August 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 12

P E RS P E C T I V E S A M E S S A G E F R O M N R PA' S L E A D E RS

Partnerships in Parks Movement
When I became board chair, I described three basic strategies that would
best represent our support, education
and innovation for NRPA members:
collaborating, partnering and developing a nationwide parks movement that
builds on 10-Minute Walk; earning the
nation's respect by owning the voices
of our pillars, taking deeper dives into
research that equips members with resiliency, urban revitalization and economic-impact data; and building our
philanthropic capacity to provide the
resources needed to sustain this nationwide parks movement.
If one of the hallmarks of a great
community is a great park system, it is
this community building through partnering with like-minded organizations
and an unyielding commitment to
health, conservation and social equity
that makes your and NRPA's work the solution to so
many of the challenges this planet and its inhabitants
face in the next 100 years. It is this connection and
commitment to collaboration that drove the selection
of NRPA's new CEO and our strategic planning.
The fundamentals of a collaborative organizational
culture and great partnerships involve entities agreeing
to cooperate to advance their mutual interests, increase
their reach and ultimately achieve their respective missions through defined strategic outcomes. These partnerships can produce business and nonprofit consortia,
joint ventures, advocacy, alliances and shared marketing.
Partnering and collaboration created NRPA. In the
early 1960s, several U.S. organizations involved in
parks and recreation collaborated to form the National
Recreation and Park Association. Today, NRPA is perhaps the leading U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of public parks, recreation and
conservation, drawing national focus to the far-reaching impact of our 62,000 members who represent parks
and public spaces in urban communities, rural settings
and everything in between.
Some of the many NRPA partnerships that have produced great results include:
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% 10-Minute Walk, a nationwide movement, has
brought more than 220 mayors together to support
increasing equitable park access and quality through
local policy changes and increased sustainable funding commitments.
% Our Commit to Health campaign supports 2,080
park sites, with 386 agencies pledged and, annually,
481,240 youth receiving improved access to healthy
foods and physical activity opportunities.
% Our Great Urban Parks Campaign promotes climate
resiliency, while providing increased access to nature
and outdoor recreation in underserved communities.
% Our Healthy Aging in Parks campaign expands
partnerships with healthcare organizations and collaborates with health insurers for inclusion of evidence-based programs as health and wellness benefits and reimbursement for local park and recreation
program offerings.
% The ongoing relationship with our state associations
coordinates education, messaging and advocacy and
helps develop not only great park professionals, but
also the future board members and leaders of our respective organizations.
% Our partnerships with academia are measuring the economic impact of parks and public spaces and making
the case for a balanced, sustainable public investment.
One of NRPA's new strategic goals involves harnessing public will to support parks by engaging public and
nonprofit partners. It is coalitions, alliances and partnerships that help build resilient systems of great parks
across our nation. If resiliency is our watchword and
priority, it is collaboration that ensures best practices
and credible messaging. It is partnered campaign tactics and marketing that elevate the aspirations of all citizens to demand great parks in their hometowns. And,
it is alliances that produce the political leverage that
influences local political discourse and leads to sustainable funding for parks and recreation.

JACK K ARDYS
Chair, NRPA Board of Directors
August 2019 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2019 - Parks & Recreation
