​Friends of the Parks’ Key Programs

• Neighborhood Parks: helping make parks safer
• Planning, Policy and Research: protecting our lakefront from encroachments
• Education: training our next generation of stewards
• Volunteer: cleaning and greening our precious public land

Friends of the Parks’ Initiatives

• Collaborating with the Chicago Park District on Chicago Plays! to replace 300 playgrounds over the next 5 years
• Partnering with Chicago Public School teachers to provide environmental education to 800 students
• Throughout the year, we organize and support nearly 6,000 volunteers on work days to improve 140 parks and preserves
• Planting 200 trees in Chicago’s parks and mulching hundreds more

​ Friends of the Parks’ Support of Park Advisory Councils (PACs)

• Awarded over $120,000 in Seed Grants to PACs, since 2003
• Assist PACs in raising over $3 million for new playgrounds
• We support more than 200 park advisory councils and partner with over 50 organizations throughout the city providing technical assistance and workshops and developing new park advisory councils
• Organize quarterly PAC networking meetings