What Hoyt Arboretum does

Hoyt Arboretum, legally operated as Hoyt Arboretum Friends, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1986 to manage conservation, education, recreation, and capital improvements at a 185-acre public arboretum in Portland, Oregon, under a long-term operating partnership with Portland Parks and Recreation. The organization curates one of the Pacific Northwest's most comprehensive living tree collections, supported by a searchable online plant database and a physical herbarium of preserved specimens used for botanical research and education. It serves general public visitors with free year-round trail access (12+ miles), families and youth through field trips, preschool walks, homeschool, scout, and family forest programs, adult learners through classes and guided hikes (including wellness offerings such as Tai Chi and Qigong), wedding and private event clients through venue rentals of Stevens Pavilion, Redwood Deck, Wedding Meadow, and Stone Circle, and corporate partners through sponsorship programs.

Revenue derives from a diversified set of streams: individual memberships starting at $35/year (or $6/month via the Evergreen Circle), tax-deductible charitable donations (one-time, stock, and workplace giving), corporate and small business sponsorships, paid adult education classes and youth programs, venue rental fees, and visitor center gift shop retail. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer across the Portland metropolitan area, supplemented by membership reciprocity benefits at 320+ gardens and arboreta across North America and community engagement through digital channels (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, email newsletter, blog). The organization holds the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency (2024), GuideStar's four-star rating, and 1% for the Planet Environmental Partner status, and was awarded a $100,000 grant from Travel Oregon on 2023-11-16.

Core "technology" comprises the living plant collection, the herbarium, and a searchable plant database — domain-asset-driven infrastructure rather than software platforms. The organization does not disclose revenue, has no documented venture or private equity funding, and operates with a small staff (11-50 employees). There are no documented AI/ML capabilities, no API, no proprietary software products, and no commercial technology licensing; the entity is essentially a public-facing mission-driven nonprofit whose primary deliverable is in-person conservation and education programming rather than scalable software.

Name

Hoyt Arboretum

Legal name

Hoyt Arboretum Friends

Website

https://hoytarboretum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hoyt Arboretum Friends is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates Portland's 185-acre living museum of trees in partnership with Portland Parks and Recreation, delivering free public trail access, youth and adult education programs, venue rentals, conservation research, and a plant database to general visitors, families, and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Memberships: Annual membership program starting at $35/year or $6/month (Evergreen Circle), providing benefits including member-only tours, quarterly newsletters, gift shop discounts, class discounts, and reciprocal benefits at over 320 gardens and arboreta across North America.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals, with a 501(c)(3) status (Federal Tax ID: 93-0919495). Accepts one-time gifts, stock donations, and workplace giving.
3. Event Rentals: Rental revenue from venue spaces including Stevens Pavilion, Redwood Deck, Wedding Meadow, and Stone Circle for private events such as weddings.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship opportunities for businesses to support the arboretum in exchange for visibility and brand association.
5. Educational Programs and Classes: Revenue from adult education classes, youth programs, field trips, and specialized workshops.
6. Visitor Center Gift Shop: Retail sales at the visitor center gift shop with discounts for members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hoyt Arboretum Friends, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, operates a 185-acre living museum of trees in Portland, Oregon through a public-private partnership with Portland Parks and Recreation. The organization provides free public trail access across its documented tree collection, delivers educational programs for schools and families, runs seasonal camps and naturalist tours, sells memberships and accepts donations, rents the site for weddings and corporate events, and operates an on-site gift shop with related retail items.

