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Building Communities Grant Program
Turning great ideas into vibrant play & learning spaces
The Building Communities Grant Program provides capital funding up to $50,000 or up to 50% of the project budget, as well as fundraising support to help communities design and build vibrant outdoor spaces that reflect local needs.
We prioritize projects that:
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Reduce barriers to nature, play, and places to connect
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Serve equity‑deserving or historically underserved communities
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Enhance safety, accessibility, and year‑round use
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Support environmental stewardship and climate resilience (for example, shade, trees, naturalized areas, or low‑impact design)
DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION FORM
DollaRs granted to schools and community organizations
PROJECTS SUPPORTED THROUGH OUR SUPPORT PROGRAM
Application Deadlines
February 1 | May 1 | October 1
Due to limited grant funds and high volume of applications, not all eligible projects will be approved for funding. Projects that are approved may also receive less than their requested amounts.
We are currently reviewing and updating our application process for Amateur Sport and Building Communities programs. The new application guidelines and forms will be available later this summer. In the meantime, please check back here for updates or contact our team if you have any immediate questions.
Who Can Apply
Calgary-based non-profit organization, educational institution, society or group can apply if you:
Have an active Project Support Program project account
Have a valid registration as a non-profit
Have a project that will be available for all Calgarian to access
Have a project located within Calgary’s municipal boundaries
Eligible projects include:
- New or improved playgrounds
- Community gathering spaces
- Park enhancements
- Other outdoor amenities that create more inclusive, accessible spaces close to home
How to Apply
Applicants who do not apply to the Project Support Program will not be considered for funding. Our Project Support Program accepts applications year-round.
Step 1:
Complete our Project Support Program application first, in order to be considered for this grant.
Step 3:
Complete the application form and submit an electronic in .pdf format.
Step 4:
Compile digital application and all required documents into one .pdf file. Please do not submit your application as multiple emails, files, or as a zip.
Step 5:
Send the digital copy to: [email protected]
Use subject line: “Building Communities Grant – PROJECT NAME”
Recognition
Parks Foundation Calgary and our Building Communities Grant Program Partners appreciate receiving recognition of support for your organization’s initiative.
We ask that you contact the Manager of Programs to discuss recognition prior to producing any items.
2026 Building Communities Grant Recipients
Dr. Martha Cohen School Parent Association: Outdoor Engagement Project
Awarded $50, 000 for an engaging, safe, inclusive, and dynamic ninja style obstacle park. Designed for youth aged 10-15, this park’s age appropriate structures encourage physical activity, social connection, and mental well being among students and youth in the wider community. Children will be able to climb, run, swing, crawl, and take healthy risks to strengthen bonds, increase physical well being, and build enhanced confidence and resiliance.
Meadowlark Park Community Association: Meadowlark Park Green Space Revitalization - Phase One
Awarded $50, 000 to transform a large and under-utilized green space into a vibrant, inclusive, and accessible community hub filled with many amenities. Phase One of this project will see the development of an Urban Plaza, which combines both hardscape and softscape elements to create an open-air, public venue to support community events, workshops, and other programming. The plaza will blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape with the addition of new trees, bushes, and rocks. It will also feature a variety of seating to accomadate large groups and intimate conversations, as well lighting, bike racks, and accessible pathways.
Vacant Lots Farm Club: Farm Club Essential Infrastructure Lot 01
Awarded $38, 366 to convert a a vacant urban lot into a therapeutic growing space for personal and community wellbeing. Located in Northeast Calgary, this project will establish the essential infrastructure to converted an underutilized lot into a space for meaningful, productive use. This infrastructure includes a production garden to grow food, a meadow featuring 30+ flowers, berry and tea shrups, and a hammock island to relax. Everything grown is shared, memberships are free, and everyone is welcome. This project will connect food production with consumers through activities like seed saving, composting, and propogation.
2025 Building Communities Grant Recipients
Coventry Hills Elementary Fundraising Society: Coventry Hills Elementary Playground Revitalization
Awarded $50, 000 to build a new, inclusive playground to encourage active play amongst students of all abilities, as well as members of the community. The playground design will enable those with mobility impairments to be able to use their abilities to play alongside their peers, to aid those with visual impairments to play safely, and includes equipment designed to help with calming overstimulated children, and those with sensory processing disorders.
Heritage Calgary: Haultain Park Revitalization
Awarded $50, 000 to transform Haultain park from a lackluster, run down green space into an invigorated, open, multi use park that facilitates fitness, community connection, and safety for all community members. Haultain park is the only public park in the Beltline area, so this revitalization will enhance the park’s functionality while honouring its historical heritage through custom designs and public art.
Marion Carson School: Naturalization Project
Awarded $18, 500 for the creation of an outdoor classroom/boulder circle which features amiphiteatre type seating on boulders. This multipurpose space for both play and learning will not only benefit the school, but the entire community of Varsity through a revitalized gathering and play space.
Willow Ridge Community Association: Greener Ground Project
Awarded $50, 000 to support the development of a master plan which will re-envision how the community association will make the most of its outdoor facilities. The project will benefit guests and community members, support wildlife, provide resources for pollinators, and strengthen the land through the addition of local vegetation and increased water retention. Key features include an urban forest for shade, accessible pathways, and all season picnic shelters.
Coventry Hills Elementary Fundraising Society: Coventry Hills Elementary Playground Revitalization Project
Awarded $50, 000 for the development of a revitalized, inclusive school playground. Currently, less then 15% of the school’s population can use the playground at any given time due to safety concerns. The revitalized playground will have several features designed to address diverse mobility needs such as ramps, an inclusive spinner, high contrast colours, and a stimulus shelter beneath the main play structure. This playground will provide the children of today, and of tomorrow, the opportunity to learn critical skills in cooperation, team building, and problem solving.
