The Big Sandbox

The Big Sandbox aimed to transform neglected community schoolyards into functional, usable, and dynamic public spaces—but the scope of the project was threatened when its original bridge loan partner shifted its lending focus away from education-related projects.

According to the organization’s founder, landscape architect Lois Brink, The Big Sandbox is an “underdog” in the complex world of redevelopment and construction financing, so they have often failed to measure up to the criteria of typical financial institutions and larger grant-making bodies.

Ultimately, the nonprofit found a solution by connecting with NPF, which specializes in working with projects that fall outside the requirements of traditional lending, and that immediately saw the civic value in these reimagined schoolyards. For Brink, the partnership was an affirmation that local, small-scale enterprises can have as good a chance of success as their larger, more established counterparts.

I think what’s incredible about NPF is that they understand that many groups or individuals just don’t fit into the status quo—whether it is a redevelopment project, new construction, or bridge loans. There’s often no one to support self-organized or small and up-and-coming businesses. They are neighborhood-focused and put that first. That’s just not typical in the industry.