Balboa Park has always been a sanctuary for learning, creativity, and connection. From beekeeping and botany to cultural education and the arts, local nonprofits make this park more than just a beautiful space—they make it meaningful. But starting January, the City of San Diego is implementing paid parking passes that do not include exemptions for nonprofit members. This change puts dozens of volunteer-run organizations at risk and threatens to push them out of the very park they've helped enrich for decades.

Over 3,000 active nonprofit members regularly meet in Balboa Park. Many offer free educational programs, public service events, and cultural gatherings. None of them are paid. And now they’ll be asked to pay to participate in the same community spaces they’ve built. Volunteers and staff will be exempt from fees, but nonprofit members—who are often the ones hosting events, running classes, and serving the public—will not.

The City says it needs to raise $2.9 million to help address its budget shortfall, but it shouldn't come at the cost of local nonprofits. These organizations already operate on shoestring budgets and rely on free access to public space. The new fees could force many of them to leave Balboa Park entirely.

We are asking the San Diego City Council to revise this plan and support a more equitable solution. One option is a meeting-based parking validation system, allowing nonprofit members to attend official events and gatherings without having to pay out of pocket. Another is allowing nonprofits to register eligible members through the same system being built for staff and volunteers.

Balboa Park belongs to the people. Let's make sure it stays that way—for everyone who gives their time, talent, and heart to make it better.

Sign this petition to urge the San Diego City Council to protect nonprofit access to Balboa Park and create a fair, workable exemption for nonprofit members.