Crossroads Preschool: Crossroads Community Inclusive Playground Project
Awarded $25, 000 to build a playground that will feature a variety of inclusive play structures, including climbing apparatus, musical instruments, and safety surfacing, all designed to accommodate individuals with different physical abilities, including those using mobility aids. The intended users of the space will be those aged 2 to 12, including those who attend Crossroads Preschool and those from the surrounding community. The playground will serve as a community hub, providing a secure and inviting place for social interaction and outdoor activities with a positive impact that will last decades.
Glenbrook Parent Council Society: Glenbrook School Playground Redevelopment
Awarded $50, 000 for the redevelopment of Glenbrook School playground to ensure the well being, safety, and development of children and families within a diverse, underserved, and economically challenged community. This playground serves as an extension of the educational environment for Glenbrook School students and children enrolled in the on-site preschool and out-of-school care programs. Additionally, it is a valuable outdoor space for the broader community to use year-round. The project aims to address a significant gap in equitable access to quality outdoor areas, resulting in a lasting positive impact on physical health, social development, and community pride.
Signal Hill School Enhancement Society: Battalion Park School Mini Playground Replacement
Awarded $50, 000 to build a new, versatile, inclusive, and innovative space that can be used by a wide range of users, both within the school’s community and the broader Signal Hill neighborhood. The new playground will feature wheelchair-accessible surfacing, sensory play components, and inclusive picnic tables to ensure that children with varying physical and developmental abilities can engage in play alongside their peers.
Friends of Janet Johnstone School Association: Janet Johnston School and Community Playground
Awarded $50, 000 for a new playground that will serve children ages 2 and up within the school and neighboring community. It is designed with a focus on creating a barrier-free environment where all children can play and learn together. Accessibility and inclusivity shine with the addition of a wheelchair ramp with rails, interactive play stops, and musical/puzzel panels. The park will also feature new, fall-safe pour in place rubber surfacing material is a highly durable, slip-resistant surface which provides cushioned comfort.
Olympic Heights Parents Association: Playground Resurfacing
Awarded $50, 000 to resurface the pea-gravel with rubber. This project will ensure that all residents and community members, regardless of their ability or accessibility needs, will be able to safely and comfortably access the facility, meaning that diversely abled residents (especially children) will have significantly better access to active recreation, outdoor experiences, and community events that are hosted on the Olympic Heights School grounds. Upgrading the space is expected to result in a more physically active, more socially connected community.
Friends of Parkland Way Society: Prince of Wales School Park Revitalization
Awarded $50, 000 to revitalize the Prince of Wales school playground. The park revitalization project includes a new playground, two basketball nets, a mural wall, 50 trees and shrubs, natural landscaped play areas, and seating for 60. The design emphasizes inclusivity, accessibility, and cultural responsiveness, creating an environment where physical activity, social and emotional play, creativity, connection with nature, and mental health can blossom. The landscaped areas, seating, paths, and shade invite people of all ages and abilities to participate and belong. The combination of a traditional playground and a nature-scaped community gathering area will have the greatest benefit for the school and broader community. The revitalized space will promote community well-being, inclusivity, creativity, and environmental stewardship. The new park will be an inclusive shared space for all ages and abilities that nurtures healthy bodies, minds, and relationships for years to come.
Stanley Jones Elementary School Parents Association: ST/AJA School Learning Grounds
Awarded $50, 000 for the development of a mult-sensory wellness path called Pathway to Grow. This project aims to create an engaging outdoor play environment that supports land based curricula, promotes imaginative play, mental health, and provides a safe, welcoming space. The design will balance accessibility, connection, and learning with play and rest, encouraging the community to stay healthy, keep fit, and have fun near home. It will feature low balance beams, gentle slopes, smooth paths, and shaded seating to ensure comfort and accessibility. The development will also feature trees and sbrubs among natural materials.
Glenbrook Parent Council Society: Glenbrook School Playground Redevelopment
Awarded 50,00 for the redevelopment of a school playground. The innovative, interactive, and sustainable design of this playground enhances inclusivity and accessibility, catering to the diverse needs of children from various backgrounds within our community. This project aims to promote physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development in children, particularly benefiting families facing economic challenges by providing a crucial outdoor play area that supports their overall growth. By addressing the equity gap in our community, this project ensures that all children, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status, have access to a safe and stimulating outdoor environment that encourages physical activity and fosters social-emotional development.
Review The Building Communities Program Guidelines
Check Our Community Resources Page
Help Build a Community Project
Parks and playgrounds require a commitment of time, money, and resources to come to life, and public dollars will not stretch to meet the need. With opportunities for public funding decreasing and the cost of projects increasing, it has never been harder for communities to build these crucial spaces.
We are seeking support to help ensure we can continue providing this essential program.
Please contact [email protected] for any questions regarding making a donation to the program.
We don’t build parks, we build communities.
In Collaboration with Our Major Donors & Partners
Thank you to our donors and partners who make this project possible!
Ruth Ursula Mattheis Legacy Fund
Give To Our Parks
Parks Foundation is a civic partner and qualified donee, which makes your donation eligible for charitable tax credits. For more information, please see our Receiving Donations and Issuing Tax Receipts Policy.
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Parks Foundation is a civic partner and qualified donee.
225 – 13 Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2R 1N8
