Role of Park People in the urban parks funding ecosystem
Park People is a national, bilingual Canadian charity focused exclusively on city parks. Founded in Toronto in 2011, the organization now works across the country, connecting thousands of community leaders, non-profit park organizations and park professionals. Its core mission is to advance city parks as essential spaces that connect people to each other and to the rest of nature, while strengthening climate resilience, biodiversity and social equity.
To achieve this, Park People combines capacity-building with direct financial support. It develops and runs community-based programs, coordinates park champion networks, produces research such as the Canadian City Parks Report, and administers microgrant funding that enables local groups to activate parks with inclusive, environmentally focused events.
Grant and microgrant programs
The flagship funding program is the TD Park People Grants, delivered in partnership with TD Bank Group. Each year, Park People administers over 70 microgrants of $2,000 to grassroots community groups and small NGOs in eligible urban areas across Canada. These grants support at least two free events per group in publicly accessible green spaces, from city parks to social housing properties and schoolyards. Activities must focus on environmental education, sustainability practices or stewardship and are designed to build long-term care and protection of local green spaces.
Park People also embeds microgrants and small honoraria into several of its other initiatives, such as Sparking Change and champion programs, to help equity-deserving groups test ideas, offset the costs of volunteering and grow their capacity to attract larger funding. Its microgranting practice is guided by principles of trust-based philanthropy, with simple, low-barrier application and reporting processes, flexible use of funds, coaching calls and, in some cases, participatory decision-making that gives more power to community members.
Typical beneficiaries and funding themes
Funding is aimed at grassroots park groups, local agencies, resident associations, and small community-based organizations working in parks and publicly accessible green spaces. Groups do not need charitable or non-profit status, and individuals apply as part of a group rather than alone. Equity-deserving communities are prioritized, with a significant share of microgrants reserved for groups led by or serving Black, Indigenous and people of colour, people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, newcomers, women and low-income residents.
Thematically, Park People’s funding supports projects that address three overarching challenges identified in its work: mental health and social isolation, environmental resilience and climate adaptation, and equity and inclusion in access to green space. Supported events range from Indigenous plant medicine workshops and nature walks to zero-waste community gatherings, climate change education, stewardship activities such as cleanups and plantings, and programming led by seniors or youth champions.
Geographic scope and impact
Park People works with partners in large and mid-sized urban areas across all regions of Canada, with offices in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. Through its microgrants, programs and research, it has helped channel significant investment into parks and park programming, connect residents to nearby green spaces, and influence municipal park policy. Impact reports and stories from grantees document how small-scale funding and targeted support can catalyze longer-term community leadership and systemic improvements in the urban parks sector.
