Pogo Park
Pogo Park is a Richmond, California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that transforms abandoned urban parks into safe, community-built play and gathering spaces for children and families in the Iron Triangle neighborhood. It operates two parks and the Yellow Brick Road safe route, funded primarily through California state grants and foundations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersRichmond, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Pogo Park does
Pogo Park is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 by Toody Maher in Richmond, California, that transforms abandoned or underused urban parks in the city's Iron Triangle neighborhood into safe, programmed community spaces. Its core products are two rebuilt parks (the 0.5-acre Elm Playlot and the 2.0-acre Harbour-8 Park) plus the Yellow Brick Road, a trademarked safe bike and walking route connecting 25 redesigned intersections to local schools, churches, parks, and transit. The organization applies a documented community-led methodology in which neighborhood residents plan, design, build, and operate the parks; most staff are themselves Iron Triangle residents. Programs run free of charge on a drop-in basis and include Playwork, Hip-Hop Dance, Art, Chess, free meals (in partnership with West Contra Costa Unified School District), Zumba, gardening, and vision screenings.
The underlying "technology" is a community-development playbook rather than software. Revenue is generated almost entirely through grants and donations, with a small earned-income stream from Pogo Park Products (a social enterprise that designs and builds custom play environments for external customers) and ticketed events such as the Annual Summer Carnival. Cumulative grant funding exceeds $28 million, drawn primarily from California state agencies (Caltrans, California State Parks / Prop 68, Strategic Growth Council, California Natural Resources Agency) and foundations such as the U.S. Bank Foundation. Go-to-market is community-led and place-based: there are no paid marketing channels, and demand is generated through physical presence in the neighborhood, partnerships with schools and nonprofits (First 5 Contra Costa, Vision to Learn, East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, EcoVillage Farm), and earned media. Operational tooling is limited to standard nonprofit SaaS (Salesforce, Mailchimp, Google Analytics).
The most consequential forward project is the $28 million Harbour-8 expansion, which adds Harbour Hall, a 3,500-square-foot community center designed to double as Contra Costa County's first Community Resilience Center, funded in part by a $10 million Strategic Growth Council grant. The intended October 2025 completion marks the organization's transition from single-park operator to multi-asset neighborhood builder with a county-mandated emergency-services role.
Pogo Park firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pogo Park
- Legal name
- Pogo Park
- Website
- https://pogopark.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pogo Park is a Richmond, California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that transforms abandoned urban parks into safe, community-built play and gathering spaces for children and families in the Iron Triangle neighborhood. It operates two parks and the Yellow Brick Road safe route, funded primarily through California state grants and foundations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pogo Park industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Park Development & Nonprofit Social Services
- NAICS
- Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Educational & Edutainment Parks (Science/Discovery/Children’s Parks) (THAJAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Educational Adventure Programs (Outdoor Education, Skill Development) (THAAAAAO)
Keywords
Where Pogo Park is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richmond
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Pogo Park business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation and Government Grants: Major grants from foundations (U.S. Bank Foundation) and government agencies (Caltrans, California State Parks, Strategic Growth Council, Prop 68) fund park development, construction, and programming.
- Individual Donations: Donations from individuals supporting the nonprofit's mission to transform community parks.
- Earned Income - Pogo Park Products: Pogo Park Products is a social enterprise that designs and builds custom play environments and products for customers, generating earned revenue.
- Special Events and Fundraisers: Fee-based events like the Annual Summer Carnival (tickets required for rides and activities, e.g., $12 carnival tickets) serve as fundraisers supporting the nonprofit's work.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Free | Free Programs at Elm Playlot and Harbour-8 Park |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Pogo Park product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pogo Park is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that transforms abandoned, blighted city parks in Richmond, California's Iron Triangle neighborhood into safe, green, beautiful public spaces for children to play. The organization plans, designs, and builds community parks (Elm Playlot and Harbour-8 Park) using a community-led model where local residents are hired, trained, and empowered to do the work. It operates free drop-in park programs, manages the trademarked Yellow Brick Road safe walking/biking route, and runs a social enterprise (Pogo Park Products) that designs and builds custom play environments.
