Trust for Public Land

What Trust for Public Land does

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1972, headquartered at 101 Mission Street in San Francisco, that acquires and conserves land, creates parks and trails, and converts urban schoolyards into public play and learning spaces. Its core programmatic lines — Land Conservation, Trails, Local Parks, and Schoolyards — are delivered through a regional office network spanning at least eleven U.S. cities (Atlanta, Seattle, Santa Fe, Denver, Pasadena, Sacramento, San Francisco, New Haven, Washington DC, Tallahassee, and Jackson), enabling simultaneous deal sourcing, municipal relationship management, and on-the-ground transaction execution nationwide. Since founding, TPL reports cumulative impact of 4 million acres protected, 5,504 outdoor spaces created, 9.7 million people connected to nature, and $112 billion in public funding secured for conservation.

TPL's intellectual platform centers on the ParkScore Index, an annually published ranking of the 100 most populous U.S. cities on park access, equity, and investment, which functions as both a thought-leadership asset and a recurring engagement mechanism with municipal clients. Its underlying technical work relies on GIS and spatial analysis tools for conservation transaction underwriting and equity mapping rather than disclosed AI/ML systems. The organization operates a dedicated LWCF Tribal Hub to channel federal Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars to Tribal nations.

TPL's revenue model is a nonprofit hybrid: individual donations and planned giving, corporate partnerships across consumer/fitness/energy/equine verticals (LG Electronics, Expedia, Life Time Foundation, REI, Avangrid, Campbell Soup, Stronach Group), federal and state grants (USDA, U.S. Forest Service, LWCF), and conservation real-estate transactions. It executes both grant-funded program delivery and direct land acquisition — exemplified by its $175 million Golden Gate Fields acquisition in 2026 — making it simultaneously a service-delivery nonprofit, a fundraising intermediary, and a real-estate operator in the conservation sector.

Name

Trust for Public Land

Legal name

Trust for Public Land

Website

https://tpl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Trust for Public Land is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1972 that conserves land, builds parks and trails, and creates schoolyards, serving municipalities, federal agencies, Tribal nations, corporate partners, and individual donors across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Land conservation services
• Park development programs
• Public land protection
• Outdoor recreation advocacy
• Conservation nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Memberships: Direct contributions from individual donors and members supporting conservation and park creation efforts
2. Corporate Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with corporations such as LG Electronics USA for transforming schoolyards and other conservation initiatives
3. Public Funding Secured: Securing public funding for parks and open space through advocacy and community organizing - $112 billion secured historically
4. Planned Giving: Bequests and planned giving programs for long-term conservation support

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Trust for Public Land is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates and protects parks, trails, and public lands by working directly with communities, government agencies, and school districts, then transferring completed projects to public ownership. Core offerings include land acquisition and conservation easements, urban local-park creation, trails development, schoolyard transformation, and the ParkScore Index benchmarking platform. The organization funds this work through individual donations, corporate partnerships, government grants, and public funding it helps communities secure.

Product overview

Trust for Public Land is a conservation nonprofit organization that operates several interconnected programs to connect everyone to the outdoors. Their core offerings include the ParkScore Index (a city park ranking system), Land Conservation (protecting public lands), Trails development, Local Parks creation, and Schoolyards transformation. These programs work together to expand access to nature, with a focus on underserved communities. The organization has created 5,504 outdoor spaces and protected 4 million acres since 1972.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ParkScore: An annual index ranking park systems across the 100 most populous U.S. cities, measuring accessibility, investment, amenities, and equity.
• 10 Minute Walk
• The Land & People Lab
• Fitness Zones

