Denver's Civic Center Park

Park conservancies are an outgrowth of private citizens wanting to do more for public spaces than government can do on its own. Gaining steam across the U.S. over the past three decades, conservancies of varying sizes and models have been established out of concern for parks that government entities had neither the capacity nor the resources to maintain, program or enhance adequately. Conservancies are private, non-profit, park-benefit organizations that partner with government but raise money independently to invest in parks under action plans mutually agreed upon with their government partners. Key examples include the Central Park Conservancy, the Battery Park Conservancy and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.