The Anchorage Park Foundation has two grant programs that support community efforts to improve the well-being of the community and urban environment in Anchorage. The 2024 grant cycle is closed. The next cycle is anticipated for early 2026. 
The Community Challenge Grant provides funding on a competitive basis for projects that improve Anchorage parks, trails, greenbelts, and recreation centers. Projects benefit municipal parkland and have meaningful community involvement. View past Community Challenge Grant Projects
The Neighborhood Forest Grant provides funding on a competitive basis for projects that restore, reforest, and sustain urban forests on public or private land. Projects benefit underserved areas in north Anchorage and have meaningful community involvement. Grant funding is provided by the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program through the federal Inflation Reduction Act, a historic investment to grow more trees, remove harmful invasive plants, and improve forest health in communities nationwide.
Thank you to the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program, Rasmuson Foundation, the Municipality of Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department, and the Anchorage Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects for partnering with the Anchorage Park Foundation on these grant programs.
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Contact:
Diana Rhoades, Program Director
(907) 249-6652
Diana@Anchorageparkfoundation.org
2024 Grantees
Congratulations to the 23 Anchorage organizations that received 2024 grant awards totaling $400,000 to improve Anchorage parks, trails, and urban forests.
2024 CHALLENGE GRANT PROJECT SUMMARIES
Girdwood Tee Pads
Anchorage Disc Golf Association (ADGA) – $3,000
Our first 2024-2026 Challenge Grant is complete! Anchorage Disc Golf Association (ADGA) improved the playing surface of the FREE Girdwood Disk Golf course by constructing new tee pads to enable a consistent throw on stable footing from hole to hole. The $10,000 project included $3000 from APF. ADGA provides maintenance and upkeep of all the disc golf courses in the municipality of Anchorage – Kincaid Park, Davis Park, Peter’s Creek and Girdwood. The Girdwood course is an 18-hole course that winds its way through the park between California Creek and Glacier Creek and is suitable for all skill levels. Udisc, a disc golf score keeping app, has recorded on average 1,896 rounds per year from registered users year-round regardless of weather. The ADGA hosts 2 of the most popular tournaments of the year at the course, with a field of more than 100 players each from all over the state.
Johnny Ellis Rainbow Bridge Park Improvements
Friends of Johnny Ellis – $5,000
Friends of former Senator Johnny Ellis will improve the newly named linear park that runs along C Street from 9th to 15th Ave. The theme of the park is inclusive, with goals to install colorful park benches, bike racks and flower boxes as well as a kiosk to tell the story of the beloved Senator who championed parks and neighborhoods. He passed away on February 9, 2022. He was 61. This grant supplements a $100,000 park bond passed by voters in 2024.
Land survey for design at Castle Heights Park
Friends of Castle Park – $5,000
An experienced surveyor will use the funds to rent survey equipment and map Castle Heights Park. Working with neighbors and parks and recreation, the information will inform new improvements, such as a picnic shelter, playground equipment, and a trail.
Mirror Lake Singletrack Trail System
Chugach Mountain Bike Riders (CMBR) – $10,000
CMBR plans to build two small trail segments at Mirror Lake Park. One segment will complete the loop of beginner trails near the trail head, which currently dead end into a non-accessible road. The other segment creates challenging jumps for experienced riders.
Secure Bike Parking installations at MOA Ballfields
Bike Anchorage – $12,000
Bike Anchorage will install bike racks at ball fields, each with 8 slots. Locations they are considering include Russian Jack Soccer Field, Davis Park Ballfields, Lyn Ary Baseball, and Bancroft Soccer. These racks will address the need for more accessible bike parking, as suggested by many community members. It will also help support active transportation surrounding fields and parks.
Restoring Arnold Muldoon Park and Trails
Friends of Stream – $13,250
Students at charter middle school Anchorage STrEaM Academy will work alongside Youth Employment in Parks crews to improve 1700 feet (about the size of the Empire State Building) of muddy trail at Arnold Muldoon Park.