Products and services

• ParkScore Index Annual ranking system that evaluates park systems across the 100 most populous U.S. cities on access, investment, amenities, and equity, providing comparative data for urban park systems and identifying where parks are needed most.
• Schoolyards Program Initiative that transforms asphalt schoolyards into green outdoor spaces, expanding access to nature for children and communities in underserved areas, delivered in partnership with K-12 public school districts.
• Land Conservation Conservation program focused on protecting and acquiring land for public benefit, including national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and working lands, often using Land and Water Conservation Fund and Forest Legacy Program grants.
• Trails Program Initiative to create and maintain trails and greenways for walking, hiking, and cycling, connecting communities to outdoor spaces.
• Local Parks Program Program to create and improve neighborhood parks in urban areas, ensuring communities have access to close-to-home green spaces.
• 10 Minute Walk Campaign National campaign partnering with mayors and local leaders to ensure every child has access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk of home.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 million acres of land protected, 5,504 outdoor spaces created, 9.7 million people connected to the outdoors since 1972
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Tribal Organizations (LWCF Tribal Hub)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Tribal organizations and nonprofit partners announced the LWCF Tribal Hub, a resource developed to help Tribal governments navigate and access conservation and recreation funding opportunities nationwide. Addresses structural barriers including matching-fund requirements and application processes restricting Tribal access to LWCF grants.
• Expedia GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Expedia Group launched the Expedia Trails Fund with $4.3 million in grants across 11 U.S. conservation projects, including partnerships with outdoor trail restoration efforts. The fund represents Expedia's expansion into philanthropy and travel ecosystem development beyond traditional booking services.
• Flathead Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026Flathead Land Trust purchased the Foys to Blacktail property using private donor funding and will hold the land until Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks secures a permanent conservation easement, tripling the size of adjacent Herron Park.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026Major national conservation organization that operates in Tennessee and frequently engages with landowners through purchases, conservation easements, or donations. TPL is one of several conservation organizations profiled in Champagne Law Firm's guide for landowners considering conservation transactions.
• The Conservation FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026Major national conservation organization operating alongside Trust for Public Land in Tennessee, engaging landowners through conservation easements and land purchases.
• Ducks UnlimitedminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026Major national conservation organization mentioned alongside TPL as organizations landowners in Tennessee can work with for conservation transactions through purchases and conservation easements.
• Life Time FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026Life Time Foundation, created by Life Time Inc., has provided more than $3 million in grants since late 2023 supporting reforestation, conservation, and biological diversity. Life Time team members participate in environmental initiatives including tree plantings and tornado recovery efforts in partnership with Trust for Public Land and other organizations.
• Stronach GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Trust for Public Land announced agreement to purchase the 161-acre Golden Gate Fields site from the Stronach Group for $175 million, with plans to transform it into a public park in the Bay Area. Funding comes from public bonds and private philanthropy, with plans for environmental restoration and community input.
• LG Electronics USAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 December 2025LG Electronics USA partnered with Trust for Public Land to transform asphalt schoolyards into green outdoor spaces across the United States. The partnership emphasizes accessible outdoor areas for community well-being, highlighted during Giving Tuesday with a Times Square campaign showcasing transformative projects. The initiative aligns with LG's mission of promoting healthier communities through expanding access to outdoor spaces.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Nature Conservancy: Largest U.S. environmental nonprofit, operating a near-identical land acquisition and conservation easement model across all 50 states and globally. Directly comparable on mission, donor base, federal funding access, and project scale.
• Ducks Unlimited: Major national conservation organization with a wetland and wildlife habitat focus. Competes for federal conservation funding, individual donors, and large-scale land acquisition deals across the U.S.
• Sierra Club: Major national environmental advocacy organization with overlapping mission on public lands, outdoor access, and conservation policy. Competes for individual donors and federal advocacy influence.
• National Parks Conservation Association: National nonprofit advocating for and supporting the National Park System, with parallel advocacy, donor, and government partnership structures to TPL.
• National Wildlife Federation: National conservation advocacy and habitat organization with a comparable donor and policy model. Overlaps with TPL on wildlife habitat, public lands, and federal conservation advocacy.
• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit focused on land and water conservation through purchase, easement, and partnership with government agencies. Closely aligned with TPL on project types, federal program participation, and landowner engagement.
• The Wilderness Society: Public lands conservation organization focused on federal land management and wilderness designation. Comparable on policy advocacy, federal partnerships, and donor-driven conservation outcomes.

Regional players

• Appalachian Mountain Club: Regional conservation and recreation organization in the Northeast, with a comparable focus on trail building, land conservation, and outdoor access programming — but with a geographically concentrated footprint.

Others

• Land Trust Alliance: Industry association and capacity-builder for the land trust community, of which TPL is a leading member. Comparable constituency and policy positioning, but operates as a membership body rather than project executor.

Emerging players

• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: National nonprofit focused on converting rail corridors into trails — directly comparable to TPL's Trails program. Operates in similar urban and federal funding ecosystems but with a narrower geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tpl_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TrustforPublicLand
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheTrustforPublicLand
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-trust-for-public-land
• Instagraminstagram.com/trustforpublicland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trust for Public Land