The mission of the Syracuse Parks Conservancy is to ensure that all Syracuse parks, public lands, and their habitats are sustainably protected, restored, enhanced, and developed for the educational, recreational, and wellness uses of our citizens and their guests. This will be achieved through directing and managing these lands and facilities in a public-private partnership with the City of Syracuse. The SPC is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
The Syracuse Parks Conservancy's Neighborhood Greening Grants Program aims to enhance the life and vitality of neighborhoods by supporting the maintenance and improvement of community spaces. This program fosters places for residents to gather, thereby strengthening the social fabric and boosting the quality of life in these areas. The grants support small, targeted initiatives with up to $2000, facilitating projects like community and rain garden development, park clean-up, beautification efforts, trail development, and the restoration of vacant lots. These projects may include buying plant materials, park signs, maintenance tools, playground mulch, and recreational equipment. The grants, issued in collaboration with the Central New York Community Foundation and the Syracuse Department of Parks, Recreation, and Youth Programs, are awarded on a rolling basis, with the possibility of multiple grants to the same community under certain circumstances. Recipients are required to report on their project outcomes within a month of completion.
SPC particularly supports projects that are both designed and executed at the local level, emphasizing involvement from community or neighborhood groups under the leadership of residents from the same area.