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Park Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$32.0M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.3M
Decision Time
3mo

Park Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $32 million (2023: $32,008,612)
  • Total Assets: $383.7 million
  • Decision Time: 10-12 weeks after quarterly deadlines
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $250,000 (typical); awards have ranged from $40 to $2,150,000
  • Geographic Focus: National with emphasis on New York State; 20% allocated locally to Tompkins County, NY
  • Annual Grantees: ~330 organizations
  • Number of 2023 Awards: 475

Contact Details

Program-Specific Contacts:

Overview

The Park Foundation is a family foundation established in 1966 by Roy H. Park, Sr., founder and CEO of Park Communications, Inc., and creator of the Duncan Hines food brand. Based in Ithaca, New York, the foundation is led by President Adelaide Park Gomer (Roy Park's daughter) and Executive Director Rachel Leon. With assets of approximately $383.7 million, the foundation distributed over $32 million in grants in 2023 to approximately 475 recipients.

The foundation describes itself as "principled, strategic, and fearless in our grantmaking, collaborative with our partners, and nimble and innovative in our approach." Their stated mission is to advance "a more just, equitable, and sustainable society and environment, both nationally and in our local Ithaca community." The foundation applies an equity lens to all funding decisions, focusing on low-income and marginalized populations. Notably, the foundation has aligned its investment portfolio with its mission values, having divested from carbon stocks and committed to climate solutions investments as one of the original 17 signatories to the 2014 Divest/Invest Philanthropy Initiative.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Park Foundation operates eight distinct funding priority areas:

1. Democracy (Contact: mjc@parkfoundation.org) Supports initiatives to strengthen democratic foundations and good governance:

  • Eliminating partisan and racial gerrymandering
  • Campaign finance reform (overturning Citizens United, eliminating dark money)
  • Expanding ballot access
  • Government accountability for corruption and unethical conduct
  • Developing diverse emerging leaders for representative democracy

2. Civic Participation (Launched 2020) Supports year-round voter mobilization and direct civic engagement:

  • State-based organizations educating, motivating, and mobilizing voters
  • National and state groups protecting voters' rights and election integrity
  • Groups thwarting voter suppression attempts
  • Does not fund: Academic research, tech development, book projects, individual fellowships, or programs unrelated to on-the-ground organizing

3. Media (Contact: mjc@parkfoundation.org) Supports public interest media raising awareness of critical issues:

  • Investigative Journalism: Excellence in reporting on nationally significant public affairs with potential for broad distribution and social impact
  • Media Policy: Universal communications access, internet neutrality, diverse ownership, journalism's future
  • Public Broadcasting: Nationally distributed TV/radio programming with in-depth, investigative reporting
  • Documentary Films: Limited small grants for projects on civil society, democracy, environment, and animal welfare

4. Environment (Contact: Environment program staff) Two major focus areas:

  • Drinking Water: Ensuring U.S. drinking water is clean, affordable, accessible, and managed as a public resource; strong water policies; publicly owned water infrastructure; addressing lead contamination
  • Energy/Climate: Committed to "keep it in the ground" philosophy; challenging shale gas extraction and infrastructure expansion; supporting New York State initiatives for clean energy transition

5. Animal Welfare (Contact: sdk@parkfoundation.org) Nationally significant programs to protect domesticated animals and wildlife:

  • Organizing, legal advocacy, and power building for endangered wildlife and protective policies
  • Indigenous wildlife management approaches
  • Great apes (continued support for existing partner sanctuaries)
  • Key species: Pollinators, wolves, whales, birds
  • Geographic restriction: No projects outside the United States
  • Companion animals: Local support limited to Tompkins County SPCA only

6. Sustainable Ithaca (Contact: ng@parkfoundation.org) Supporting a fully sustainable Tompkins County (grants limited to this geography):

