People for Parks Records

People for Parks was a non-profit community organization dedicated to support of Minneapolis parks. Working in collaboration with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, People for Parks collected donations to benefit park recreation, horticulture, and amenities. From its founding in 1977 to 2010, People for Parks raised nearly $2 million for park projects. In 2020, People for Parks consolidated with the Minneapolis Parks Foundation.

The Minneapolis Parks Foundation was founded in 1977 to respond to the scourge of Dutch elm disease. In that year alone, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board lost 31,000 trees to the invasive disease. Local businesses were eager to donate to fight the spread of Dutch elm and replace removed trees, but some were unable to donate directly to a government entity. Minneapolis Parks Foundation was set up to receive these corporate donations. The foundation’s officers were current and former park board officials. In 1979, with the peak of Dutch elm response concluded, the Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s mission was expanded to raising funds for various supplemental park services not funded by tax revenue. Membership in the foundation was opened to all, and officers were drawn from membership. Under this new model, the foundation was renamed People for Minneapolis Parks Fund, or People for Parks, in 1981.

In the following decades, People for Parks led many projects in Minneapolis parks. Early efforts included the purchase of a portable stage for use at park events, creation of the rock garden (now, Peace Garden) near Lake Harriet, and planting memorial daffodils throughout the city. For nearly 20 years, the organization contributed substantial operating funds to the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra. In the 1980s and 2010s, People for Parks twice contributed to the Lake Harriet Bandshell revitalization, including the installation of memorial benches and paving stones.

People for Park’s activities decreased in the early 2000s. During this lull, the current Minneapolis Parks Foundation was founded as the primary philanthropic partner to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. After 2005, People for Parks once again increased its activities. The group focused on small donors and community-driven projects. On July 1, 2020, People for Parks transferred its assets to the Minneapolis Parks Foundation. The work of People for Parks continues under the Minneapolis Parks Foundation's People for Parks Fund.