Manhattan Beach has a new way to fund park benches, fitness stations and first-responder gear: resident donations.

The city formally partnered with LoveMB Foundation, a volunteer-run nonprofit, at a kickoff event on Thursday, Sept. 17, according to a city announcement posted Monday, Sept. 28. The 501(c)(3) organization will work with city officials to identify public projects that private philanthropy can support.

"LoveMB is a great example of our community coming together to make Manhattan Beach even better," Mayor Joe Franklin said in the announcement. "We're excited to build on that spirit through this partnership."

Two projects are already listed on the foundation's website: a fitness station along Veterans Parkway and new benches for the Polliwog Park dog run. The foundation is led by a nine-member volunteer board chaired by Karen Komatinsky and funded entirely through tax-deductible community donations.

The partnership has roots going back more than two years. In February 2024, the Manhattan Beach City Council voted 5-0 to approve the foundation and provide $50,000 in start-up funding, as The MB News reported. The council had initially been asked for $104,900 for the first year but agreed to the smaller amount with a six-month review.

Before drafting the foundation's framework, the organizing committee studied 18 similar foundations and interviewed representatives from Palos Verdes, Santa Barbara and Boulder, Colorado, according to The MB News. Manhattan Beach previously ran a donation program that funded tree planting and park benches, but that program was put on hold in 2018.

When the council approved the foundation in 2024, Franklin called the effort a product of determined residents. "Don't underestimate the effort of determined people, especially parents, who want to have better facilities and better schools," he said at the time.

After that 2024 vote, Komatinsky described the foundation's approach. "The way you get things going in the '90266' is by bringing smart, creative and enthusiastic people together," she said.

Residents who want to donate or propose a project can visit lovemb.org or email [email protected].