  • Ecosystem Conservation (Cayuga Lake and tributaries)
  • Energy and Climate Change (efficiency, renewable energy adoption)
  • Environmental Education (K-12 and adult programming)
  • Smart Growth (planning, zoning, alternative transportation)
  • Special emphasis on low-income and communities of color access to sustainability

7. Community Needs Concentrates on opportunities for low-income residents of Tompkins County, NY:

  • Youth services
  • Advocacy and community organizing
  • Establishing equity and creating opportunity

8. School Food and Nutrition Goal: Every Tompkins County student has access to nutritious, appealing school food:

  • Single District Strategy: Pilot partnership with Groton Central School District
  • Tompkins County Opportunity Strategy: Technical assistance, planning, and training across county schools
  • All projects must involve relevant school district personnel
  • Does not fund: Ongoing operating funds or projects outside Tompkins County

Priority Areas

  • Progressive causes and social justice
  • Climate action and environmental protection
  • Strengthening democracy and civic engagement
  • Independent, investigative journalism
  • Animal welfare (wildlife and companion animals)
  • Local sustainability in Tompkins County, NY
  • Equity and opportunity for low-income and marginalized communities

What They Don't Fund

  • Individuals
  • For-profit entities
  • Endowments
  • Debt reduction
  • Capital grants (limited; generally restricted to Tompkins County nonprofits)
  • Indirect administrative expenses for colleges and universities
  • Organizations receiving more than two-thirds of their annual budget from Park Foundation grants
  • Companion animal projects outside Tompkins County
  • Animal welfare projects outside the United States
  • Civic Participation: Academic research, tech development, book projects, individual fellowships, programs unrelated to organizing

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Adelaide P. Gomer — President Has served as President since 2009 (Vice President since 1995). Oversees grants for independent media, environment, and democracy. Initiated reforms aligning the foundation's investment policies with its mission; all investments are now screened and aligned with program priorities.

Alicia P. Wittink — Vice President Involved since 1998; instrumental in developing programs focused on water and plastic reduction.

Jay R. Halfon — Secretary/Treasurer

Lisa Graves — Trustee Executive Director of True North Research; national expert on exposing special interests and dark money in politics.

Hon. Donna F. Edwards — Trustee Former U.S. Representative (2008-2017); first African American woman to represent Maryland. Co-founder of the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

Raymond Paultre — Trustee Executive Director of the Florida Alliance; co-founder of Project 68. Under his leadership since 2019, the Florida Alliance increased membership by 700%.

Jerome B. Libin — Trustee

Staff Leadership

Rachel Leon — Executive Director Previously served over a decade as Executive Director of the Environmental Grantmakers Association, where she created the nationally recognized Environmental Fellows Program with Yale University.

Michael J. Connor — Senior Program Officer, Media, Democracy & Civil Society Former managing and executive editor at The Post-Standard in Syracuse.

Amy B. Panek — Senior Program Officer, Environment Previously addressed climate change at the Kendall Foundation.

Sue Kittel — Senior Program Officer, Community Needs & Animal Welfare

Nick Goldsmith — Program Officer, Sustainable Ithaca Former Sustainability Planner for Ithaca; helped develop the Ithaca Green New Deal.

Roberta M. Norman — Chief Financial Officer

Heidi K. Sherwood — Operations Manager

Tania Yannarilli — Grants Manager (longest-serving staff, since 2001)

Charlene Santos — Program Associate

Leadership Quotes

Adelaide Gomer on Executive Director Rachel Leon: "She is an accomplished leader, an idea person, and a fighter for the causes that our Foundation represents."

Rachel Leon on grantmaking philosophy: "Everyone thought that if everyone would do just what they did, we could achieve our goals. But really, it was by working together and finding common threads that we were able to make progress."

