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.

Donate to the Endowment
Group of children gathered around an adult holding a small green insect on their hand outdoors in a green, leafy area.
A young girl in a pink and gray jacket with flower hair accessories is standing outdoors, holding and eating a snack with a surprised expression.

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.

Donate to the Endowment
A group of six diverse people smiling for a selfie outdoors, with a fence and playground in the background, some wearing yellow shirts with a maple leaf logo, indicating community service or volunteering.

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.

A small park with blue benches, trees, and a dirt ground, surrounded by a sidewalk and street with parked cars and older buildings in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

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.

A group of children and two adults at an outdoor event, with one adult holding a microphone and reading from a paper, and the other adult standing with a microphone and adjusting his glasses, on a stage surrounded by trees.
Children wearing green 'Parks & People' t-shirts posing outdoors with smiling and playful expressions, with a man and woman in the background near a railing and a dam, under a blue sky with clouds.

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.

Group of children and an adult standing outdoors on green grass near a sign that reads 'Trail to Carrie Murray Nature Center' with trees in the background.
Group of ten diverse people standing in front of a colorful mural featuring flowers, mountains, a tree, and a cove with the words "Ulamaa Cove."
A diverse group of three children and an adult woman gather around a table outdoors, engaging in a craft activity with leaves and paper. A woman stands nearby.
Donate to the Endowment

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.

Donate to the Endowment

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.

Donate to the Endowment

For more information on how to contribute to our endowment fund, please contact Frank Lance at frank.lance@parksandpeople.org.

Group of children and adults participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony outdoors. The children wear navy blue uniforms, and some adults wear formal or casual attire. The group smiles and holds a long green ribbon.
Group of children and adults outdoors, wearing matching teal T-shirts with 'Parks & People' logo, smiling and posing playfully, with trees and hills in the background on a sunny day.