National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is a public charity based in Ashburn, Virginia, that supports park and recreation professionals and agencies through grants, programs, professional development, advocacy, research and other resources. Its work centers on parks and recreation as a way to build strong, vibrant and resilient communities.
National Recreation and Park Association at a glance
In short: National Recreation and Park Association gave $1.6M across 81 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), top state North Carolina. 57% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,611,132
- -29.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 81
- +1.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,891
- -30.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $18,893
- Total assets
- $27,806,818
- +3.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 57% first-time grantees (46 of 81, 2025)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (11% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to National Recreation and Park Association
- Contact
Mailing address: 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd, Ashburn, VA 20148-4501
Phone: (703) 858-0784
Website: https://nrpa.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from National Recreation and Park Association
Who National Recreation and Park Association funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Mount Airy Parks and Recreation ($85K). Together the top 10 received $447K.
Grant Size Distribution
329 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 271 grants of 329 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
NRPA describes a network representing public spaces in urban communities, rural settings and places in between, and its website discusses work with communities across the United States. The 2025 grant recipients listed in the filing are in multiple states; the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina and California, at 11% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 81 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is National Recreation and Park Association open to new grantees?
57%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 46 of 81 grantees (57%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $28K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $26K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2025) to $4.1M (2021). In 2025 it made 81 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Airy Parks and Recreation Mount Airy, NC | Program Support | $84,515 |
| City of Auburn Auburn, ME | Program Support | $50,738 |
| Town of Warren Warren, RI | Program Support | $47,362 |
| Calvert County Parks and Recreation Prince Frederick, MD | Program Support | $45,554 |
| Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition Elizabethton, TN | Program Support | $42,905 |
| Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District Beaverton, OR | Program Support | $41,568 |
| Northeast Opportunities for Wellness Inc Putnam, CT | Program Support | $35,155 |
| Asheville Parks and Recreation Asheville, NC | Program Support | $34,728 |
| City of Monroe Monroe, MI | Program Support | $32,396 |
| Western Wellness Foundation Dickinson, ND | Program Support | $32,068 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $27,806,818 | $24,296,620 | $23,142,963 | $1,611,132 | 81 | $2,553,582 |
| 2024 | $26,857,425 | $24,736,989 | $21,943,369 | $2,289,008 | 80 | $1,847,895 |
| 2023 | $24,572,227 | $20,842,167 | $19,928,136 | $1,840,030 | 42 | $1,614,506 |
| 2022 | $23,732,321 | $16,369,699 | $19,132,764 | $2,671,708 | 48 | $1,059,970 |
| 2021 | $29,470,291 | $21,294,082 | $16,030,966 | $4,063,200 | 78 | $2,280,821 |
| 2020 | $21,753,457 | $20,081,113 | $17,695,908 | $3,254,497 | 64 | $124,883 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
NRPA’s mission is to advance parks, recreation and environmental resilience efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people. Its programs and partnerships provide local park and recreation agencies with training, technical assistance, resources, professional development and grant funds. NRPA describes goals that include increasing access to quality parks and green spaces, improving health outcomes and creating resilient communities.
The 2025 grantees include local park and recreation agencies and community organizations. For example, the Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition describes its mission as reducing substance abuse through collaborative planning, education, communication, action and policy advocacy. Northeast Opportunities for Wellness says it promotes youth wellness through nutrition education and fitness and sports instruction. CAN PLAY says it removes barriers to play by bringing adapted, no-cost recreational programs to communities. These are grantees’ stated missions, not NRPA’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, NRPA reported 81 grants totaling $1,611,132. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $84,515, with a median of $18,893. All of the listed largest awards were for program support. Recipients included Mount Airy Parks and Recreation in North Carolina ($84,515), the City of Auburn in Maine ($50,738), the Town of Warren in Rhode Island ($47,362), Calvert County Parks and Recreation in Maryland ($45,554), and Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition in Tennessee ($42,905).
NRPA’s grant and fundraising resources page distinguishes NRPA-sponsored opportunities from outside funding resources and says opportunities can be filtered by categories, projects and deadlines. The programs listed in the supplied grant-program information include the Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz, with a September 30, 2026 deadline, and 10-Minute Walk Campaign grants and technical assistance, with an August 2, 2026 deadline. Both deadlines have passed. The Sustainability in Practice description lists application cycles in 2024 and 2025, which have also passed.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kristine Stratton as president and CEO; Jesus Aguirre as chair; Carolyn McKnight Fredd CPRP as past chair; Susie Kuruvilla as treasurer; and Joshua Medeiros as secretary. It also lists Kathy Abbott, Rebecca Armstrong, Samuel Assefa, Rick Atkins and Anthony-Paul Ap Diaz as directors.