Rachel Leon on foundation approach: The foundation should be "humble" and view itself as "in service to [grantees], not the other way around."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Preferred Method: Online portal (Blackbaud Applicant/Grantee Portal)

Alternative Methods:

Application Types:

  • Letter of Inquiry (LOI): Recommended for new applicants; accepted at any time
  • Full Proposal: Submit after LOI response or directly if you have received a grant within the last 1-2 years

Important: Once an LOI is submitted, do not submit a full proposal unless contacted by a staff member.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Must be recognized as 501(c)(3) or 509(a)(2) under IRS guidelines
  • Organizations without nonprofit status may apply through a fiscal sponsor
  • Grants cannot exceed two-thirds of an organization's annual budget (public support test)

Quarterly Proposal Deadlines (2025-2026)

  • January 7, 2025
  • January 31, 2025 (Building Decarbonization Fund only)
  • March 27, 2025
  • July 8, 2025
  • September 19, 2025
  • January 7, 2026

Decision Timeline

  • Board meets 10-12 weeks after proposal deadlines
  • Notification within days of board meetings
  • Declined applications: Email notification sent
  • Approved grants: Grant Agreement sent for signature; funds disbursed by check within weeks of signed agreement return
  • Grant start date: Typically the last day of the month the grant was approved

Reapplication Policy

The foundation accepts multiple applications if they address entirely different projects. Recent grantees (within 1-2 years) do not need to submit an LOI before submitting renewal proposals.

Application Success Factors

Contact Program Staff First The foundation explicitly recommends contacting program officers before submitting applications. This is strongly encouraged for new applicants and helps assess alignment with program priorities.

Demonstrate Alignment with Progressive Values The foundation applies an equity lens to all funding. Rachel Leon emphasizes the importance of "centering community voices and folks who have been disenfranchised" in problem-solving.

Show Collaborative Approach As Rachel Leon noted, progress comes from "working together and finding common threads." The foundation values grantees that collaborate across sectors and with other organizations.

For Media Proposals: Be prepared to discuss:

  • Content and treatment
  • Distribution and outreach plans
  • Budget details
  • Funding sources and fiscal sponsorship status
  • Preference given to projects with "groundbreaking content employing multi-platform media tools with the potential to achieve broad distribution and social impact"

For Environment Proposals: Demonstrate commitment to the "keep it in the ground" philosophy and opposition to new fossil fuel development.

For Local (Tompkins County) Proposals: Emphasize benefits to low-income and minority communities; show cross-sectoral collaboration.

Recent Funded Projects (examples of what they support):

  • Free Press: $350,000 for general operating support (Media)
  • Majority Action: $105,000 for general operating support and leadership development (Environment)
  • Cornell University: $140,000 for The Methane Project; $30,000 for Botanic Gardens conservation
  • Chef Ann Foundation: $250,000 for New York Healthy School Food Pathway
  • Sustainable Markets Foundation: $50,000 for Global Gas and Oil Network

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Contact program staff before applying — This is explicitly recommended by the foundation and helps determine fit before investing time in a full proposal.

  2. Start with a Letter of Inquiry — Especially for new applicants; LOIs are accepted year-round and reviewed quarterly.

  3. Align with progressive, equity-focused values — The foundation views all funding through a social justice lens. Demonstrate how your work benefits low-income and marginalized communities.

  4. Show collaborative capacity — The foundation values organizations that work across sectors and with other groups, not those pursuing isolated strategies.

  5. Understand geographic restrictions — Local programs (Sustainable Ithaca, Community Needs, School Food and Nutrition) are strictly limited to Tompkins County, NY. Animal Welfare is limited to U.S.-based projects.

  6. Mind the public support test — Grants cannot exceed two-thirds of your annual budget. Smaller organizations should consider fiscal sponsorship if needed.

  7. Be specific about distribution and impact — Particularly for media projects, the foundation wants to see plans for broad distribution and social impact, not just content creation.

  8. Timing matters — Submit proposals on or before quarterly deadlines. Late submissions may be deferred to the next quarter. Board decisions come 10-12 weeks after deadlines.

References

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