How Communities Are Funding Playground Equipment Projects
Community playgrounds help children grow in health, happiness, and life skills, making them an excellent investment in communities. At the same time, finding the funds to set up a playground can be challenging.
If your organization or town is looking to fund a playground equipment project, this article will help you discover seven ways you can secure playground funding.
1. Playground Grants
Grants are an excellent source of playground funding. There are many different types of playground grants to explore, as grants can be offered by:
- Individuals
- Foundations
- Businesses
- Local, state, and federal government agencies
When seeking grant funding for a community playground, keep these points in mind for success:
- Start early: The application process takes time, so start researching grant opportunities as soon as you begin planning your project.
- Start local: Your chances of receiving a grant award are best when the pool of applicants is smaller, so focus your search on your city first. Then, start looking into opportunities in your county and state, and finally, consider regional and national options.
- Make a list: List all of the relevant grants you find, and then look at each grant’s details more closely to ensure your project is eligible. Eliminate any you’re ineligible for and highlight the most promising ones, such as those that offer larger amounts or are more local.
- Submit multiple applications: Applying for more grants gives you a better chance of success. Additionally, you may need to combine multiple grant awards to fund the entire project, so be ready to submit more than one application. Consider hiring a professional grant writer to create a well-written, well-formatted project that presents your proposal well.
To find government playground grants, contact or visit the websites of the government agencies and programs in your city, county, and state. You can also download the latest Playground Grant Guide from Little Tikes Commercial to discover many corporate and foundation grant options.
2. Playground Sponsors
You can contact local businesses and corporations to discuss sponsoring your project. Make a list of potential sponsors that could be a good match for your project and start approaching them early. It could take many conversations to find the right playground sponsors, but businesses will likely take an interest because:
- They live and operate in your community and care about its well-being.
- They may see an opportunity for the children of their staff, customers, and other stakeholders to benefit.
- There may be alignment between their business and your project. For example, sportswear companies want to build active communities.
- Sponsoring community projects can create marketing and public relations opportunities.
Remember that the sponsor relationship continues long after they agree to fund your project. Visit the Little Tikes Commercial playground funding resource center for a free guide on maintaining good relationships with sponsors and donors.
3. Playground Fundraising
Another way to get money and support behind your project is by organizing community fundraising events for your playground project.
Plan a fun event and spread the word among the businesses, schools, churches, and other organizations in your community. Make sure people understand where the money is going and how it will make a difference in their lives. With the right event and enough awareness, fundraisers can make your playground vision a reality.
Some exciting fundraiser event ideas include:
- Bake sales
- Carnivals
- Live music concerts
- Silent auctions
- Sports tournaments
- Talent shows
- 5K runs
4. Crowdfunding Playgrounds
When it comes to playground funding, there is strength in numbers — crowdfunding is all about harnessing the power of mass appeal.
Crowdfunding works by appealing to individuals in large numbers to contribute to your project, even in small amounts. Carrying out a successful crowdfunding campaign for your playground will require thought, effort, and lots of communication. However, it can be a great way to cover or contribute to your project’s expenses by building support for your mission.
Here are a few things to remember when relying on crowdfunding for your playground equipment project:
- Create your own website or use a crowdfunding platform that allows people to donate easily.
- Start approaching the people you know personally and those most likely to care about your community cause for donations.
- Post your crowdfunding campaign on social media and ask others to share it among their circles.
- Be transparent about where the funds are going and tell a compelling story about why this project will help the community.
- Approach local journalists and media outlets for coverage to give potential donors more exposure to your campaign.
5. Government Pricing for Playgrounds
You may qualify to buy your playground equipment through a government pricing contract at a special, more affordable rate. This is possible if you belong to a qualifying organization, including:
- Public and private schools
- Government entities
- Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations
If you’re part of an eligible organization, you can sign up for a free membership with Sourcewell to access government pricing and streamlined procurement. As a Sourcewell member, you can contact your local Little Tikes Commercial representative to purchase playground equipment at reduced government prices.
6. Playground Phasing
Having the funds to pay for your entire playground project may seem far off — but what about funding just one segment of it?
Consider taking a playground phasing approach to spread out your costs for more manageable budgets. Installing the equipment for your playground one segment at a time allows children in your community to enjoy the new playground sooner. Each time you grow your playground with a new segment, everyone will feel the excitement of the new play possibilities.
Playground phasing is especially helpful when raising funds through crowdfunding. You can link financial targets to pre-planned phases. That way, seeing the project come together one phase at a time and looking forward to the next segment can motivate people to donate.
Phasing is also helpful when approaching sponsors or applying for other funding opportunities. Requesting support in phases makes the first phase a safer prospect for sponsors, as they can see the results before committing to the next phase.
After installing the first segment, you will have tangible evidence of your credibility and commitment to bringing together a great community playground. You can also show its benefits to the community.
If you’re interested in playground phasing, work with a playground equipment partner that provides modular playground components for easy segmentation and integration.
7. Playground Leasing
Finally, you can consider leasing commercial playground equipment. Leasing allows you to access more and better equipment at an affordable monthly rate. This approach also preserves more of your budget for other aspects of your project and may be tax deductible for your entity.
Choose Little Tikes Commercial as Your Playground Project Partner
Little Tikes Commercial shares your mission to help kids thrive through imaginative play. That’s why we’re here to help you access affordable, reliable, and inclusive playground equipment.
If you want to know more about how to get playground funding, visit our playground funding resource center to discover:
- Who can fund your playground
- How to approach them
- How to build donor relationships
- How to run a funding campaign
- More funding tips you need to know
To speak with a playground funding expert about raising funds for your project, contact us today!
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