The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy was founded in December 1996 by a group of citizens concerned with the deteriorating conditions of Pittsburgh's historic city parks. A non-profit organization, the Parks Conservancy has worked closely with the City of Pittsburgh since 1998 under an official public-private partnership agreement to restore the city's four regional parks: Frick, Highland, Riverview, and Schenley. To date, the Parks Conservancy has raised $108 million toward park improvements. In addition to completing 17 major park improvement projects, stewarding over 1,700 acres, and working with thousands of volunteers annually, the Parks Conservancy has expanded into community and neighborhood parks as time and resources have permitted. The mission of the Parks Conservancy is to improve quality of life for the people of Pittsburgh by restoring the park system to excellence in partnership with government and the community. Projects and programs are conducted with respect for the environment, historic design, and the needs of our diverse region.