The Minneapolis park system’s green spaces and inspiring places are essential to our civic identity, providing the common ground where residents from every walk of life meet, mix, and make our city stronger. At the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, we believe there’s no better investment than building a park system that connects us all, and it has been heartening to have a community of individual, foundation, and corporate supporters agree.
Becoming a sponsor of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation is a great way to demonstrate commitment to equity and access in Minneapolis, by supporting a renowned park system that receives more than 26 million visits every year. Sponsorship of any Minneapolis Parks Foundation event offers a robust package of promotional material in various formats on a variety of platforms. Sponsorship includes exposure to the Parks Foundation’s community of more than 10,000 email subscribers, multi-channel media promotion to more than 5,500 followers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter combined, and connection to a robust group of public and private partners both locally and nationally.
Below is a brief overview of the sponsorship opportunities available at the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, and how your partnership can make a difference. Linked to each opportunity is a sponsor one-sheet with more detail. As we move into the new year, the exact speakers, tours, dates, and other details will be confirmed.
Next Generation of Parks
Download the Sponsorship One-Sheet
For more than a decade, The Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s premier event series has brought together global thought-leaders, innovative designers, and creative place-makers to explore the inspiring intersections between thoughtfully designed parks and thriving communities. Always free to the public, and frequently presented in partnership with Walker Art Center, Mia, MPR and other cultural leaders, Next Generation of Parks invites Minneapolis’ most civic-minded audience to learn more about the power of parks to connect us, heal us, and make us whole. With a special emphasis on showcasing diverse and innovative voices from both local organizations and the international design field, Next Gen frequently generates news coverage opportunities and brand exposure for its sponsors.
Read more about the Next Generation of Parks Event Series here.
Sunrise on the Mississippi
Download the Sponsorship One- Sheet
Celebrating its 8th anniversary in 2022, Sunrise on the Mississippi is an inspiring and joyful community celebration of park advocates situated on the banks of our iconic riverfront and featuring exceptional keynote speaker such as Leila Araghian, Toni Griffin, Gil Peñalosa, Paul Huttner, Lynn Ross among others. Friends, corporate partners, and elected officials gather their networks to show their support of Minneapolis parks and to be inspired by aspirational ideas taking place locally and globally. Sunrise on the Mississippi sponsors receive a robust promotional package including the opportunity to connect with 300+ influential Twin Cities civic leaders. This sponsorship includes onsite and podium recognition, logo placement in invitation materials, and year-round presence on MPF’s online landing page.
Read more about Sunrise on the Mississippi here.
Walk and Talk Series
Download the Sponsorship One-Sheet
This sell-out series of small-group guided tours takes Minneapolis parks-goers to popular and less traveled paths around the park system, sharing the rich history, diverse natural habitats, and insider insights about the Minneapolis parks’ greatest treasures. After two summers of successful downloadable virtual tours, we’re looking forward to offering a mix of digital options and in person tours in 2022, inviting parks-goers into a more intimate understanding of what makes Minneapolis parks so special. Sponsorship recognition will appear on both our one-page download-and-go tours and digital StoryMap tours, visited and downloaded this year nearly 2,000 times.
Read more about the Walk & Talk Series here.
Posters for Parks
Download the Sponsorship One-Sheet
The arts and the parks come together in this annual event featuring a juried selection of limited edition posters inspired by the Minneapolis Parks and created by local artists. With a festive live event (when appropriate), and a virtual pre-sale for Parks Foundation supporters, half of the proceeds from this popular show provide direct support to 40 local artists, while the other half supports the People for Parks Fund. The Fund provides small grants to neighborhood groups with big ideas about improving the parks and inviting residents from all backgrounds into the great outdoors. This event connects with more than 10,000 creative, civic-minded supporters in Minneapolis and beyond. In 2021 more than 1,000 individuals registered for the Posters for Parks virtual showcase, with a record number 837 posters sold.
Read more about Posters for Parks here.
For questions and additional sponsorship information, contact Jennifer Downham at jdownham@mplsparksfoundation.org