Falcons Fit & Green Initiative

The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation and The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, in partnership with Safeplay Systems and Nike, are leading a $600,000 “Falcons Fit & Green” initiative, which will support development of up to 10 green playgrounds in Metro Atlanta.

The “Falcons Fit & Green” initiative advances the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation’s mission to improve youth fitness across Georgia, and goes hand-in-hand with the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation’s Inspiring Spaces program, which works to promote green practices and to increase access to great public spaces. Please visit the AFYF grants application page to apply.

Environmental Initiative Grants 2003

Projects Funded: $4.8 million

• City of Atlanta Housing Authority -- $369,200 to support creation of a town center park, lake and amphitheatre at the West Highlands-Perry Homes affordable housing redevelopment project in northwest Atlanta.
• City of Decatur -- $250,000 to support master planning, land acquisition and capital costs for creation of a preservation corridor that will provide open space, parks, trails and connectivity for the citizens of Decatur.
• DeKalb County Government -- $1.6 million to support property acquisition to create two new mixed-use parks, acquisition of right-of-way access for a greenway corridor trail system, and construction of a wetland boardwalk and walking trails.
• The Trust for Public Land -- $1.1 million to acquire land in three areas of Atlanta and DeKalb County for parks, watershed protection, and a public greenway trail system.
• Blue Heron Nature Preserve -- $15,000 for stream bank restoration and reintroduction of native Georgia foliage in the Buckhead neighborhood nature preserve, and $3,500 to support organizational effectiveness.
• Cabbagetown Initiative -- $200,000 toward creation and maintenance of a new community park in Atlanta’s Cabbagetown neighborhood.
• City of East Point Parks and Recreation Department -- $16,000 to create a walking and jogging trail in East Point’s Brookdale Park, and support renovation of recreation facilities.
• First Christian Church of Decatur -- $12,000 to install playground equipment and a picnic pavilion at a community park in Decatur.
• Friends of Peachtree Hills Park -- $40,000 for stream bank restoration and native foliage in Peachtree Hills Park.
• Olmsted Linear Park Alliance -- $300,000 to restore Springdale and Deepdene Parks, which anchor the Olmsted Linear Parks system along Ponce de Leon Avenue.
• PATH Foundation -- $500,000 to construct three trail segments, including the Perimeter Trail, being built in collaboration with DeKalb County and the City of Chamblee. Two other segments follow South Peachtree Creek in DeKalb County and an abandoned rail corridor in northwest Atlanta. The projects add 6.3 miles of trails to the PATH network.
• Piedmont Park Conservancy -- $100,000 for master planning to improve unused parkland and enhance public access.
• Sidney Marcus Awesome Restoration Team (SMART) -- $25,000 for improvements to the City of Atlanta’s Sidney Marcus Park, including new playground equipment and creation of handicapped-accessible paths.
• Park Pride -- $50,000 to continue advocacy for parks and the establishment of a new Parks District for the City of Atlanta.
• Trees Atlanta -- $87,000 to launch an Urban green space Management Program to maintain healthy environments, remove invasive plant species, and restore trees on public lands inside I-285.
• Freedom Park Conservancy -- $13,500 to appraise potential property acquisitions and assist in strategic planning.
• Grant Park Conservancy -- $36,500 to support establishment of a permanent office and enhance long-term planning and effectiveness.
• Shut-In Outreach Mission, Inc. (R.E.D.E.E.M.) -- $3,500 to support organizational effectiveness planning.
• The Georgia Land Trust -- $3,500 to support organizational effectiveness planning.
• West Atlanta Watershed Alliance -- $20,000 for development of new walking and biking trails through the Utoy Creek property in west Atlanta.

Projects Funded: $6.5 Million

• City of Atlanta Housing Authority -- $150,000 to develop a park in the new Carver Homes Redevelopment Project.
• The Conservation Fund -- $2,150,000 to develop a revolving loan fund to make dollars readily available for projects that need funding for options and acquisition.
• Grant Park Conservancy -- $150,000 to support the hiring of a horticulturalist and for the ongoing maintenance and tree care necessary to improve the most heavily impacted and endangered trees in Grant Park.
• Olmsted Linear Park Alliance -- $300,000 to support the continued rehabilitation of Olmsted Linear Park.
• Park Pride -- $50,000 to support the salary of a director for Park Pride’s PARC-911 project to reshape the park system in Atlanta.
• PATH Foundation -- $500,000 to support Phase III of the PATH Foundation’s capital campaign to build an additional 31 miles of trails and connect key segments of Atlanta’s existing trails.
• Peachtree Woodall Whetstone -- $1,000,000 for acquisition of 170 acres of land along Utoy Creek in west Atlanta.
• South Peachtree Creek Nature Preserve -- $350,000 to support acquisition of land that will expand the South Peachtree Creek Nature Preserve.
• Trust for Public Land -- Intrenchment Creek and Constitution Lakes -- $1,250,000 to support the acquisition of over 186 acres of priority conservation lands along the South River and its tributaries in DeKalb County.
• Trust for Public Land -- Southside Park Expansion -- $134,364 to acquire a 45-acre tract of land that will expand the existing Southside Park in DeKalb County.
• Trust for Public Land --Tanyard Creek -- $323,112 for acquisition of 7 acres of green space along Tanyard Creek in south Buckhead.
• Vine City Civic Association -- $125,000 to support and develop a neighborhood park in the Vine City area, near downtown Atlanta.
• Wonderland Gardens -- $27,000 to support capital improvement projects at Wonderland Gardens in DeKalb County.
• Organizational Effectiveness and Project Readiness Fund -- $23,300 to support either organizational capacity building or due diligence costs. Organizations must apply to us in order to receive this funding.