FRANK'S FRIENDS

Meet Our Amazing Partners

The Parks
Alliance

Since its creation in 1991, The Parks Alliance has been committed to changing expectations for Indianapolis’ parks by focusing resources in strategic areas that strengthen our community and elevate parks and trails and eliminate food insecurity.

For more than 20 years, The Parks Alliance has been proud to partner with the City of Indianapolis and the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) to lead the development and maintenance of Indy’s parks, trails, greenways, and public spaces. Having received over $17M in grants from the Lilly Endowment, we have made significant infrastructure improvements in the city’s most urban and utilized parks.

And building on the successes over the years, we are focusing our funds on truly transformative projects, including Tarkington Park, Riverside Park, Indy Urban Acres, and Frederick Douglass Park. In the coming years, The Park Alliance of Indianapolis will continue to aid the City through its fundraising and advocacy efforts of additional transformative public spaces.

Created: 1991

Location: 3001 N White River Parkway W. Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46222

Our Friends

INDY PARKS
DEPARTMENT

We connect communities by providing places and experiences that inspire healthy living, social engagement, and a love of nature.

Friends of the
White River

The Friends of the White River exists to protect, preserve, and promote our vital resource for communities in Central Indiana by connecting people to the White River.

FRIENDS OF FORT HARRISON STATE PARK

The Friends of Fort Harrison State Park is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and preserving the natural resources, park facilities, and educational programs for enrichment of the park. Our organization works closely with the park staff to improve and maintain park trails, gardens, and facilities, provide support for natural resources education, and provide financial and volunteer support for events and programs.

INDIANAPOLIS ART
CENTER

The Art Center builds a better, stronger, more vibrant and more united community through art. As a nonprofit, every year we offer hundreds of classes and camps, more than a dozen contemporary art exhibitions in six galleries, an outreach program that takes art into underserved communities, the OneAmerica Broad Ripple Art Fair, and much, much more!

Camptown Youth
MISSION

Camptown's story began in 1991 when we first led youth on the Appalachian Trail. Since then, we have helped over 50,000 Indiana youth experience purposeful adventures.

Our mission is to challenge, mentor, and teach youth about life through outdoor adventure and nature programs that help build confidence, character, and hope. We partner with schools and other youth organizations to provide programs that develop teamwork, leadership, confidence, and respect.

We prioritize communities that experience nature and education disparities and thanks to fundraising and the support of our community, no student is charged a fee to participate. Camptown adventures improve physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health while teaching new skills that are applicable to their personal and professional lives.

Belmont Beach initiative

Belmont Beach is a grassroots initiative with a mission to reclaim the story of a segregated swimming hole along the White River and celebrate the resilience of a people and an environment that endured in the face of endless harm.

Hemlock Counseling Services

Kelsee Keitel is a licensed therapist, mental health coach, and outdoor enthusiast based in downtown Indianapolis. She offers walk-and-talk counseling sessions for folks who'd like to supplement their therapy experience with movement and fresh air.

Voted 2023 Indiana Counselor of The Year, Kelsee specializes in equipping high-achieving, anxious folks to live more authentic and adventurous lives, by overcoming the behaviors and beliefs that are keeping them stuck.

Mind Body Nature Counseling

Learning from and working with the mind, the Body and the natural world toward whole-body nourishment.

Grant Kinast - Video Creator

I’m Grant, a lifetime Hoosier that loves everything outdoors especially if it’s on the water. I create photo and video content for businesses to market their services and products.

Daniel Woody Photography

"Daniel Woody is a photographer based out of Indianapolis, IN. He's passionate about the outdoors, conservation, quality design, and creating beautiful images. When he's not roughing it in the sticks, searching out adventure, he enjoys collaborating with companies to create imagery that showcases their brand, products, & culture."