How Private Giving Grows Greenville’s Parks
Private Dollars S-T-R-E-T-C-H Public Investment and Impact
How can we make every precious taxpayer dollar go further? By adding "icing to the cake" from generous private donors.
Across Greenville County, private philanthropy is quietly stretching public investment in parks, green space, and conservation. The result? More land protected. More access created. More impact delivered… faster.
The Power of the Match
When private donors step up to match public funds, they don't just add dollars -- they unlock projects, accelerate timelines, and turn "maybe someday" into "happening now."
A Local Vision Taking Root
Meet Lea Rohrbaugh–a Greenville native who spent her career helping shape parks for people in New York City. Now, she's bringing that same vision home.
Through the New Leaf Fund established with guidance and support of the Community Foundation of Greenville, Lea is helping catalyze a new era of conservation in Greenville County. The approach is simple AND powerful: Use private dollars to match AND MULTIPLY public investment.
From Vision to Visible Results
The New Leaf Fund's first three grants were each matched dollar-for-dollar by the Community Foundation, doubling their impact on projects large and small AND stretching limited tax dollars:
Southside County Park: 3.6 acres added to this 60-acre park -- the last undeveloped parcel bordering the park that serves thousands of Greenville County families every year
Unity Park / Long Branch Creek: 17+-acre resilience park -- protecting floodplain, restoring habitat, and enhancing a "different" kind of outdoor experience right in the middle of the city -- leaving nature to be nature… no developed fields… just space for native plants and animals and the opportunity for people to enjoy them in that setting
A Mill Village Park: The beginnings of what could become a community's central park and, eventually, a necklace of parks along the Saluda River (more on that soon)
Each project tells the same story: Private + Public = More Conservation. Faster. Smarter.
Why It Matters Now
As Greenville County grows, land prices rise, and opportunities shrink.
With Private Matching Fund:
Public funds go further
More projects get done
A legacy for future generations
Without Private Partners:
Projects stall
Costs climb
Land is lost forever
The Bottom Line
Private donors aren't just helping; they're multiplying the impact of every public dollar spent. That's how you build a lasting legacy of parks, trails, farms, and natural places.
