With the Parks & People Endowment Campaign, we’re planting the seeds for lasting impact so that the wonder we inspire today continues to grow for generations to come.
With a strong endowment, Parks & People can:
Sustain and grow our parks, empower Baltimore’s youth, and strengthen community-led revitalization to ensure Parks & People’s mission endures.
Attract and retain exceptional talent.
Innovate boldly, knowing we have the resources to take risks and lead.
Honor the legacy of those who came before us by building a future worthy of their dreams.
Overview
Baltimore is a city filled with hidden wonders and endless possibilities. It’s a place where people can unite around a shared hope for revitalization—where coming together sparks the kind of wonder that drives lasting change. That spirit of collective action has always defined Baltimore, a city that continues to reinvent itself through the power of its people.
Once home to nearly a million residents, we have seen its population decline to roughly 570,000, leaving behind thousands of vacant homes and lots. Yet even in the midst of this blight lies the potential for renewal. Across Baltimore, a more livable, walkable, and vibrant city is emerging.
Since 1984, Parks & People has cultivated places of beauty, belonging, and possibility. We turn vacant land into vibrant parks that protect the environment and honor Baltimore’s deep sense of history and culture. Recognizing today’s youth as tomorrow’s leaders, we plant the seeds of curiosity, resilience, and care that will shape the city’s future.
Today, Parks & People is driving a movement for a greener, more equitable Baltimore—one where wonder fuels possibility and inspires action. Wonder lives both in the quiet moments of discovery and in the truly pivotal moments when communities come together to transform blight into beauty and dreams into reality. In wonder, we find hope. In hope, we grow stronger together.
Why an Endowment Matters
An endowment is more than a financial tool; it’s a legacy. It allows us to plan boldly, act sustainably, and grow responsibly.
Our founder, Sally J. Michel, a tireless advocate for all of Baltimore’s children and parks, founded Parks & People with a dream that it would become an effective prototype for public-private partnerships. One that would help Baltimore once again be one of the country’s model cities. This dream is the foundation of our programs and the very heart of our work. To continue building on Sally’s legacy, Parks & People needs a strong endowment that ensures our work can continue, even in times of economic uncertainty.
With a strong endowment, Parks & People can:
Sustain and grow our parks, empower Baltimore’s youth, and strengthen community-led revitalization to ensure Parks & People’s mission endures.
Attract and retain exceptional talent.
Innovate boldly, knowing we have the resources to take risks and lead.
Honor the legacy of those who came before us by building a future worthy of their dreams.
Your Gift, Your Legacy
Parks & People’s future cannot rest on uncertain funding. If you believe in our promise and potential, we are asking you to help us nurture our growth. When you contribute to our endowment, you are not just giving; you are investing in a future where every child has access to opportunity, every voice is heard, and every dream has a chance to grow. Your gift to our endowment is a deeply personal legacy of compassion.
Endowed funds generate perpetual income, ensuring your impact continues year after year, decade after decade.
We have a goal to raise a $5M fund, of which through seed donations and our board, we have already raised $2.2M. We believe, without any reservations, that we can raise the difference.
We invite you to be a part of this transformative journey. Together, we can build a foundation that ensures every child has a park to play in, every neighborhood has a place to gather, and every generation has a reason to believe in Baltimore’s future.
Help us turn the corner with stability, wonder, and curiosity.
For more information on how to contribute to our endowment fund, please contact Frank Lance at frank.lance@parksandpeople.org.
