ABOUT US
The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park is a not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1992 in response to dramatic cuts in the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation’s budget, which created a growing need for community stewardship and private sector funding. As the Parks Department’s budget decreased from .65 percent of the city’s overall budget in 1991 to .52 percent in 2001, the Friends impact on the Park continued to increase.
Originally, FVCP began as a small, informal group of Bronx residents interested in collectively sponsoring a park-based teen program. The Summer Teen Program, the first program that the Friends offered, had such a positive effect on both the Park and the teen participants that FVCP was encouraged by the Parks Department to assume a leadership role in broader park issues.
The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, working in partnership with the Parks Department, is committed to supporting the conservation and improvement of Van Cortlandt Park. FVCP provides essential services such as offering ongoing high-quality education and stewardship programs, working to identify community needs and empowering residents by giving them a means to improve park conditions. The Friends is actively pursuing its mission through activities that achieve the following six specific goals:
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To provide high quality environmental education programs for underserved youth in the Bronx, throughout New York City, and Yonkers
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To partner with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation in understanding and addressing Van Cortlandt Park’s critical needs.
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To serve as an additional resource to the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation in identifying issues and challenges at the Park.
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To raise funds for the improvement and restoration of Van Cortlandt park as a unique and valued natural resource.
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To promote Park features, events, and programs to the communities surrounding the park. To expand the constituency of those who care about the Park through the cultivation of a broad-based Friends of Van Cortlandt Park membership.
Click Here to See Our FY11 Annual Report
Painless Giving Through iGive
Friends of Van Cortlandt Park has formed a partnership with iGive. It's easy. Click on this button. Shop online where you normally shop at normal prices -- and FVCP gets 5% of the total!
