The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park was founded in 1992 in response to dramatic cuts in the City's Parks and Recreation budget that created a growing need for community stewardship and private sector funding. Originally, FVCP was a small, informal group of Bronx residents interested in collectively sponsoring a park-based teen program. The Summer Teen Program had such a positive effect on both the Park and the teen participants that FVCP was encouraged by the Parks Department to assume a leadership role in broader park issues.