Product overview
Pogo Park is a nonprofit organization that transforms broken and little-used city parks in Richmond, California's Iron Triangle into safe, green, beautiful public spaces for children to play. The core offering consists of two transformed parks - Elm Playlot (Pogo Park #1) and Harbour-8 Park (Pogo Park #2) - which serve as community hubs with various programmed activities and facilities. Supporting initiatives include the Yellow Brick Road safe walking/biking route, Harbour Hall community center/resiliency center, the Pogo Park Products social enterprise that designs custom play environments, and the 909 Ohio property serving as administrative headquarters. The organization uses a community-driven approach where residents participate in planning, designing, and building the parks.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Yellow Brick Road: A safe and beautiful bike and walking route connecting key community assets such as churches, transportation, parks, and schools through Richmond's Iron Triangle neighborhood. Trademarked in 2019.
- Harbour Hall
- Pogo Park Products
- Pogo All-Stars
Products and services
- Elm Playlot (Pogo Park #1) Half-acre community pocket park at 720 Elm Avenue in Richmond's Iron Triangle neighborhood, planned, designed, and built by community residents. Features disc swings, trike path, sandboxes, teepee, stick hut, fort, custom benches, zip-line, tot-lot with mountain stream, water fountains, ball wall, community garden, and a park office with meeting room, bathrooms, and eating facilities. Provides free drop-in programs including Playwork, Hip-Hop Dance, Art, Chess, free meals, and more.
- Harbour-8 Park (Pogo Park #2) 2.0-acre park situated on a two-block section of the Richmond Greenway at 1 Harbour Way South, located at the start of the Yellow Brick Road and two blocks from five schools serving 2,500 students. Features include Harbour Hall (community center), BBQ/picnic area, children's play area, zip line, tot lot, hand-crafted entry gates, and architectural metal perimeter fence. Designed and built by community residents.
- Yellow Brick Road Trademarked safe and beautiful bike and walking route through Richmond's Iron Triangle neighborhood that connects key community assets including churches, transportation, parks, and schools. Involves redesign and rebuilding of 25 intersections to make pedestrian and bicycle travel safer. Conceived by Iron Triangle teenagers in 2008 and incorporated into the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan in 2011.
- Pogo Park Products Social enterprise that designs and builds custom play environments and products for external customers. Generates earned income that supports Pogo Park's nonprofit mission and leverages the founder's prior product design experience (Fortune Magazine's 'Product of the Year' in 1990 via Fun Products).
- Harbour Hall Hand-crafted 3,500 square foot community hall at Harbour-8 Park used for classes, voting, meetings, performing arts, weddings, memorials, and other celebrations. Doubles as Contra Costa County's first Community Resiliency Center (CRC), equipped with backup power, water, food, and communication for emergencies.
- Pogo All-Stars Youth Workforce Program Summer jobs and job training program for local youth ages 14-21. Youth work alongside mentors in Pogo Park's work teams: Parks Operations, Design/Build, Green, Media, and Research.
Quantifiable outcome
- Dramatic reduction in violent crime, drug dealing, and vandalism in immediate neighborhood of Elm Playlot
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Pogo Park
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Pogo Park technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature1 record
Pogo Park partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Ghilotti Brothersminor100-year-old construction company based in San Rafael won the $7.3 million bid (2020) to build the Yellow Brick Road. Construction began June 2021.
- Local Government CommissioncorePartnered with Pogo Park in 2010 along with Fehr and Peers and Blue Zones to contribute to Yellow Brick Road project pro bono. Worked on translating the vision into actionable master plan.
- The Conservation FundcorePartnered with Pogo Park to acquire critical parcels of land adjacent to Harbour-8 Park, including a 17,500 square foot parcel in 2016. Also collaborated on Harbour-8 Park development.
- Trust for Public LandcorePartnered with Pogo Park and City of Richmond since 2013 to transform abandoned two-block section of Richmond Greenway into Harbour-8 Park. Featured Elm Playlot in 'Field Guide for Parks and Creative Placemaking.'
- Richmond LANDcoreCollaborating since 2013 with Pogo Park and the City of Richmond on Harbour-8 Park transformation project.
- East Bay Center for Performing ArtscoreProvides hip-hop dance classes at Elm Playlot as part of Pogo Park's programming. Co-hosts Friday Night Lights events with live performances (music, dance, singing) and food service.
- First 5 Contra CostacorePartners with Pogo Park on Baby & Me program, which helps caretakers of children ages 0-5 learn how to play with their children and participate in activities designed for developmental needs.
- West Contra Costa Unified School DistrictcoreCollaboration to distribute free meals at Elm Playlot, which is the largest distribution point for free meals in the Iron Triangle. Thousands of free meals distributed annually to local children.
