Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks

We work to connect people and places for the benefit of all. With our public partner, the County Parks Department, we provide accessible, inclusive parks and programs to all generations in our diverse community.

We increase access through targeted outreach, scholarship and collaboration with community partners. We view our partners as assets with key community expertise and valuable input. Together, we support play, activity, health and connection.

We invite participation by community groups, businesses and organizations who care about our County Parks and places to organize, fundraise and serve. We view this participation as a key ingredient in a healthy community; with value both tangible and experiential.

County Park Friends invests in People and Places, with community-led co-design of program and policy as the foundation for change. Our strategic goals draw from a Countywide Strategic planning process that involved thousands of our community members and was adopted in late 2018. In partnership with our public Parks Department partner, we aligned and designed strategies to be complementary and provide a collective impact. County Parks maintains 49 parks and beaches covering 2000 acres of beautiful Santa Cruz County. 14 of these parks have existing community designed master plans, but not one has been fully built due to lack of funds. Many have not yet benefitted from the community input process leading to a master plan.

Invest in People: We accomplish this through: 1. Staff who represent professional parks expertise, a diversity of racial identity and physical ability. 2. Community Mobilization Leadership program to build trust, capacity and shared expertise. 3. Community co-design process for improved programs, training and policies. 4. Park Prescription framework to link health outcomes directly to parks resources. 5. Outdoor Career Pathways development to invite the leaders of tomorrow.

Invest in Places: We accomplish this through: ​1. Fiscal sponsorship of park Improvement campaigns, 2. Supporting Park Adoptions 3. Fiscal sponsorship of aligned emerging non-profits and projects 4. ​Improvement Project support and management.

Our organization is designed to be the a nimble, active, creative non-profit partner our Parks system needs to thrive. With a strong foundation of community support and input, we provide the complementary role needed to connect people with their parks and places.

Our leadership team brings a wealth of experience from land use, education and healthcare to assess and target barriers, then collaborate to design solutions for impact and growth. We approach each barrier with an eagerness to learn and an eye on affecting systemic change.

We have a strong working partnership with our Parks department, based in the public's defined priorities and clear roles. We have established working relationships with community, philanthropic, and service organizations.

Our Board and Advisors bring a wealth of expertise and community representation that informs all of our work and ground us in the communities we serve.

2022
Invest in People:
Squarely focused on operationalizing our community-led expertise to launch ParkRx Santa Cruz County and expanding the pool of Community Mobilization Leaders trained to deliver programs.
Invest in Places:
Key focus is streamlining our services to meet broad demand for more campaigns.

2021
Spring 2021: 4 Mayors + County scale up ParkRx "Outside the Frame" pilot countywide.
Completed Hidden Beach fundraising
Launched Floral Improvements

Summer 2021: Scaled up/delivered 2020 pilots "Outdoors to Heal" free activities, serving people across the county with community leader co-designed pandemic-safe programming.

Fall 2021: ROVING RANGER: PARKS TO SCHOOL - Active 10/1/21
COVID-safe, culturally competent Visiting Field Trips, w/ ParkRx Challenges for 800+ students

YOUTH LEADERSHIP - CAREER PATHWAYS - co-designed with Live Oak families - Submitted
CA State Parks Outdoor Equity Program Grant - Youth Outdoor Leaders of Live Oak
County Park Friends, County Parks, LOC2C, State Parks, Friends of SP, Land Trust of SCC, YFIOB

POLICY & SYSTEMS CHANGE - Coalition in Planning Stage


2020
● Opened LEO's Haven inclusive playground, designed and funded through our private-public partnership.
● Continued collaborative ParkRx framework in collaboration with Parks and Public Health to increase access and impact
● Began work with multiple philanthropists to support additional County Parks and spaces.
● Launched first cohorts of expanded Learn-To-Swim program for MediCal eligible populations.
● Opened Seacliff Village County Park skateable sculpture element, funded through private-public partnership.
● Launched new campaign with community partner to support Hidden Beach County Park through private-public partnership.
● Co-Designed Pandemic Pivots for all programs targeting those disproportionately affected.
● Invested in community leaders to provide relevant safe programming and info in parks during the pandemic.
● Co-created and promoted virtual content - investing of/by and for communities most affected from design to launch.
● Facilitated first steps in a ParkRx process with medical partners.
2019
● Established updated Memorandum of Understanding with County Parks partner
● Accepted into OF/BY/FORALL, informing our framework for engagement & impact
● Launched Membership Program to fund youth scholarships
● Engaged with youth (juv. probation and others) to co-design relevant activities and inform park staff
● Trained 40+ teachers and community partner staff in social inclusion programming
● Supported LEO’s Haven construction completion
● Expanded scholarship program, co-designed eligibility/outreach w/ community input.
● Hosted ParkRx staff for facilitated conversation with public health and parks leaders
● Began work with multiple philanthropists to support additional County Parks and spaces.
● Defined 2020 capacity needs for successful fulfillment of community goals