Resource Kit for Friends and Champions of Public Lands

Continuing to build and strengthen Friends groups complements New York State’s ongoing revitalization of its iconic park system and public open spaces. Friends offer more opportunities for park and historic site visitors to engage with and appreciate our natural, cultural and historical treasures. 

One of the primary ways that PTNY supports NYS Friends groups is through the sharing of best-practice resources that provide groups with the knowledge and tools needed to function and evolve as nonprofit organizations that steward and support our public parks, trails, and open spaces. Find our Best Practices Manual for Friends groups and Friends Resource Kit below. Full access to all resources is available to our members.

This Resource Kit below is designed to provide the board, staff and volunteers of nonprofit Friends groups with helpful information and resources that can help grow and strengthen your organization. From templates and sample documents, to PTNY's Friends in Focus fact sheet series which explores in-depth topics, to links to key resources and video recordings of our Friends-to-Friends workshops, there's something here for every organization. If you have a suggestion for a topic not covered, let us know.

GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY

NONPROFIT AND GROUP MANAGEMENT

BOARD GOVERNANCE

NYS PARKS CENTENNIAL

DEVELOPMENT AND FUNDRAISING

COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

RELATIONSHIPS WITH STATE AGENCIES

PARK AND TRAIL PARTNERSHIP GRANTS

Examples from the Resource Kit

Best Practices Manual

Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) has created this Best Practices manual for Friends groups as a resource to help build the capacity of Friends groups, expand outreach and communications, and enhance advocacy. If you are involved in a park or historic site Friends group or thinking about starting one, PTNY can help you build and strengthen your organization. Download the Best Practices Manual here.

Greenway Development Guide 

In partnership with the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation PTNY released Trails Across New York: A Grassroots Guide to Developing Greenway Trails, an updated version of our 2004 resource, Getting Started… A Guide to Planning Trails in New York State. The guide breaks down the greenway trail development process into bitesize steps, outlining the ins and outs involved in developing a trail from initial concept to construction. Fresh case studies and emerging trends and processes are interspersed throughout the guide to provide examples and inspiration. Download the guide here.