The Doris Duke Foundation and the Tiffany & Co. Foundation both recently announced $1 million grants for the New York City Natural Areas Conservancy. This new nonprofit organization, which will act as a public-private partnership with the city's Department of Parks and Recreation, is similar to other organizations currently working across the city, such as the Central Park Conservancy and the Prospect Park Alliance.

These environmental and conservation groups are working to bring additional resources to the city's parks and dismantle the image that New York City is comprised only of bricks and concrete. In fact, the island has more than 30,000 acres of park areas that are managed by public departments, including wetlands, forested areas and grasslands.

"The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is proud to support this innovative public-private approach to making the most of nature in cities," said Ed Henry, president of the foundation. "It will serve as a model for how to manage urban wildlife habitat while also highlighting the ability of these areas to serve as 'green infrastructure.'"

New organizations that are looking to raise funds for important initiatives might benefit from nonprofit financial management software, which can be used to produce reports for potential donors.