- Vision to LearncoreProvides free eye screenings, exams, and glasses to local children at Elm Playlot every year through a partnership program.
- EcoVillage Farm and Learning CentercoreBrings gardening program to Elm Playlot teaching children about earth cycles and planting seasons. Also brings farm animals for petting zoo where children learn to interact with and care for animals.
- UC BerkeleycoreKicked off multi-year research project in 2018 to study impacts of Elm Playlot on community health and well-being. Pogo Park staff assists with UC Berkeley research activities.
- MIG (Berkeley design firm)minorPartnered with Pogo Park and City of Richmond in 2010 to develop Yellow Brick Road plans. Drew up plans for greenscape including trees, plants, and bioswales.
- NFL (Before Super Bowl LI)minorPartnered with Pogo Park in 2017 to install full-scale 3-D model of redesigned intersection next to Elm Playlot, demonstrating how Yellow Brick Road will transform intersections to slow traffic.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Pogo Park competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that creates parks and protects public land, with deep expertise in community-led park design. Trust for Public Land is both a direct peer (parks-creation nonprofit) and a current Pogo Park partner on Harbour-8 Park.
- The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit focused on land and water conservation with practical urban/community impact. Currently a partner on Harbour-8 land acquisition and shares Pogo Park's model of pairing conservation with community development outcomes.
- KaBOOM!: National nonprofit that builds playgrounds in underserved communities, particularly in areas lacking safe play infrastructure. Directly comparable to Pogo Park's mission of creating community-built play spaces in high-need neighborhoods, with similar funder mix and operational model.
- Big Green: National nonprofit building learning gardens in under-resourced schools. Comparable mission of using outdoor spaces for child development and food access in high-need communities.
- Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: National nonprofit converting abandoned rail corridors into public trails. Shares Pogo Park's core thesis of transforming blighted/abandoned urban infrastructure into safe community assets and benefits from similar Caltrans and federal active-transportation funding.
- Playworks: National nonprofit that uses play to improve children's social, emotional, and physical health in low-income schools. Closely comparable to Pogo Park's Playwork methodology and youth development programs.
Broad incumbents
- Enterprise Community Partners: Large national nonprofit focused on affordable housing and community development, with adjacent placemaking and resilience-center expertise. Comparable funder base and Bay Area presence to Pogo Park's institutional partners.
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Major national community development financial institution with similar funder relationships (banks, foundations, government) and a broader portfolio including housing, education, and health. Pogo Park is a sub-grantee of U.S. Bank's Community Possible program alongside LISC's footprint.
Others
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization serving similar low-income children and families with after-school programming. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but shares Pogo Park's funder base (corporate, foundation) and target demographics.
Regional players
- East Bay Regional Parks District: Regional public park agency serving the East Bay including Richmond. Operates parks serving overlapping populations but as a government agency with very different funding model, scope, and community-development methodology.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pogo Park social profiles
Digital presencePogo Park compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Pogo Park financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pogo Park leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Pogo Park funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pogo Park M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pogo Park
What does Pogo Park do?
Pogo Park is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that transforms abandoned, blighted city parks in Richmond, California's Iron Triangle neighborhood into safe, green, beautiful public spaces for children to play. The organization plans, designs, and builds community parks (Elm Playlot and Harbour-8 Park) using a community-led model where local residents are hired, trained, and empowered to do the work. It operates free drop-in park programs, manages the trademarked Yellow Brick Road safe walking/biking route, and runs a social enterprise (Pogo Park Products) that designs and builds custom play environments.
Is Pogo Park a public or private company?
Pogo Park is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Pogo Park founded?
Pogo Park was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pogo Park based?
Pogo Park is headquartered in Richmond, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pogo Park make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Foundation and Government Grants are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, earned Income - Pogo Park Products and special Events and Fundraisers.
Who are Pogo Park's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Trust for Public Land, The Conservation Fund, KaBOOM!, Big Green, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and Playworks. Broad incumbents are Enterprise Community Partners and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Boys & Girls Clubs of America is listed as an others. East Bay Regional Parks District is listed as a regional player.
Does Pogo Park have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pogo Park.
What industry is Pogo Park in?
Pogo Park's product category is Community Park Development & Nonprofit Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAEAG, Educational & Edutainment Parks (Science/Discovery/Children’s Parks), with a secondary code of THAAAAAO, Educational Adventure Programs (Outdoor Education, Skill Development). Its NAICS code is 712190 and its SIC code is 7900.