National Recreation and Park Association is led by Kristine Stratton, President & CEO on every filing since 2020; 11 of 39 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kristine Stratton
President & CEO
On filings since 2020
38 hrs/week
$161K (2020) → $398K (2025)
Jesus S. Aguirre
Chair
Treasurer → Director, 2021
Director → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Mancuso
Senior Director
On filings since 2024
38 hrs/week
$139K (2024) → $145K (2025)
Aja Jenkins - Senior
Director of People & Culture
New on the 2025 filing
38 hrs/week
$138K (2025)
Allison Colman
Senior Director of Programs
New on the 2025 filing
38 hrs/week
$129K (2025)
Amanda Hersey - Senior
Director of Conferences
New on the 2025 filing
38 hrs/week
$136K (2025)
Joanna Lombard
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jose Felix Diaz
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Philip Wu
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathy Abbott
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Monica H. Vinluan
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susie Kuruvilla
Treasurer & Director
Director → Treasurer & Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Arnold Randall
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lakita Frazier
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mollie Marsh-Heine
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Armstrong
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anthony-Paul Ap Diaz
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ben Page
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Breece Robertson
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Prue
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathryn Ott Lovell
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phil Ginsburg
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rick Atkins
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Samuel Assefa
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sean Johnson
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tiffany White-Lapierre
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christian Gabriel
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hashim Taylor
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Linden Weiswerda
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shonnda Smith
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Milewski
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kellie May
Chief Partnership Officer
Vice President of Programs → Chief Partnership Officer, 2023
On filings since 2021
38 hrs/week
$143K (2021) → $192K (2025)
Autumn Saxton
Chief Education & Equity Officer
Vice President of Education & Chief Equity Officer → Chief Education & Equity Officer, 2023
On filings since 2022
38 hrs/week
$158K (2022) → $186K (2025)
Candice Carnage - Chief
Financial & Operating Officer
New on the 2025 filing
38 hrs/week
$225K (2025)
Clarissa Garcia - Chief
Communications & Engagement Officer
New on the 2025 filing
38 hrs/week
$208K (2025)
Garrett Warfield-Chief Research
Impact Officer
New on the 2025 filing
38 hrs/week
$27K (2025)
Julie Boland - Vp Credential
Membership Operations
New on the 2025 filing
38 hrs/week
$165K (2025)
Joshua Medeiros
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn McKnight Fredd Cprp
Past Chair
Chair → Past Chair, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (31)
- Former: Julie Boland (2020–2024) — Vice President of Credentialing & Membership Ope
- Former: Kevin Roth (2020–2024) — Vice President of Research
- Former: Nonet T. Sykes (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Victor Brandon Dover (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Xavier D. Urrutia (2020–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Angelou Exeilo (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Candice Carnage (2023–2024) — Chief Financial & Operating Officer
- Former: Aja Jenkins (2024) — Senior Director of People & Culture
- Former: Amanda Hersey (2024) — Senior Director of Conferences
- Former: Clarissa Garcia (2024) — Chief Communications & Engagement Officer
- Former: Gina Mullins-Cohen (2020–2023) — Special Projects Lead
- Former: Greg A. Weitzel (2020–2023) — Director -
- Former: Michael Abbate (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Richard B. Gulley (2020–2023) — Director -
- Former: Carolyn McKnight Fredd (2022–2023) — Chair
- Former: Elvis Cordova (2022–2023) — Vice President Public Policy
- Former: Brenda Camacho (2020–2022) — CFO -
- Former: Jack Kardys (2020–2022) — Past Chair -
- Former: Michael P. Kelly (2020–2022) — Chair -
- Former: Carolyn McKnight (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: David Wenner (2020–2021) — Director of Information Technology
- Former: Lakita Watson (2021) — Director
- Former: Barbara Tulipane (2020) — Former President & CEO
- Former: Hayden Brooks (2020) — Director
- Former: Herman Parker (2020) — Director
- Former: Ian Proud (2020) — Director
- Former: Josue Medeiros (2020) — Director
- Former: Karen Bates Kress (2020) — Director
- Former: Kevin Coyle (2020) — Director
- Former: Kong Chang (2020) — Director
- Former: Richard Dolesh (2020) — Strategic Advisor
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $398K, to Kristine Stratton (President & CEO). 11 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about National Recreation and Park Association
How much does National Recreation and Park Association give each year?
National Recreation and Park Association gave $1.6M across 81 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.3M across 80 grants.
What is National Recreation and Park Association's typical grant size?
National Recreation and Park Association's median grant in 2025 was $18,893, and its average grant was $19,891, across 81 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from National Recreation and Park Association that year got $14K on average.
Where does National Recreation and Park Association give grants?
National Recreation and Park Association's top state is North Carolina, with 11% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (11%) and Maine (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Las Vegas, NV (2 grants).
Does National Recreation and Park Association give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 81 grants with a stated purpose on National Recreation and Park Association's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (81 grants).
Who are National Recreation and Park Association's largest grantees?
National Recreation and Park Association's largest 2025 grantees include Mount Airy Parks and Recreation ($84,515), City of Auburn ($50,738) and Town of Warren ($47,362), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 11% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is National Recreation and Park Association?
National Recreation and Park Association reported $27.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $24.3M.
What does National Recreation and Park Association fund?
NRPA’s mission is to advance parks, recreation and environmental resilience efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people. Its programs and partnerships provide local park and recreation agencies with training, technical assistance, resources, professional development and grant funds. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from National Recreation and Park Association?
National Recreation and Park Association has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check nrpa.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is National Recreation and Park Association's EIN?
National Recreation and Park Association's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-5563001. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work National Recreation and Park Association funds
Environment & Animals Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in National Recreation and Park Association's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). National Recreation and Park Association funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/national-recreation-and-park-association-morg_749dbc9dfaa54a06a0a03baed1e11fac
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_135563001_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{National Recreation and Park Association funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/national-recreation-and-park-association-morg_749dbc9dfaa54a06a0a03baed1e11fac},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from National Recreation and Park Association's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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