Memphis:
Parks Advocacy
September 1, 2015
KBC Strategic Park Partnerships
Today’s Meeting Goals
To provide a framework for park
partnerships that demonstrates
the range of roles that a park
advocacy organization can play.
To help Memphis park advocates
determine a vision and mission
for park advocacy efforts in
Memphis; and,
To help with guidelines for
developing a partnership with the
city.
A Framework for Understanding Park Partnerships
KBC Strategic Park Partnerships
Park Partnerships: What’s Shaping Them?
• public dollars for parks have decreased
• there is a bigger idea of what city parks are for
• good ideas come from the power of partners
“Historically the tendency of government was to think it had all the answers.
We defined problems and we prescribed solutions. You sent us taxes; we
delivered services. But the role of government is evolving from problemsolver to partnership-builder.”
--Mayor Michael Nutter, Philadelphia
KBC Strategic Park Partnerships
Partnerships create new benefits for the community with
assets from each partner
What Do These Partnerships Look Like?
• There is no single blueprint for how this
should be done; ultimately, it involves a
process of social learning for the civic
leadership in each city.
• A successful partnership works because
the reason for it is compelling not
coercive to both partners.
Public-private partnerships are agreements among multiple public and private
parties to risk money, time, influence, or other assets in pursuit of joint goals.
KBC Strategic Park Partnerships
While Partnership Models Vary, They are Distinguished
by Their Relationship with Government
Three key elements of
management in parks:
• the ownership of the resources
• the sources of income for management
• the management body
Balancing Assets and Liabilities
The Scope of Responsibility for
Park Partnerships Varies
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Fundraising
Earned income
Capital projects
Maintenance and operations
Programming
Marketing and communications
Public outreach
Volunteer projects
Community engagement
Safety and security
Planning
Politics and advocacy
Operations and Maintenance
Many of the creative funding ideas out there are focused on capital
projects, but just as important are those focused on generating
funds to operate and care for the growing park systems.
Memphis, 1941
The Good News – You’re Not Alone
Park partnerships are occurring in
an environment of growing publicprivate partnerships in other public
activities, too—especially
community development.
A new “technology” of partnerships
is thus evolving, offering valuable
lessons that can be applied across
a variety of arenas.
Four Case Studies: Citywide Advocates
Four Considerations for Creating Park Partnerships
Structure
Much like most business
partnerships, public-private
partnerships for parks include both
general partners and limited partners,
each with its own set of
responsibilities, strengths, and
weaknesses. The general partners
are typically parks agencies and
nonprofit organizations that support
parks. The limited partners are the
various constituencies that use or
support parks.
Four Considerations for Creating Park Partnerships
Control
In business partnerships, the
general partners usually make
all of the major decisions,
without consulting with the
limited partners. In parks
partnerships, decision-making
responsibility is shared more
broadly: limited partners often
are given a voice in decisionmaking in return for their
support.
Four Considerations for Creating Park Partnerships
Assets and Liabilities
Partners bring both assets and
liabilities to the partnership. In
good partnerships, the assets of
one partner offset the liabilities of
another. In parks partnerships,
assets and liabilities have to do
with the partners’ financial
resources, organizational capacity,
public image, and constituency
characteristics.
Four Considerations for Creating Park Partnerships
Risks
Parks partnerships encounter a
variety of risks, but all build
trust and develop a set of
strategies for mitigating them.
The Most Important Goal for Getting Started
is a Shared Vision
We are beginning with the belief
that an important need can best
be fulfilled through a partnership.
The principles for operating
should be the same as those of
any successful collaborative:
fairness,
transparency and,
inclusiveness