Having a unique brand identity for your special parks and recreation district is not uncommon. So, how do you create a visual identity for your district that can evolve to become as recognizable and loved as your historical town seal? We’ve compiled three best practices for rolling out unique branding in a way that will make a big splash with the public ..read more

Punxsutawney Phil the Groundhog may have signaled six more weeks of winter, but spring will be here before we know it. To prepare your parks and recreation department, we pulled together 50 fun, engaging, and unique spring program ideas to add to your community activity catalog ..read more

As a parks and recreation department, you field requests for new amenities daily. What about dog parks? Do they offer benefits to your community that justify the time and cost spent to build and maintain them? Here at CivicPlus®, we did some research, and we’re confident you’ll say, “Let the dogs out,” once you finish reading our list of community benefits from dog parks ..read more

With a new year comes multiple government holidays and educational months in the United States. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Valentine's Day, Black History Month, and Women's History Month all fall at the start of the year and can serve as opportunities for park and recreation departments to get creative with inclusive programs and events. We all love a fresh start, and that's precisely what January, February, and March represent — a new page to be filled and endless possibilities. Acknowledging Black History Month (February) and Women's History Month (March) is vital when building a culture ..read more

Imagine two municipalities, one a small town with a modern, comprehensive recreation management solution and the other a larger city that relies on manual processes and three separate software systems to handle activities, facilities, rentals, and memberships ..read more

Your community deserves the best. When hiring for your parks and recreation department, you compete against the private sector and other nearby governments for top talent. The ideal hire will be someone passionate about community, innovative, committed to inclusivity, and willing to put in the effort needed to manage programs, provide high-quality customer service, and maintain your public spaces to the highest quality ..read more

Parks and recreation departments are facing a hiring challenge. In September 2017, the United States Office of Personnel Management reported that the most significant percentage of government workers were between the ages of 45 and 59—Generation X and baby boomers. Many of those employees have gone on to retire or plan to soon. As a result, government departments, including parks and recreation, must recruit younger generations to open roles while maintaining current, more tenured staff. Today, we’ll focus on how to make your parks and recreation positions more attractive to the next generati ..read more

For over half a century, the National Parks and Recreation Association (NRPA) Annual Conference has served as the epicenter of collaboration and education in the park and recreation industry. Toward the end of September, CivicPlus® attended the conference and enjoyed meeting many fellow professionals and customers. As a company, engaging with the professional outdoor community helps us stay informed and connected with those we serve to better understand their needs. Read on for a recap of the key learnings and trends that shaped our learning experience at this year’s conference ..read more

What would we do without the places we call home? What would we do without the mountain trails, lakes, pine trees, and apple blossoms? What would we do without Halloween parades, tree lightings, and charity 5Ks? For all the things we love about our cities, towns, and villages, we feel grateful to the local government leaders, especially our parks and recreation superstars, who manage every nuance of our recreation spaces, from park trash removal to senior and adaptive programming ..read more