Volunteer Park Trust’s mission is to preserve and enhance Volunteer Park for today and for generations to come. To succeed in our mission, VPT is committed to making the park a place that is welcoming to all people, regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Our commitment to equity in public spaces includes reckoning with Seattle’s history. We acknowledge the city of Seattle and Volunteer Park are on unceded ancestral Coast Salish land, and we vow to honor this heritage through preservation and education.

Volunteer Park Trust also recognizes the systemic racism that still exists in our world today and pledges to explore the ways it influences our organization’s thinking and actions. We promise to examine ways to amplify historically marginalized voices, including prioritizing the diversity of our committee members and boosting outreach to communities less likely to benefit from the park.

We challenge ourselves, as well as our partners and supporters, to look at our work through a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice and to listen to community leaders from diverse communities across Seattle.

Volunteer Park’s original landscape architect, John C. Olmsted, designed the park with the knowledge that community members would benefit psychologically from the natural scenery. Volunteer Park Trust strives to further that vision, ensuring the park is a place of refuge, peace, and safety. We are committed to making Volunteer Park a citywide destination and community gathering space for people from all neighborhoods and backgrounds.