Support Elings

Elings Park is the largest community-supported non-profit public park in America. More than 200,000 visitors use the 230-acre Park annually.

Most visitors are unaware that the park is operated by a non-profit foundation that relies on user fees, donations, grants and community goodwill. No City or County monies are used for the Park’s upkeep or improvements.

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Why Support Elings Park?

Naming Opportunities

Make a lasting gift to honor a loved one or show your support for Elings Park. Find out how to name a bench or oak tree, a gift that will last for years to come.

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Letter from the Executive Director

Winter 2023

Dear Friends,

Parks are a place where families of all ethnicities, socio-economic status, and genders can come to picnic, to exercise, to contemplate and to celebrate. In the best parks, you can be alone or perhaps strike up a conversation with someone new. There has never been a time, more than the present, when we need gentle and powerful community builders like Elings Park.

I am writing to you today, on behalf of Elings Park, to invite you to join our mission to create a brighter, healthier future for Santa Barbara. This annual fundraising campaign is a crucial undertaking for our organization, as it allows us to continue our vital work at the intersection of community health, the arts, recreation and environmental conservation.

By supporting Elings Park, you will be contributing to efforts that directly impact the vitality and well-being of Santa Barbara while protecting our precious environment. Here are some of the key initiatives your donation will support:

  1. Bringing Nature Back into Balance: Elings Park is actively replacing non-native plants with California native species — and has planted over 500 live oaks and 4,000 coastal natives in the past four years. Restoration partners include Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Channel Islands Restoration, Your Children’s Trees, and the Bucket Brigade.
  2. Safe and Accessible Green Spaces: We believe every child should have the chance to “unplug” and explore the wonders of nature, the splendor of the arts, and the joy of recreation. Your donation will help us create and maintain safe green spaces where children can learn, play, and develop a lifelong appreciation for ‘the outdoors’ and the relationships that can only be fostered in the natural world.
  3. Improved Infrastructure: Your contribution will help us reach more schools, families, clubs and arts organizations, and foster a generation of socially and environmentally conscious individuals. Over the past three years, we have remodeled and restored restrooms, LED lights, roads, sidewalks, irrigation, fields, parking lots, entry kiosks, and invested over $400,000 in our trail system.
  4. Outstanding Partners: Elings Park collaborates with Santa Barbara’s leading non-profits – from cultural to environmental to educational. The park’s biggest benefit is knitting together a wide variety of people and groups. We are truly Santa Barbara’s gathering place.

Your generous donation can make a difference in the lives of park users, age zero to ninety-nine, and the health of our environment.

We sincerely appreciate your support and commitment to the health of our children and the environment. Together, we can ensure that the world we leave to the next generation is one filled with clean air, green spaces, and boundless opportunities.

Thank you for being a part of our mission. Your generosity and dedication are the driving force behind our work. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our initiatives, please feel free to contact us at (805) 569-5611 or info@elingspark.org.

With warm regards,

Dean Noble, Executive Director

Sizing Up Outstanding California Locations

Elings Park
230 acres
Huntington Gardens
120 acres
Disneyland
100 acres
San Diego Zoo
100 acres
Santa Barbara City College (SBCC)
74 acres
Santa Cruz Boardwalk
24 acres
Alcatraz Island
22 acres
Rose Bowl
10 acres

We’re making improvements!

Find out about the $10 million EPIC infrastructure campaign and see what’s been done to date.

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Support the Park

Elings Park is not operated by the city or county. We depend on user fees and public donations to maintain and improve the park. You can help.

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