Philanthropy for Parks: Strengthening Recreation and Green Spaces

The Los Angeles County Parks Foundation is dedicated to supporting parks and recreation through fundraising, advocacy, and community-driven initiatives, focusing on expanding access to green spaces and programs for underserved communities.

1 minute read

February 24, 2025, 7:00 AM PST

By Clement Lau


Playground and picnic benches in city park in San Francisco Bay Area.

Sundry Photography / Adobe Stock

The Los Angeles County Parks Foundation (LACPF) is dedicated to promoting community well-being and quality of life by supporting public parks and recreational programs across Los Angeles County. Collaborating closely with L.A. County's Department of Parks and Recreation, LACPF focuses on enhancing public spaces through innovative programming, advocacy, financial support, and volunteerism, with a particular emphasis on advancing equity and inclusion for underserved communities.

LACPF spearheads various initiatives to bridge the parks and recreation equity gap. Notable programs include the Los Angeles Clippers Community Courts Program, which refurbishes basketball courts across the county, and the ESTEAM Summer Camp Scholarships, offering youth opportunities to engage in environment, science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics activities. Additionally, the foundation is supporting the development of the Puente Hills Regional Park, which involves the transformation of a former landfill into a world-class public space.

In response to the devastating Eaton Fire, which severely impacted the Eaton Canyon Natural Area and Nature Center, LACPF has launched a recovery initiative. This effort aims to restore the Nature Center, rebuild essential infrastructure, and support educational programs to reconnect future generations with nature. Community support and donations are vital to these recovery efforts, ensuring that Eaton Canyon continues to serve as a sanctuary for education and natural beauty.

Thursday, February 20, 2025 in Los Angeles County Parks Foundation

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

Passengers board an Amtrak train under a cloudy sky.

Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement

The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.

September 18, 2026 - Mass Transit

The Gross Reservoir, a large body of water surrounded by trees and mountains.

Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion

Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.

September 18, 2026 - Inside Climate News

A coal power plant in Iowa billows smoke into the air.

Nation's most wind-powered state turns to coal as data centers increase energy demand

For the first time in decades, Iowa has increased its generation of coal power.

September 17, 2026 - Inside Climate News

A crowd of people boarding Boston's green line in an underground subway station.

Boston has spent millions making the Green Line more accessible — and there’s no end in sight

While the city has invested millions into expanding and adding platforms to the Green Line to make it more accessible, new train cars set to arrive next year will be too tall for disabled passengers to board without raising the current platforms.

September 22 - Boston Globe

Railroad tracks in Idaho passing a home by a river.

Idaho may see an 18% drop in federal surface transit funding — the largest estimated cut in the US

Transit systems in rural communities are much more reliant on federal funding to provide their services.

September 22 - Grist

A Florida family with their belongings in a wagon walks past a destroyed storm after a hurricane.

How ‘post-disaster gentrification’ alters neighborhoods after natural calamities

After hurricanes, fires or other calamities, the original residents of a community are often replaced by younger, wealthier residents.

September 22 - Inside Climate News