Houston Parks Get $50-Million to Create New Green Space

How much: $50-million pledge

Who got it: Houston Parks Board, a nonprofit that raises money to help the city develop and maintain green spaces

Who gave it: Richard Kinder, co-founder and chairman of Kinder Morgan, an energy company in Houston, and his wife, Nancy

Where the money will go: For the Bayou Greenways 2020 project, which will create 1,500 acres of new parkland within the city and connect 150 miles of trails along the area’s bayous

Other giving: The Kinders previously gave $50-million to parks over the past decade. The couple donated $30-million to the Buffalo Bayou Partnership in 2010 and $10-million to the Houston Downtown Park Conservancy in 2004.

Their giving plans: The Kinders intend to give away 95 percent of their wealth, much of it to Houston groups that work to improve education, green spaces, and the city’s quality of life.

How the gift came about: The couple approached the Houston Parks Board last year after watching the progress of the project, says Ms. Kinder. They offered the organization $50-million, half of the amount it needed to match the city’s contribution to the Greenways plan, but only if it could secure an agreement from Houston’s City Council that the city would maintain the parklands for the long term. The board made the deal and the couple made their pledge.

Impact donors seek: The Kinders hope their gift inspires other people to support Houston parks. “I got a call from another philanthropist in town who wanted to give a million dollars to the project because they were so excited about it,” Ms. Kinder says. “If we can generate that kind of interest with other people in Houston, that’s a big part of our goal.”