Product overview

Hoyt Arboretum is Portland's living museum of trees operated as a partnership between Hoyt Arboretum Friends and Portland Parks & Recreation. The organization offers a unified portfolio of visitor experiences and educational services organized around tree conservation and public education. Core offerings include guided and self-guided tours through extensive trail systems, youth and adult education programs (including preschool walks, field trips, classes, and workshops), a searchable plant database and herbarium for research purposes, conservation and research initiatives, community science volunteer programs, and event venue rentals (Stevens Pavilion, Redwood Deck, Wedding Meadow, Stone Circle). The membership program (Hoyt Arboretum Friends) provides benefits including reciprocal access to over 320 gardens and arboreta, with the Evergreen Circle monthly giving tier and Silver Leaf Stewards commemorative program supporting ongoing operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hoyt Arboretum Public Trail Access Free public access to 185 acres of marked trails within the arboretum, allowing visitors to explore the documented tree collection in Washington Park, Portland. Designed for general visitors, families, and outdoor recreation seekers in the Portland metro area.
• Hoyt Arboretum Friends Membership Program Annual individual and family memberships that provide ongoing support to the arboretum and typically include benefits such as discounts, publications, and member events. Targeted at local residents and supporters of conservation and environmental education.
• School Field Trip and Educational Programs Structured environmental and botanical learning programs for K-12 school groups, homeschool networks, and youth organizations, delivered on-site at the arboretum. Program content is aligned with environmental science and tree-focused curriculum themes.
• Summer Camps and Youth Programs Seasonal summer camp programs offered for children and youth combining outdoor recreation with hands-on learning about trees, plants, and forest ecology. Targeted at Portland-area families seeking structured summer programming for their children.
• Naturalist-Led Tours and Self-Guided Learning Materials Guided educational tours led by arboretum staff naturalists as well as self-guided materials and trail maps for individual visitors, supporting tree identification and ecology learning. Aimed at general visitors, families, and educational groups.
• Wedding and Event Venue Rentals Use of arboretum facilities and grounds for weddings, corporate retreats, milestone celebrations, and other private events on a rental basis. Designed for engaged couples, wedding planners, and corporate event organizers seeking a scenic outdoor Portland-area venue.
• Hoyt Arboretum Gift Shop and Plant Sales On-site retail store selling nature-themed merchandise, books, gifts, and seasonal plants tied to the arboretum collection. Targeted at visiting members and general public who stop at the visitor center.

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Portland Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership between Hoyt Arboretum Friends and Portland Parks and Recreation for the management and operation of the 185-acre arboretum. Portland Parks and Recreation provides public land and infrastructure while Hoyt Arboretum Friends supports conservation, education, recreation, and capital improvements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• United States Botanic Garden: A public botanic garden in Washington, D.C. offering plant collections, educational programming, and exhibitions with free admission; parallels Hoyt's free-access, education-led model.
• Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University: A Boston-based nonprofit arboretum and research institution with a curated tree collection, herbarium, education programs, and public access; mirrors Hoyt's research and conservation mission.
• Chicago Botanic Garden: A nonprofit botanic garden operating curated plant collections, educational classes, research, and event venues. Comparable scope to Hoyt's botanical offerings with a larger scale.
• Morton Arboretum: A large nonprofit arboretum near Chicago operating as a living tree museum on 1,700 acres, offering similar memberships, educational programming, research, and event rentals. Closest direct analog to Hoyt Arboretum's structure and offerings.
• Missouri Botanical Garden: A nonprofit botanical garden with extensive plant collections, research, conservation programs, and educational classes. Comparable mission, scale, and membership model.
• Washington Park Arboretum (UW Botanic Gardens): A Pacific Northwest arboretum and botanical garden with a similar public-park partnership model, tree collections, and educational programming. Strong regional analog.

Others

• American Public Gardens Association: The industry association supporting North American public gardens and arboreta, with which Hoyt is networked via reciprocal memberships. Ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor.

Regional players

• Portland Japanese Garden: A Portland-based cultural garden offering curated outdoor experiences, education, memberships, and venue rentals. Direct geographic peer serving similar Portland audience.

Emerging players

• The Arboretum at Penn State Behrend: A smaller arboretum offering curated tree collections, educational programs, and free public access. Comparable in mission and community-led model, but smaller scale.

Broad incumbents

• Nature Conservancy: A large-scale nonprofit focused on land and species conservation, often partnering with or supporting arboreta and botanical gardens. Indirect peer in conservation and education space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hoytarboretumfriends
• Facebookfacebook.com/HoytArboretumFriends
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hoyt-arboretum-friends
• Instagraminstagram.com/hoytarboretum
• Xx.com/hoytarboretum

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Hoyt Arboretum