McKinney is truly a “unique by nature” city and the McKinney Parks Foundation (MPF) was formed to partner with the city to enhance the beautification and maintenance of the parks and open spaces, promote community involvement and provide education about the wonderful natural spaces in our city. A group of local McKinney residents have come together out of love for our city, and the natural world in which we live and play. We have formed an officially registered non-profit organization with the State of Texas (with an IRS 501(c)(3) status pending) to function in partnership with the McKinney Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces (PROS) department to engage citizens, and feel ownership of our natural spaces.

The MPF has three main functions:

• Organizing volunteers to help with projects in conjunction with the McKinney PROS Department;
• Encourage engagement by residents in park activities and programs;
• Provide a structure for organizing educational opportunities about the natural environment.

The MPF will develop teams of volunteers to work on projects in the parks such as maintenance of hike and bike trails, building nature trails, upkeep of parks and open spaces, and adding amenities. We will partner with other local organizations (e.g. Master Naturalists, Crepe Myrtle Trail, DORBA) to provide education to school children and other McKinney residents and visitors that are interested in learning about nature and the ecology of North Texas. We will engage in direct fundraising and grant sourcing to support these projects and to partner with the City in park and open space development.

We have a Board of Directors comprised of McKinney residents who have served on the Parks Advisory Board, a Master Naturalist, a licensed professional engineer, and others who have a keen interest in community involvement and enhancing the quality of life in McKinney.