For Advocates

In-person, grassroots lobbying is one of the most effective tools for persuading legislators and other elected leaders. A group of constituents coming together to make their voices heard about the importance of parks and park funding can send a powerful signal to policymakers and their staff. A “lobby day” involves bringing a group or groups of constituents to spread out and meet with elected officials. Maximizing your effectiveness takes preparation.

Please check our website and social media regularly, and sign up for our newsletter for updates on our federal advocacy priorities.

City Parks Alliance has created the Equitable Park Funding Hub with information about funding sources for parks and recreation in low-income communities and communities of color. The National Recreation and Parks Association has created this helpful fundraising guide.

The National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) has created a resource to support communities in improving health equity through the use of public spaces. It aims to guide citizens and agencies through self-evaluation and development of actionable plans to improve access, particularly for BIPOC citizens.

Reaching out to local media is another effective way to draw attention to your advocacy work. By connecting your advocacy goals to timely events, you can highlight your issue’s importance and urgency. For example, you might write about how park usage in your area increased during the pandemic to make the case that green spaces are necessities, not luxuries. Or you could use statistics and a personal story to demonstrate the benefits to health and wellbeing that parks offer, especially in underserved communities. Here are some tips for writing op-eds and letters to the editor.

Spreading the word about your advocacy activities through social media is a great way to attract new supporters and raise the visibility of your efforts with the leaders you are trying to influence. Here are some sample social media posts you can use.

April 26, 2022, marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted. Declaring a Frederick Law Olmsted Day or Week is a great way to raise awareness of Olmsted and his work and draw attention to parks generally. Download this draft proclamation commemorating Olmsted and fill in the details. Reach out to a mayor, state legislator or governor. Once you secure the proclamation, of course, be sure to publicize it. Let Olmsted 200 know, send out a press release and be sure to promote it on social media and your other networks.

Here are samples and templates you can use to write letters to state and local officials to seek historic designation for a site, advocate for the creation of a master plan, outline the need for more park funding or express concern about proposed construction in the park.

You can help a local park in ways that range from formal commitments of time and resources to simpler one-off volunteer opportunities. We’ll walk you through the steps for both one-time assistance efforts and longer-term, more ambitious commitments.

This toolkit is a great start, but there is a universe of additional fantastic resources to assist you with your advocacy, including other organizations’ advocacy pages, relevant videos and social media accounts you should check out and follow.