Evaluated an equitable funding initiative for park access and inclusion.

We delivered an evaluation of the pilot funding cycle for Seattle’s Park CommUNITY Fund (PCF), which plans to invest $14.8 million by 2028 to improve park access and inclusion in frontline communities which experience inequitable access to green space, exposure to environmental harms, histories of disinvestment, and high displacement risk. The evaluation crunched data from more than 200 proposal entries to assess funding criteria and outcomes. The evaluation relied on input from community groups participating in the process and from the field of local park equity advocates. Our findings make the case that the PCF warrants continued funding consideration and represents authentic progress toward community-driven planning and budgeting norms, while also framing major structural changes to the program that will be considered.

Funder: Seattle Parks and Recreation via SM Watts 

Image by Seattle Parks and Recreation.