Five Questions for MPF’s Jennifer Downham 

From public radio, to free-admission cultural institutions, to the Minneapolis parks, Jennifer Downham has made a career out of raising funds for community assets that are accessible to everyone. “Parks and public spaces and public media are really important to our civic life, and I think that’s what I find so motivating,” she says. “Parks help create community and cohesiveness, not to mention health and wellness, which is why I think they’re so critical to our city.”  Now celebrating her 10th anniversary as the Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s Chief Development Officer, we talked to Downham about why encouraging the community to support our parks is always an easy ask. 

What brings you to the parks, and why did you first join the Minneapolis Parks Foundation?  

I grew up around Minnehaha Creek, and floating the creek is still one of my favorite things to do.  One of my earliest park memories is being the only girl on the Pearl Park basketball team when I was 10 or 11–my dad was the coach–and now my daughter is one of the only girls on the park’s flag football team. I think of Lake Nokomis as my own personal merry-go-round because I’ve run around it so many times in my life. 

Jennifer Downham (bottom row, second from left) and her 5th grade Pearl Park basketball team.

Considering how much the parks mean to this city, I’ve always felt that philanthropic support for our parks should be much greater, so I came on board the Minneapolis Parks Foundation 10 years ago as the organization’s fourth employee. 

Since its start, the Minneapolis Parks Foundation has raised more than $42 million for the parks and has launched a successful endowment fund, too. What’s your elevator pitch for the parks? 

I usually don’t have to make one. When you ask people what they love about the parks, there’s always something they’re passionate about, and that they want to see improved [through making a gift or including the parks in their estate plan.] It’s easy for people to understand what the park system is for them individually, but I do like to enlighten them about the scope of our park system. For instance, that Minneapolis parks are the top employer of youth in the city, and the number two distributor of free meals for kids. Or that the Park Board also manages every boulevard tree in our urban canopy. These facts tend to get people excited about the real impact of contributing to the parks.

Equity has become an important part of MPF’s mission. Why does it matter to you?

It’s true that 98 percent of Minneapolis residents live within a 10 minute walk of a park, but not every part of the city has access to lakes and beaches and waterfront which is something I definitely want to see in the future. Being part of the RiverFirst Initiative, and helping reimagine the Mississippi riverfront is making it more accessible for neighbors in north and northeast Minneapolis. Equity is also an important component of the Transforming North Commons project, which will be bringing a $45 million parks renovation to one of the city’s youngest, most diverse and most cost-burdened neighborhoods. The north side has been historically underserved, and it gets a bad rap in terms of media, but making North Commons Park a regional hub for recreation and youth development is a compelling way to change that narrative. 

What lessons have you learned about how we connect to our parks?

Over the last 10 years, I’ve learned that everybody loves the parks and has a favorite park and appreciates the parks, and everybody has a complaint about what could be made even better. This community does not have a laissez faire approach to the parks. We have incredibly high expectations for what they can do and be, and I think the Minneapolis Parks Foundation has played a part in setting that high standard. 

Patio weather is nearly over at the city’s park concessions. What do you recommend? 

I can always go for a good fish taco at Sea Salt or the Love Bowl at the new Pimento on the Lake. My daughter’s a fan of the french fries and cheese curds at the Painted Turtle.