FUNDRAISING —
Potential Resources for Playground Safety Funding
Need to raise money for your playground?
There are many unsafe, old and outdated playgrounds that our children are playing on. However, the replacement of playground equipment can be a costly enterprise for your organization.
So, what should you do?
First of all, you must have a plan. It is extremely important that a committee is formed and they have a clear understanding of the problem and a direction of the exact need.
When looking for funding for school and public playgrounds, the National Program for Playground Safety suggests that you first check with local civic and community foundations and organizations to see what current initiatives they are funding. Also, some city governments may have block grants available to help make playgrounds handicap accessible.
Suggestions for possible contributors to your project include: local civic foundations (they may also have a list of businesses that contribute to community projects), the Junior League, Jaycees, Kiwanis, Lions and local business and industry foundations.
Many fundraising sources are listed at your local library. The best way to electronically identify state-related information is to consider looking at the home pages of your senators and representatives. Also, see our list of state resources.
Listings of government funding and grants are available through various sources such as the Federal Register, the Annual Register of Grant Support and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, as well as by calling your city government. These reference materials can be found in many pubic and academic libraries.
Another terrific playground funding source comes from private funds. Over 43,000 private foundations are currently in the United States. Annually, their combined awards total more than $10 million dollars. Community, corporate and family foundations are the best places to go for strictly local support. Private funding sources by state may be obtained through the Foundation Grants Index and other publications published by The Foundation Center, as well as other foundation sources such as Taft. Reference Collections operated by the Foundation Center are maintained in several locations in each state. You may contact the Foundation Center at 202-331-1400 to find the location closest to you.
Besides networking with individuals in the community, a great way to find these foundations are to log onto the web. Web sites available to disseminate grant-related information are Foundation Center and Council on Foundations.
Be Creative!
Don't rule out joint partnerships. By pooling resources, local schools and parks may share not only the cost of playgrounds but use it for community children. Funding takes committed adults who are willing to work hard provide a S.A.F.E. play environment for children. The investment is well worth the price to make America's playgrounds SAFE!
Local foundations may be potential sources for playground equipment and playground safety based on past giving as recorded in the 1994/95 Grants for Recreation, Sports and Athletics catalog by The Foundation Center. Addresses for the foundations may be found in various foundation reference directories.
Information obtained from the 1994/95 Grants for Recreation, Sports and Athletics, published by The Foundation Center. Reference materials may be found at many public and academic libraries. The Foundation Center may be contacted by calling 202-331-1400.
