Today we are announcing over a million dollars in grant awards, what a great way to start a BLOG!  One of the great feelings of working for a foundation is when we finally get to reveal the award recipients for a grant round. Everyone involved in the grant review process takes great pride in our review process and in the thoroughness of the grant review, and when we have finally done with all of the analysis and deliberations, and our board has reached consensus on who will receive funding, it is time to celebrate the great work being done in California by all of our grantseekers, not just our award winners.

The competition this year was very strong, and our reviewers and board members had to make many difficult decisions about which proposals to support, but in the end everyone feels strongly that the winning organizations strongly merit funding. As you already know, there are so many deserving organizations and communities that apply for funding every year. All have high needs and work with underserved populations, but in the end, the Stewardship Council only has the resources to support a few projects. Congratulations to this year’s Infrastructure Fund Grantees. We look forward to seeing these park projects being completed.

The Grant Award Winners:

City of Merced Parks and Community Services Department
City of Merced Ray Flanagan Neighborhood Park Restoration

The City of Merced Parks and Community Services Department was awarded $200,000 to complete the renovation of Ray Flanagan Neighborhood Park in southeast Merced. The park is located in a neighborhood where much of the population lives in poverty; once the project is completed it will immediately serve more than 700 low-income single family homes within half a mile. The improved park will include: playground areas with separate equipment for children of different ages; paved courts for basketball; a multi-use field area for recreational sports play or practice; a cultural gaming area; an open play area; a picnic area with barbecue pits; paved pathways and signage; bike racks; waste receptacles; benches; and off-street parking.

City of Oakland
Lincoln Square Outdoor Recreation Corridor

The City of Oakland was awarded $200,000 to convert a paved area at Lincoln Square Park into the Lincoln Square Outdoor Recreation Corridor. This will create a youth-centered recreation area with a multi-purpose playing field, ball courts, community stage, and game tables. Interpretive park elements will connect this site to the Lake Merritt Wildlife Refuge and the San Francisco Bay Estuary in order to encourage youth and their families to go beyond their neighborhoods and explore the diversity of wildlife that is reflective of the diverse cultures of the inner city.

City of Oroville
Youth Build for Youth Basketball

The City of Oroville was awarded $61,000 to partner with the local Private Industry Council (PIC) youth construction crew to build three basketball courts in Oroville parks and to refurbish the local YMCA half court. A committee comprised of local youth resoundingly asked for safe, accessible basketball courts. Construction of the basketball courts will create recreational opportunities for older youth and allow access to individuals with disabilities. All of the parks are accessible and visible, providing a safe venue for youth to play. The local YMCA has partnered with the city to develop and provide a basketball league for children and youth.

County of Santa Cruz Parks, Open Space, and Cultural Services Department
Pinto Lake County Park Children’s Playground and Accessible Pathway Project

The County of Santa Cruz Parks, Open Space, and Cultural Services Department was awarded $95,000 toward the construction of an accessible playground and an asphalt pathway linkage from the existing pathway to the play area at Pinto Lake County Park. These features will enhance safety, promote play, and provide access for all children regardless of physical ability. Pinto Lake County Park is a 183-acre regional park in southern Santa Cruz County, which serves a large number of children and families from nearby communities; the majority of park users live in Watsonville.

Spanish Speaking Unity Council
Oakland Schoolyard Initiative Phase II

The Spanish Speaking Unity Council was awarded $200,000 toward converting two expanses of asphalt into healthy, safe, green, and fun schoolyards at Roosevelt Middle School and Manzanita Elementary School in Oakland. The project will enhance recreation for students, and for other children and families in the Fruitvale and Lower San Antonio neighborhoods. This is the second phase of a project that builds on a successful partnership with the East Bay Asian Youth Center and the Oakland Unified School District to redesign, through community engagement, and build more recreational resources for youth in Oakland.

Westside Community Park
Westside Community Park Phase II

Westside Community Park was awarded $200,000 for the construction of a regulation soccer field, two smaller soccer fields, a regulation baseball field, and a combination Little League/softball field at Westside Community Park, a regional park in Lakeport. Youth sports leagues in the region currently have limited access or no access to sports fields.  This project will increase the quantity, quality, and safety of playing fields for youth in Lake County.

For the 2009 Infrastructure Fund, the Stewardship Council received 78 proposals requesting a total of more than $14.4 million. The Council has already awarded $1,013,000 to support outdoor programs and initiatives to reduce barriers to the outdoors through Catalyst, Impact, and Initiative Fund grants in 2009. (you can see 2009 Awards Here)