Wayfinding for Government Hill Parks and Trails
Government Hill Community Council (GHCC) – $14,000
GHCC will install wayfinding signage and themed entrance markers to Government Hill neighborhood parks. This will help visually connect the East and West Bluff trails. With the help of Youth Employment in Parks, GHCC will extend the trail from Sunset Park to Alderwood Park. Maintenance of the new trail and East and West Bluff trails will be supported through volunteer work.
Revitalizing + Reactivating Williwaw Park through Basketball Court Resurfacing and Mural
Catholic Social Services – $12,100
This grant will pay for the paint to resurface the basketball court. Catholic Social Services will work with Alaska Literacy Project to design a mural that will go on top of the court. CSS will recruit volunteers for park clean-ups in the summer of 2025.
Baxter Bog Trail Repair
Scenic Foothills Community Council – $16,738
This project builds, restores, and maintains trails on the Baxter Bog trail system. With oversight from an engineer, volunteers will use aggregate and gravel to make these trails resilient and sustainable. Half of the project was completed in August of 2024 and the rest will be done summer 2025.
Karl Eid Ski Jump Staircase Repair
Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage (NSAA) -$16,738
This project will replace and restore the ski jumps at the Karl Eid Ski Jumping Complex, located at Hilltop Ski Area and Bike Park. This project provides a safe training site for high school sports groups, the Anchorage Fire Department, and individuals, including children ages 5 and up. The ski jumps will be ready for use by this upcoming winter.
Far North Bicentennial Park Trail Improvements
Alaska Trails – $23,000
This project aims to reroute the trail between the North Bivouac and Cambell Airstrip parking lots for the purpose of prioritizing the safety of trail users and improving the sustainability of this trail. It will also replace confusing signages with ones that are clearly placed, and will work alongside YEP and the Alaska Trails crew to pave the trail. Lastly, a new map will be drawn to emphasize summer trails and to eliminate old routes that are not usable in summertime.
Welcoming Parks Project in Russian Jack Springs
Alaska Literacy Program (ALP) – $31,855
ALP intends to make Russian Jack Springs Park (RJSP) a more inclusive space reflective of the diverse community members in Anchorage. ALP plans to install informative panels on trail posts about neighborhood stories, from highlighting the Korean American community, to immigrant and refugee connections with the local greenhouses. Panels will be translated into other key languages such as Spanish, Hmong, Samoan, Filipino, Korean, and Athabascan. They may also have QR codes on them for further educational information.
Downtown Park Plaza Revitalization
Anchorage Downtown Partnership + Northern Compass Group – $20,000
Project Details and Activities:
- Clean and repair the walkway cover, including glass/plexiglass and powder coating
- Light up round 4th Avenue sign plus investigate other lighting options for the walkway cover
- Repair as much of the upper plaza ground surface as possible, including the aggregate, concrete, and grout
- Clean and seal the walking surface
- Replace fixtures such as railings on the stairs to comply with the current ADA size and code
- Install LED string lights above the plaza
- Obtain movable tables and chairs to be used for daytime seating for café patrons
- Install placemaking signs referring to the Moose Loop, Ship Creek Trail, the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail (and new connector) as well as the small boat harbor. QR codes could be utilized so visitors could find appropriate maps from there since some will be in progress.
- In a decorative and attractive pattern
Other
- The ultimate project will replace the stairs and bring them up to code
- Remove and replace the yellow corrugated siding to a durable, modern material
- Install a living wall type of apparatus on the 4th Ave Marketplace building
- Build a planter with plants or grasses for pollinators instead of the short north-facing yellow wall
- Install creative green plants or trees in above-ground, approved planters to support the health and well-being of downtown residents and visitors.
Contact:
Diana Rhoades, Program Director
(907) 249-6652
Diana@Anchorageparkfoundation.org
