Who We Are
Since our founding in 1984, the Lincoln Park Conservancy has been at the forefront of historic conservation, ecological restoration, park programing and management. We were the first public-private partnership in the Chicago Park District and the first park conservancy in the City of Chicago. As a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization, we operate under a formal agreement with the Chicago Park District to restore and improve Lincoln Park.
In the past 36 years, we have privately funded improvement projects of every size from historic buildings and monuments to natural areas, gardens, and playlots – raising millions to benefit the park.
Unlike other park groups, we commit to the long-term management of our restored park sites, which protects the financial and emotional investments of our donors and ensures the sites do not fall into cycles of neglect during periods of personnel changes and budget shortfalls common to city government.
Formerly known as Friends of Lincoln Park, we changed our name in 2003 to reflect our expanded role in the long term maintenance and programming of our donor-restored park sites.
What We Do
We pick up where the Chicago Park District leaves off, taking on projects that are important to the park, but do not fit into the city budget. We identify park sites in need and fundraise for the improvements, overseeing every aspect from planning to construction with our expert project manager and staff.
Our field staff are in the park six days a week caring for our park sites. They maintain native plants, gardens and trees, educate the public, and manage our volunteer programs. All our field staff have college degrees in environmental fields and take great pride in their work.
The Lincoln Park Conservancy also offers volunteer opportunities for people to get involved in the park through programs, tours, and events.
