Forest Park Forever

What Forest Park Forever does

Forest Park Forever is a private nonprofit conservancy founded in 1986 that operates in an innovative public-private partnership with the City of St. Louis to restore, maintain, and sustain Forest Park, a 1,300-acre urban park that draws approximately 15.5 million annual visitors. The organization delivers capital restoration projects under the Forest Park Master Plan, manages a 172-acre Nature Reserve, coordinates educational programs for students and adults, and serves as the central fundraising and stewardship body for the Park alongside five co-located cultural institutions (the Saint Louis Zoo, Saint Louis Art Museum, The Muny, Saint Louis Science Center, and Missouri History Museum). Revenue is generated through individual memberships (over 6,000 members), the Leffingwell Society leadership giving program (which provides more than 75% of annual funds for daily park care), major capital campaigns (including a $139M campaign completed in 2017), corporate sponsorships (Enterprise Mobility, Purina, Emerson, PNC Foundation, Spire), annual events such as the Hat Luncheon, and planned giving vehicles.

The organization runs a small paid staff (11-50) supported by 1,100 active volunteers, executing major capital projects including the 22.5-acre Glade redevelopment of Steinberg Rink, the Nicholas J. Booker Basketball Courts, the Oakland Avenue Playground renovation, and the Boathouse renovation, while simultaneously managing a multi-year recovery from the May 2025 tornado that damaged 1,053 trees. Its product surface spans the Forest Park Passport activity program, the Forest Park Living Lab research initiative (a partnership with Washington University's Living Earth Collaborative, NGRREC, Saint Louis University, and the Saint Louis Zoo), and the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center, supported by standard nonprofit digital infrastructure rather than proprietary technology. The 20-30 year partnership renewal signed with the City in 2024, combined with the Park's 150th anniversary in 2026, frames a multi-decade operating runway anchored by diversified philanthropy across individuals, corporations, and events.

Name

Forest Park Forever

Legal name

Forest Park Forever

Website

https://forestparkforever.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forest Park Forever is a private nonprofit conservancy that partners with the City of St. Louis to restore, maintain, and sustain a 1,300-acre urban park serving 15.5 million annual visitors, funded by memberships, corporate sponsorships, events, and capital campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Park Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Park conservation
• Habitat restoration
• Environmental education
• Community fundraising
• Urban park management

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Program: Individual membership donations providing ongoing annual support for park maintenance and operations. Tiers include Young Friends, standard membership, and Leffingwell Society leadership giving.
2. Major Fundraising Campaigns: Capital campaigns raise funds for specific restoration projects. In 2017, the organization completed a major fundraising campaign securing $139 million for Park restoration projects and an expanded endowment.
3. Hat Luncheon Annual Fundraiser: Annual signature fundraising event, the single largest annual fundraiser for Forest Park. The 35th Hat Luncheon raised $665,000 (2026); the 34th raised over $400,000 (2025).
4. Corporate Sponsorship and Support: Corporate partners (e.g., Enterprise Mobility, Purina, Emerson, PNC Foundation, Spire) provide financial support, grants, and in-kind contributions for capital projects and programs.
5. Tribute and Planned Giving: Planned giving vehicles (bequests, endowments), tribute gifts, and gifts of stock provide long-term financial sustainability.
6. Online Store and Merchandise: The organization operates an online store selling merchandise and the Forest Park Passport (free).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

