Cultivating a Passion for Our Parks
Equitable access to Allentown’s extraordinary parks is essential to the City’s fabric—empowering people to relax, recharge and play.
As Allentown’s charitable partner for Parks and Recreation, we enhance, activate and invest in public spaces to connect people and parks. We are an independent, community-driven 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that collaborates with the city to expand and enhance our parks and develop recreation programs that meet the community’s diverse needs.
Built from a legacy of strength
The City of Allentown began collaborating with the Harry C. Trexler Trust in 2019 to explore the development of an organization that could augment the City’s parks and programs. We listened to Allentown residents, Parks and Recreation staff, and civic leaders to learn more about the needs of Allentown’s parks and people.
We also engaged some of the most accomplished parks and conservancy professionals nationwide to arrive at a model that would best support the City’s operation.
The Allentown Parknership builds on the legacy of General Harry C. Trexler, considered by many to be the Father of the Allentown Park System. The Trexler Trust provided the guidance, management expertise and seed funding to bring the Allentown Parknership to life as an independent entity.
Supplementing, not replacing
The Allentown Parknership focuses on unmet needs including capital projects like physical structures, natural space remediation, trails and trailhead improvements, and athletic structures as well as programmatic needs like youth-centered learning, community-building activities at neighborhood parks, and programs targeting our older residents and women. Our community-based board of directors will collaborate with the City to prioritize projects and programs.
With our model, we will not assume any current responsibilities of the City or its employees. We will not fund any typical maintenance or existing programs, or reduce parks and recreation budgets. We will not get involved with day-to-day decisions of the parks management and staff.
Essentially, we will do things that we and the City deem important, but until now have not had the financial resources to accomplish.
New investments. Creative thinking.
The Allentown Parknership provides a way for people who love our parks to support them with their time or money. As a 501(c)(3) organization, we can accept donations from individuals, businesses and foundations – even if you’re outside the City. We can apply for grants from government entities and private organizations. We can recruit and nurture volunteers. And we can think creatively to deliver the programs and parks infrastructure that people want and need.