Keep splash pads mapped, free forever
SplashPadHub is a free national directory built for parents, cited by journalists, and powered by parks data. Donations cover hosting, verification, research, and editor hours. Every dollar is tracked and reported quarterly.
Why donate
Short answer: SplashPadHub has no paywall, no display ads, and no VC money. The directory runs on hosting bills, verification work, and editor hours. Donations are how we keep every state and city page free for parents while still growing the directory, fixing data gaps, and publishing original research. If a city page or the planner saved you a hot afternoon, a one-time tip or a small monthly pledge keeps that going for the next family searching tonight.
Where the money goes
Rough allocation across a full season. Actuals are reconciled and published each quarter — see the transparency promise below.
Hosting & domains
Vercel hosting, splashpadhub.com domain, Resend transactional email, map tile CDN, and the API budget that keeps the directory online during summer traffic spikes.
Data verification
Cross-checking new submissions against city park sources, photo licensing, geocoding fixes, and the quarterly seasonal-status sweeps before Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Original research
State-of-splash-pads benchmark reports, accessibility audits, and the long-form guides that get cited by AI engines and journalists. Research is slow; donations buy us time to do it right.
Editor time
Hand-written city pages, parent-submission triage, correction emails, and the boring-but-important changelog that keeps trust high. Real humans, paid for real hours.
Donation options
One-time tip
A one-shot thank-you if a city page helped you plan a summer outing. Goes straight into hosting and verification. No account, no recurring charge.
Tip on Buy Me a Coffee →Recurring monthly
Tiered monthly support on Patreon. Funds the steady costs — hosting, verification cycles, editor hours — that keep the directory growing every season. Cancel anytime.
Become a monthly supporter →Major partner / sponsor
Cities, brands, and family-friendly organizations should look at our partner and sponsor tracks instead of donating personally. Editorial firewall fully intact.
See partner & sponsor tiers →Buy Me a Coffee and Patreon handle payment processing — we never see your card details. Organizations should use /partners or /sponsors instead so the relationship is disclosed properly.
What we promise donors
No paywall, ever
The directory, the map, the planner, and every state and city page stay free for parents — full stop. Donations exist so the front door never gets a price tag.
No banner ads from donations
We don't run programmatic display ads. Donations are not used to subsidize ad inventory — there is none. The only commerce on the site is clearly disclosed affiliate links on /shop.
Quarterly transparency report
Every quarter we publish what came in, what it paid for, and what's still gapped. Real numbers, not vibes — linked from this page once the first cycle closes.
We never sell your email
Donor emails are used to send a thank-you and (if you opt in) the quarterly transparency report. They are never sold, rented, traded, or used for unrelated marketing.
Tax notes
SplashPadHub is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations made through Buy Me a Coffee or Patreon are personal support payments — they are not tax-deductible in the United States. We don't issue donation receipts for tax purposes, and we don't claim charity status.
If tax-deductible giving matters to you, consider donating to a registered nonprofit working in the same space — KaBOOM!, Trust for Public Land, and local parks foundations all accept tax-deductible gifts that fund public play spaces, including splash pads. We list a curated set of these on our /resources page.
This page is not tax advice. If the deductibility question matters for your situation, please check with a tax professional in your state.
Recent supporters
Thank-you wall for recent donors. First name + state only — never full names, never email addresses, never amounts. Listed only with explicit permission, otherwise marked anonymous.
- Sarah M., Ohioname shown with permission
- Daniel R., Texasname shown with permission
- Anonymous, Californiaanonymous
- Priya K., New Jerseyname shown with permission
- Anonymous, Floridaanonymous
- Jordan T., Minnesotaname shown with permission
- Maria L., Arizonaname shown with permission
- Anonymous, Washingtonanonymous
Want to opt in or out of the wall? Reply to your thank-you email — we'll update within one business day.
Methodology & accountability
Donations don't influence the directory. Donor names never appear on pad rankings, best-of guides, city pages, or feature flags. The editorial firewall described on /trust applies to donations exactly the same way it applies to sponsorships.
Quarterly reconciliation. We publish dollars in, dollars out, and what's still under-funded — same template every quarter so the trend is auditable. First report goes out at the close of the current quarter and gets linked here.
Refunds. One-time tips on Buy Me a Coffee and recurring pledges on Patreon are refundable through those platforms per their respective policies. Email donate@splashpadhub.com if you need help reaching the right channel.