Forest Park Forever is a private nonprofit conservancy that partners with the City of St. Louis to restore, maintain, and sustain Forest Park, a 1,300-acre urban public park serving approximately 15.5 million annual visitors. It delivers capital restoration projects, habitat and nature reserve management, educational programming, visitor services, and fundraising for park operations, supported by individual memberships, donations, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Forest Park Forever is a private nonprofit conservancy that partners with the City of St. Louis to restore, maintain, and sustain Forest Park. The organization operates primarily as a physical park management entity rather than a technology product company, offering visitor services through its website and operating various recreational amenities and programs within the 1,300-acre urban park. Key offerings include the Forest Park Passport activity guide, The Glade year-round recreation project, the Nicholas J. Booker Basketball Courts, the renovated Oakland Avenue Playground, the Anne O'C. Albrecht Nature Playscape, the Boathouse restaurant and rentals, the Dual Recreational Path system, the Visitor and Education Center, and conservation/education programs. The organization does not offer software-as-a-product but rather manages physical spaces, facilities, and community programs for park visitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forest Park Passport Free activity-based map booklet featuring 150 things to do in Forest Park with seasonal challenges and prizes, developed by Forest Park Forever and the Missouri History Museum for visitors, families, and community members.
• The Glade Year-round recreation destination at Steinberg Rink and 22.5 surrounding acres offering ice skating, outdoor spaces, and community amenities in coordination with the City of St. Louis.
• Nicholas J. Booker Basketball Courts Basketball amenity with two full courts, two half courts, dark sky-compliant lighting, and a spectator pavilion serving park visitors.
• Oakland Avenue Playground Renovated family playground on Forest Park's southern edge with a 20-foot wooden stump turtle slide, two age-segregated play areas, and natural wood elements serving families with children.
• Anne O'C. Albrecht Nature Playscape 17-acre experiential nature play area designed to help children explore nature and outdoor play within Forest Park.
• The Boathouse Restaurant and boat rental facility on Post-Dispatch Lake undergoing renovations, with a temporary Beer and Wine Garden operating during construction; expected to increase accessibility and improve visitor experience.
• Dual Recreational Path 6-mile path system encircling the Park with hard and soft surface options for walkers, joggers, cyclists, and inline skaters.
• Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center Forest Park Forever's headquarters and visitor center providing park information, Forest Park Passport distribution, educational programming, and visitor services with regular hours of 6 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Forest Park Living Lab Wildlife research initiative tracking 12 animal species using GPS trackers and health data collection, partnering with the Saint Louis Zoo, Washington University's Living Earth Collaborative, the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, Saint Louis University, and the World Bird Sanctuary to study urban biodiversity.
• Conservation and Restoration Programs Ongoing habitat restoration including prescribed burns, invasive species removal, native vegetation replanting, and Nature Reserve management across 172 acres including Kennedy Forest, Deer Lake Savanna, and Jefferson Lake areas.
• Educational Programs Experiential educational opportunities for teachers, students, and adults including field trips, Storytime in the Park, birding programs, and self-guided audio tours.
• Individual Membership Program Tiered annual membership program including Young Friends, standard membership, and the Leffingwell Society leadership donor group, providing ongoing annual support for park maintenance and operations.
• See STL Walking Tour Two-hour wheelchair-accessible guided walking tour through Forest Park, priced at $22 per person or $17 for Missouri History Society members.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15.5 million annual visitors to Forest Park
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Missouri History MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Forest Park Forever partnered with the Missouri History Museum to develop the Forest Park Passport (150 activities) and co-host 150th anniversary events. The museum is one of the five cultural institutions within Forest Park.
• Saint Louis ZoocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Forest Park Forever partners with the Saint Louis Zoo for events (Yours Forever: Forest Park at 150 Pop-Up) and is a co-located cultural institution within Forest Park.
• Saint Louis Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The Saint Louis Art Museum is one of five cultural institutions within Forest Park, co-located and part of the park ecosystem. Forest Park Forever partners with SLAM for 150th anniversary events.
• The MunycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The Muny (outdoor theatre) is one of five cultural institutions within Forest Park. Forest Park Forever partners with The Muny for community events and programming.
• Saint Louis Science CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The Saint Louis Science Center is one of five cultural institutions within Forest Park.
• City of St. LouiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Forest Park Forever operates in an innovative public-private partnership with the City of St. Louis and its Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry to restore, maintain, and sustain Forest Park. In 2024, the partnership was renewed for the next 20 to 30 years. The City provides operational support while Forest Park Forever raises private funds for capital projects and daily maintenance.
• Living Earth Collaborative (Washington University)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The Living Earth Collaborative (a partnership among Washington University, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Saint Louis Zoo) awarded a seed grant in 2020 to launch the Forest Park Living Lab initiative. Washington University researchers lead the Forest Park Living Lab.
• National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022NGRREC is a key research partner in the Forest Park Living Lab, contributing expertise in wildlife ecology, animal movement, and the study of urban biodiversity in Forest Park's ecosystems.
• Saint Louis UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Saint Louis University is a partner in the Forest Park Living Lab, with faculty contributing research on urban owl behavior and movement, biodiversity, and the connection between nature and human well-being.
• Saint Louis ZoocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The Saint Louis Zoo is both a Forest Park cultural institution and a research partner. The Zoo's Institute for Conservation Medicine participates in the Forest Park Living Lab, studying wildlife health and behavior. The Zoo also receives no Zoo-Museum Tax funding, relying on private support including through Forest Park Forever's model.
• World Bird SanctuarymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022World Bird Sanctuary fitted Astrid the great horned owl with a GPS tracking device in October 2021 as part of the Forest Park Living Lab. The Sanctuary is the only raptor rehabilitation hospital in the Greater St. Louis area, treating up to 600 patients a year.
• Washington University Living Earth CollaborativemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Researchers from Washington University's Living Earth Collaborative led a study (published 2026 in Ecological Applications) linking Forest Park Forever's habitat restoration efforts to measurable increases in bird diversity, including native species like the merlin falcon.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Friends of the High Line: Nonprofit conservancy that operates, programs, and funds maintenance of an iconic urban green space in New York City. Comparable in fundraising intensity, programming depth, and brand-driven engagement model.
• Central Park Conservancy: The pre-eminent U.S. urban park conservancy, managing New York's Central Park under a similar public-private partnership with the City of New York. Closest structural and operational analogue to Forest Park Forever.
• Presidio Trust: Federal nonprofit corporation that manages San Francisco's Presidio as a national park site, combining preservation, visitor services, programming, and revenue-generating operations — comparable operating complexity to Forest Park Forever.
• Piedmont Park Conservancy: Conservancy managing Atlanta's flagship urban park through a public-private partnership, combining fundraising, capital project delivery, programming, and volunteer stewardship — directly comparable to Forest Park Forever's role in St. Louis.
• Prospect Park Alliance: Nonprofit that manages Brooklyn's Prospect Park in partnership with NYC Parks; restores landscapes, runs volunteer programs, and raises private capital for park improvements — a near-identical operating model to Forest Park Forever.
• Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Nonprofit partner supporting a major U.S. national park with fundraising, education, and volunteer programs; comparable in mission, donor-base mechanics, and partnership model.
• Cincinnati Parks Foundation: Nonprofit that supports and raises private funds for the Cincinnati Parks system, including restoration and programming; comparable regional urban-parks conservancy profile to Forest Park Forever.
• Riverside Park Conservancy: Manages portions of Manhattan's Riverside Park under partnership with NYC Parks, delivering capital improvements, stewardship, and community programming — a comparable mid-sized urban park conservancy.
• Golden Gate Park Conservancy: San Francisco-based conservancy raising private funds for restoration, education, and volunteer programs in Golden Gate Park under a public-private partnership — directly comparable in scope and model.

Broad incumbents

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that creates and protects parks and green space across the U.S. Operates at much greater scale and geographic breadth, with adjacent mission overlap in urban park conservation and fundraising.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ForestPark4Ever
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@forestparkforever4336
• Facebookfacebook.com/ForestParkForever
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forest-park-forever
• Instagraminstagram.com/forestparkforever

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Forest Park Forever