Recent Projects, Programs & Work

The Madison Parks Foundation is extremely proud of our work over the past 20+ years.

A Timeline of our Work

June 2024

• MPF donates 3 Water Wheelchairs to be used at Goodman Community Pool and splash parks.

May 2024

• 7th Annual Picnic in the Park in partnership with Event Essentials raises $117,000+ for our Madison parks!

September 2023

• MPF celebrates the opening of 2 accessible playgrounds - the Frautschi Family Accessible Playground at Warner Park and the Jeff Erlanger Accessible Playground at Rennebohm Park. MPF has raised more than $300,000 for this project.

• MPF announces a gift to the Parks Division to add an accessible Sprayground to be added to the Jeff Erlanger Accessible Playground. Construction to begin in Spring of 2024.

August 2023

• MPF holds its first fundraising event at the Boneyard to enhance and improve our Madison Parks Dog Parks.

• MPF provides funding for street access construction and to add another accessible beach mat to be added to Vilas Park.

May 2023

• 6th Annual Picnic in the Park in partnership with Event Essentials – MPF’s annual fundraiser at Burrows Park.

April 2023

• MPF unveils and dedicates Madison's first dog memorial at Quann Dog Park.

February 2023

• MPF receives grant from the Capital Times Kids Fund to add adaptive programming to our parks. Adaptive Swimming and dance session programming added to the summer of 2023 events.

January 2023

• MPF awards grant to the Madison Parks Division for the purchase of new CPR training equipment for the Goodman Pool Lifeguard Program.

November 2022

• MPF receives a grant from 100 Men of Dane County for $94,000 to purchase a new van for the Warner Park Community Recreation Center's KNOW (Kids Need Opportunities at Warner) program.

• MPF receives $5,000 grant from the American Family Insurance Steve Stricker Foundation for the Parks For All Fund to continue our work making our parks more accessible and inclusive.

• MPF awards grant to Madison Parks Division to purchase 46 new lifejackets to serve the community at the Goodman Pool and Beaches.

August 2022

• MPF partners with Saris Foundation to add a pump track and name the Saris Foundation Bike Park at Aldo Leopold Park.

July 2022

• MPF donates more than $40,000 to renovate patio at The Glen, making the patio fully accessible.

• MPF partners with Supreme Structures and local tradesman who donate their skills to revovate the clubhouse at the Glen Golf Park.

• MPF donates more than $60,000 for improvements to The Glen Golf Park Clubhouse.

May 2022

• 5th Annual Picnic in the Park in partnership with Event Essentials – MPF’s annual fundraiser at Olin Park

January 2022

• Awarded the Adams Outdoor Collaborative Grant which enables MPF to launch 10 billboards promoting our Madison Parks across the city.

December 2021

• Receives $5,000 grant from Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation in support of the Fully Accessible & Inclusive Playgrounds project.

• Receives grant from Adams Outdoor Advertising which will provide 1 year of billboard advertising promoting MPF and our mission.

• Receives $30,000 grant from Madison Community Foundation in support of the Fully Accessible & Inclusive Playgrounds project.

November 2021

• MPF awards grant to Madison Parks Division of $11,000 for the purchase of equipment for the Learning Series so that more people will have access to free learning experiences in our parks.

• MPF awards $10,000 grant to local Madison Skate Park Friends Group who are constructing a community built skate park in a Madison east-side park.

October 2021

• Receives $10,000 grant from Festival Foods in support of the Fully Accessible & Inclusive Playground at Warner Park.

September & October 2021

• Launches its Dog Park initiative to raise funds to enhance and expand our dog parks.

August 2021

• Donates $40,000 to renovating patio at Glenway Golf Park to make it fully accessible.

July 2021

• Receives $100,000 from Pleasant Rowland to establish a Parks For All Fund to make all of our parks more accessible and inclusive.

June 2021

• Commits to add the first Fully Accessible Beach Mat to Bernie’s Beach to make the first accessible Madison Parks’ beach.

May 2021

• Making a Difference segment airs on Channel 15 (see Initiatives Tab). Interview with John Stofflet discussing the importance of fully accessible playgrounds for the community.

• Facilitates major gift from Michael & Jocelyn Keiser to renovate Glenway Golf Park.

April 2021

• Receives $10,350 in grants from the Capital Times Kids Fund to support KNOW, Playgrounds & the Learning Series

March 2021

• Receives $100,000 gift from the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation to name the Fully Accessible & Inclusive playground at Rennebohm Park after Jeffrey Erlanger

December 2020

• Receives $100,000 commitment from Jerry Frautschi to name Fully Accessible & Inclusive Playground at Warner Park.

