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Anchorage Park Foundation outlines challenge grants, Rasmuson match and grantee kickoff
Summary
Anchorage Park Foundation Executive Director Beth Nordlund told a municipal committee the foundation will run a challenge-grant cycle supporting park and trail projects, act as a fiscal sponsor for grassroots groups, and has a Rasmuson Foundation matching opportunity up to $500,000 plus a $250,000 private contribution.
Beth Nordlund, executive director of the Anchorage Park Foundation, presented the foundation's challenge-grant program to the Anchorage Municipality committee, describing how small, community-driven park and trail projects can access matched funding and technical support.
Nordlund said the foundation’s objective is “building community through parks and trails,” and that the grants are intended to help neighborhoods get projects on the ground. She explained the foundation will act as a fiscal sponsor for groups without nonprofit status, pay bills directly for grantees when needed and provide project advising to improve applicants’ success rates.
The foundation promoted a downtown trail connection that will link Elderberry Park to the Ship Creek Trail and said pedestrian wayfinding for downtown is also moving into implementation this summer. Nordlund said the foundation will hold a grantee kickoff on May 15 and encouraged council members to make constituents aware of the opportunity.
On funding, Nordlund said the foundation had secured a Rasmuson Foundation matching opportunity that will pay “up to $500,000” toward downtown projects and noted a separate $250,000 contribution from Weidner. She also described a separate municipal funding allocation the foundation said it had placed in a fund to complete the downtown pedestrian work; the transcript did not specify which municipal account that was.
Nordlund described how match can be cash, in-kind contributions or volunteer hours calculated at a standard rate, and said the foundation often sees applicants overmatch. She said the foundation will continue outreach, including a presentation to the Federation of Community Councils, and encouraged applicants to consult staff while preparing submissions.
The foundation’s presentation included examples of prior challenge-grant projects, and Nordlund said some challenge grants have later become bond-supported or larger municipal projects. She said the foundation will rebrand a micro-unit housing project as “Willow Commons” and that contractors are finishing punch-list items.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the grant program during the session; Nordlund’s presentation concluded with a brief question-and-answer period from members.
