2 | 2024 National Recreation and Park Association EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Parks and recreation provides essential public services to communities all across the United States. Not only do park and recreation professionals and their agencies act as environmental stewards of the natural resources in their areas, but also by managing park and recreation facilities they increase economic value, promote socialization, and implement programming that improves the physical and mental well-being of individuals in their communities. From offering after- school programs to providing safe and inclusive spaces for community members to congregate, agencies directly impact the quality of life in their areas. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) gathers data annually from park and recreation agencies nationwide to assemble a clear overview of park and recreation agencies’ performance. The purpose of this 2024 NRPA Agency Performance Review is to allow agencies to compare their own performance metrics with those of other U.S. agencies to identify areas of excellence and areas for potential improvement. As agencies preview the data presented in this report, it is important to note that there is no one-size-fitsall solution for maintaining and improving a park and recreation agency. The 2024 NRPA Agency Performance Review does not provide “standards” which all agencies must strive to deliver, but rather serves as an informative evidence-based guideline. Factors such as jurisdiction population, the unique needs of each community and funding all play a major role in how an agency operates. In this report, we compare data grouped by agency size, funding, population served and other factors in order to provide agency professionals with more peerbased results. To operate successfully, an agency must customize its offerings to the unique needs of its community members. Identifying characteristics of members in an agency’s community based on age, economic means, interests and other backgrounds is vital for creating relevant programming and offerings. A successful agency will know its community’s characteristics and operate accordingly to better serve its residents. We recommend that park and recreation agencies and professionals use the 2024 NRPA Agency Performance Review in conjunction with other internal and external resources to gather a clearer understanding of needs and resources specific to their agency. How to Use the 2024 NRPA Agency Performance Review and NRPA Park Metrics To begin using the 2024 NRPA Agency Performance Review, first look at the available data. Throughout this report, tables, graphs and other data-based visuals are provided based on a “typical” agency within a given jurisdiction population or population. The “typical” agency represents the median of data collected for a metric. Information also includes upper and lower quartiles for further insight. To further benefit from the information provided in this report, examine the comprehensive cross-tabulations and interactive charts found at nrpa.org/APR. Park and recreation agencies across the country used the NRPA Park Metrics survey tool to self-report all data that were used in this report. Visit the Park Metrics website (nrpa.org/ParkMetrics) to learn more about this suite of tools and create a Park Metrics account or log in to an existing account to build a more customized benchmark report based on agency type, size and geographic region. Use this tool to generate reports that will further assist in analyzing your agency’s data needs, as well as identify peer agencies with similar characteristics to your own. The 2024 NRPA Agency Performance Review presents data from nearly 1,000 park and recreation agencies across the country from 2021 to 2023. Note: Not all agencies answered every survey question.
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