November 2020

• MPF awards grant to Madison Parks Division for the purchase of skate assists to be used in aiding people to ice skate in our Madison Parks.

June 2020

• Commits $40,000 for Swimming Admission Scholarships to support Madison Parks Division’s efforts
  to open Goodman Pool during COVID-19 restrictions that make our pool more accessible and inclusive.

• Acquires a matching grant from the Irwin A. & Robert D. Goodman Foundation to match gifts to support Swimming Admissions.

May 2020

• Launches Parks Positivity Campaign with fun activities to inspire people to use our parks and
  promote healthy activities during a time of quarantine and pandemic.

• Adds 3 Aldo Leopold benches to 3 Madison Parks Dog Parks

• Adds MPF informational posters to all Madison Parks Kiosks

April 2020

• Launches new website making park information easier to access

October 2019

• 4th Annual Picnic in the Park in partnership with Event Essentials – MPF’s annual fundraiser

August 2019

• Partners with Madison Mallards to have event to raise funds for KNOW (Say Yes to KNOW)

July 2019

• Commits to raising $150,000 for KNOW and will provide a match up to $100,000 at August event.

May 2019

• Launches electronic newsletter

January 2019

• New logo and rebranding package revealed

December 2018

• Negotiates a transfer of funds from Friends of Nakoma Park to Doncaster Park for playground renovation

November 2018

• Formally establishes new fundraising initiatives – Fully Accessible Playgrounds, Learning Series, KNOW (Kids Need Opportunities at Warner)

October 2018

• 3rd Annual Picnic in the Park in partnership with Event Essentials – MPF’s annual fundraiser

April 2018

• Initiates and completes the renaming Central Park to McPike Park, honoring and recognizing one of Madison's great leaders.

February 2018

• Sponsors a free community free event with multiple winter sports (cross country skiing, sledding, ice skating, snow castle contest)

October 2017

• 2nd Annual Picnic in the Park in partnership with Event Essentials – MPF’s annual fundraiser

August 2017 & 2018

• Establishes Makeshift Festival – a free community event celebrating food & art in public spaces in which proceeds funded an original piece of public art in Elver Park — Momental

June 2017 - present

• Partners with Madison Mallards as a sponsor for Shake the Lake – community building free event
  celebrating the 4th of July

February 2017

• MPF begins work with local veterinarians to establish project to improve dog parks

January 2017

• MPF grant for Friends of Urban Nature to receive 4 sets of binoculars to expand nature walks

2017 to present

• MPF partners with Parks Division to sponsor the Madison Parks Foundation’s Learning Series

• Fundraising partner for the Connecting Children to Nature program – national grant

August 2016

• Media campaign -History of our Parks– 4-part series (Channel 3) – Olin, Brittingham, Vilas & Tenney

July 2016

• Hosts Concert in the Breese event & Legacy Golf Outing

June 2016

• MPFponsors Four First Tee Scholarships

2016

• Fundraising partner for the Pickleball Complex at Garner Park

October 2015

• Launches 1st Picnic in the Park in partnership with Event Essentials – MPF’s annual fundraiser

• With a grant from the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation launches Historical Signage project – 10 historical signs in major parks

July 2015

• Concert in the Breese event & Legacy Golf Outing

• Partners with the City Parks Division to administer legacy gifts and establishes endowment

Summer 2014

• Celebrates 120 years of Madison Parks with free, community building events – ice cream social and Concerts in the Breese, as well as a Legacy Golf Outing fundraiser

April 2014

• Commits $15,000 grant to replace the playground at Goodman Pool creating the City’s 1st fully accessible playground

• Ad2 Madison grant recipient to assist with social media, marketing plan

March 2014

• Sponsors Volunteer Appreciation Night at Olbrich Botanical Gardens

February 2014

• Launches social media – Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

January 2014

• Launches Parks Tributes & Memorial Program

July 2013

• Launches website

2013 - 2014

• Completes $300,000 raising goal for 2 additional splash parks (Elver and Reindahl Parks)

2012 – 2014

• Partners for the Skate Park at McPike Park

April 2013

• Hires first employee – Executive Director

2011

• Partners for the Tenney Park Shelter Renovation

2005 - present

• Partners for the swimming lesson scholarships & free/reduced admissions-Goodman Pool

2004 - present

• Establishes partnerships with Friends & Neighborhood groups for park projects

2005 - 2008

• Partners for the Veteran Memorial Park

2004 - 2006

• Partners for the Brittingham Boathouse Renovation

2003-2005

• Partners for the Goodman Pool – Madison’s first community pool

2003

• The Madison Parks Foundation is established as a 501(c)3 organization