The Central Park Conservancy is a private, not-for-profit organization founded in 1980 that manages Central Park under a contract with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Thanks to the generosity of many individuals, corporations, and foundations, the Conservancy has raised more than $350 million to date and has transformed Central Park into a model for urban parks nationwide. Since its founding, the Conservancy has prescribed a management and restoration plan for the Park; funded major capital improvements; created programs for volunteers and visitors; and set new standards of excellence in Park care.

With 25 million visitors each year to its 843 acres, Central Park is the most frequently visited urban park in the United States. The Conservancy provides 84% of Central Park's annual $25 million operating budget and is responsible for all basic care of the Park. Approximately four out of every five Central Park employees are funded by the Conservancy. Conservancy crews aerate and seed lawns; rake leaves; prune and fertilize trees; plant shrubs and flowers; maintain ballfields and playgrounds; remove graffiti; conserve monuments, bridges, and buildings; and care for waterbodies and woodlands, controlling erosion, maintaining the drainage system, and protecting over 150 acres of lakes and streams from pollution, siltation, and algae.

Since its founding, the Conservancy has spent over $70 million to restore most of the major Park landscapes, and has built an endowment of approximately $90 million.  In 1993, a founding Conservancy Trustee offered a $17 million challenge gift for major landscape restorations in Central Park, including the West Side, the Great Lawn, and the North Meadow.  Both the Conservancy and the City matched this unprecedented gift within three years, and the Conservancy went on to raise an additional $26.2 million toward operating support and endowment for the ongoing care of restored landscapes.

Conservancy public programs take advantage of the invaluable resources available in Central Park. Each year the Conservancy provides education programs focusing on environmental science, and Park history; recreation programs for youths, families, community organizations, and schools; and a volunteer program for youths and adults in horticulture and Park information services. In addition, the Conservancy organizes hundreds of free public programs throughout the year throughout the Park, primarily at the visitor centers operated by the Conservancy: The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Belvedere Castle, the Dairy, and the North Meadow Recreation Center.

The Conservancy also works with community and Park user groups to ensure that Central Park remains an enjoyable experience for all Park visitors. Groups like the Woodlands Advisory Board and Central Park PAWS meet with the Conservancy regularly to develop a sense of stewardship among all Park users.

While enabling millions to enjoy the many wonders of Central Park, the Conservancy is firmly committed to maintaining and preserving New York City's treasured greensward and to educating the public to become better stewards of this irreplaceable urban treasure.

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