals looking to access the databases on foundation grant funding.

GRTC resources offer free access to Candid electronic databases (formerly The Foundation Center & GuideStar) on grantmakers: Foundation Directory Online Professional and Foundation Grants to Individuals Online. Assistance by trained staff on how to use the Candid resources are available.

For GRTC locations, hours, appointments and more information, contact the Fairfax County Public Library.

Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers (WRAG)

Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers is a nonprofit membership association of grantmakers in the National Capital Region. Members include family, community, corporate, independent and operating foundations as well as corporate giving programs, governmental grantmakers, grantmaking public charities and individual philanthropists.

WRAG does not direct members' grant awards; however, it does provide a downloadable Common Grant Application that can be used to apply for grants from member organizations.

Washington Grantmakers
1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 740
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-939-3440

National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)

NRPA is a nonprofit organization of park and recreation professionals and citizen park advocates. Its website has information and links to a variety of park and recreation resources.

Be sure to review NRPA's Park Advocate Handbook, a 64-page guide for creating a park support group. The handbook offers detailed information on formalizing the organization's structure, becoming tax-exempt, fundraising, building alliances in the community, communications, outreach and event planning.

Project for Public Spaces (PPS)

PPS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public places that build communities. It has a strong focus on parks as the centerpiece of vibrant communities. The PPS website has several articles with case studies of successful cooperation of nonprofits and public park departments.

Idealist.org

This website is sponsored by the nonprofit organization, Action Without Borders. It is intended to provide a forum for nonprofit organizations to exchange ideas and resources. Membership is free to individuals.

Much of the site's content is directed to established nonprofit organizations but Idealist's Nonprofit FAQ/Development page answers questions and provides links to resources on topics such as grantwriting, funder research, sponsorships, special events, membership programs, and volunteer recruitment.

Help from the Fairfax County Park Foundation

The Park Foundation can help park advocates, volunteer teams and friends groups by receiving, acknowledging and accounting for donations to approved Park Authority projects.

Donations to the Park Foundation are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Funds received by the Foundation are restricted to use for the designated project and are transferred in full to the Park Authority for that specific purpose. Together, we can work together to enrich YOUR Fairfax County parks!

For more information, contact:
Roberta A. Longworth, Executive Director
Fairfax County Park Foundation
Phone: 703-324-8581
Email