New Yorkers for Parks

What New Yorkers for Parks does

New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1895 and headquartered at 111 John Street in Manhattan. The organization conducts independent research on park and open-space conditions across all 59 New York City community districts and translates those findings into policy recommendations targeting chronic park underfunding, maintenance shortfalls, and inequitable geographic access. NY4P's core research assets are the Open Space Index (OSI) — a 15-benchmark methodology introduced in 2010 to measure open-space quality, access, variety, and environmental sustainability at the neighborhood level — and the Open Space Profiles fact sheets, which cover every NYC community board district. The organization also operates The Daffodil Project (a 25-year-old citywide bulb-planting initiative that distributed 750,000 bulbs in 2022), produces the Lots to Grow podcast on community gardens, and runs bilingual educational webinars and guides.

NY4P operates a membership-based, community-led go-to-market rather than a commercial model. It does not sell products or services; instead, it generates revenue through individual donations processed via the EveryAction online platform, foundation grants (Charles H. Revson Foundation, Leon Levy Foundation, Greenacre Foundation), and corporate sponsorships from a roster that includes Citi, Con Edison, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Central Park Conservancy, Delta, and AECOM. The organization's primary advocacy instrument is the Play Fair for Parks Coalition — co-founded by NY4P with the New York League of Conservation Voters and the municipal workers' union District Council 37 — which now encompasses 400+ member organizations pushing for 1% of the NYC budget to be allocated to parks.

Measurable advocacy outcomes include a $29 million FY27 budget investment for safe, clean, and green parks; a prior $44 million increase to the NYC Parks budget that included $8.2 million for community gardens; capital process reform legislation requiring NYC Parks to reduce project durations by 25%; and the 2022 creation of a citywide Director of the Public Realm position. The organization is led by Executive Director Adam Ganser, with Daniel Abram serving as Project Manager of Research & Policy, and operates with a small 1-10 person staff from a single Manhattan office.

Name

New Yorkers for Parks

Legal name

New Yorkers for Parks

Website

https://ny4p.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

New Yorkers for Parks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization that conducts parks research and policy analysis for New York City, serving residents, community boards, policymakers, and the 400+ member Play Fair for Parks Coalition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Parks Advocacy and Open Space Policy Research

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Administration of Conservation Programs (924120)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

Keywords

• Parks advocacy
• Urban open space
• Policy research
• Community organizing
• Nonprofit coalition

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: NY4P accepts donations from individuals through its website powered by EveryAction platform. Donors can contribute financially to support parks advocacy efforts.
2. Foundation Grants: The organization receives funding from foundations including Charles H. Revson Foundation (funded parks research with HR&A), Leon Levy Foundation (sponsored Lots to Grow podcast), and others.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support NY4P events and initiatives. Sponsors at the 2022 Signature Benefit included Citi, Con Edison, Central Park Conservancy, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Greenberg Traurig, National Grid, Javits Center, Two Trees Management, IAC, Related, PowerMarket, Delta, RXR, AECOM, and HR&A Advisors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

New Yorkers for Parks is a citywide nonprofit advocacy organization that conducts research on NYC parks and open space conditions, publishes data-driven reports and fact sheets, and uses these findings to develop policy recommendations and advocacy campaigns that push for increased city funding and equitable access to parks. Its work spans community organizing (the Play Fair for Parks Coalition with 400+ member organizations), volunteer programs (The Daffodil Project), educational resources (webinars, guides, podcasts), and direct advocacy with city officials to influence parks budget and policy decisions.

Product overview

New Yorkers for Parks is a nonprofit advocacy organization that does not offer a technology product. Its offerings consist of research publications (Open Space Profiles, Open Space Index reports), community programs (The Daffodil Project), digital content (Lots to Grow podcast), and advocacy campaigns (Play Fair Coalition). These are informational and advocacy resources, not a software product or platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Space Profiles At-a-glance fact sheets providing data on open space quality, access, demographics, and health information for all 59 NYC community board districts, intended for community boards, elected officials, and advocates.
• Open Space Index (OSI) Proprietary methodology using 15 NYC-specific benchmarks to measure open space maintenance, access, variety, and environmental sustainability at the neighborhood level, used to assess community strengths and needs.
• The Daffodil Project Annual bulb planting initiative distributing hundreds of thousands of daffodil bulbs to New Yorkers in all five boroughs, entering its 25th year and serving as NY4P's signature volunteer engagement program.
• Lots to Grow Podcast Four-part audio series exploring the history, functions, challenges, and future of NYC community gardens, created by the inaugural Leon Levy Fellow and sponsored by the Leon Levy Foundation.
• Play Fair for Parks Coalition Coalition of 400+ member organizations advocating for 1% of NYC's budget to be allocated to parks, co-founded by NY4P with the NY League of Conservation Voters and District Council 37.
• Webinars and Educational Resources Step-by-step instructional webinars and downloadable guides covering park advocacy topics such as the Play Fair Campaign, community board processes, participatory budgeting, and Spanish-language resources for improving local parks.

Quantifiable outcome

• $29 million investment secured in FY27 budget for safe, clean and green parks
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 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

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• New York League of Conservation VoterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of Play Fair for Parks Coalition alongside NY4P and District Council 37. Works together on the #1Percent4Parks campaign and parks advocacy citywide.
• District Council 37coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYC Parks workers' union and co-founder of Play Fair for Parks Coalition. Partnership focuses on advocacy for parks funding and worker protections.
• HR&A AdvisorsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal estate advisory firm partnered with NY4P on parks research funded by Charles H. Revson Foundation. Board member Jonathan Meyers is a partner at HR&A.
• NYC Parks DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency that NY4P advocates for increased funding and policy reforms. NYC Parks runs the GreenThumb community gardening program that supports 550 community gardens.
• Municipal Art SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NY4P to advocate for creation of Director of the Public Realm position as part of the Five Point Plan for Park Equity.
• Open PlansmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NY4P and Municipal Art Society to advocate for creation of Director of the Public Realm position.
• AIA New YorkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NY4P, Municipal Art Society, and Open Plans to advocate for creation of Director of the Public Realm position.
• Center for an Urban FuturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in the Build Back Faster campaign for parks capital process reform, which research shows could save the city $800 million over five years.
• Center for Urban PedagogymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on visual guide 'How Can I Improve My Park?' to help park advocates navigate the process of securing funding for local park improvements.
• Partnership for ParksmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NY4P and Center for Urban Pedagogy on the 'How Can I Improve My Park?' guide for community park advocacy.
• The Trust for Public LandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit that helped establish NYC's three community garden land trusts (Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn-Queens) by purchasing garden sites at auction in 1999.
• The New York Restoration ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNY-based nonprofit that acquired 50 community gardens at 1999 auction to refurbish and maintain long-term. Supports open space beautification citywide.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that creates parks and protects land for people, and a documented NY4P partner. Directly comparable as a parks-focused advocacy and land conservation organization, though operating at national scale rather than NYC-only.
• New York Restoration Project: NY-based nonprofit that acquires and refurbishes community gardens and open space, including 50 gardens at the 1999 auction. Direct peer focused on NYC open space preservation, with overlapping mission and community garden programs.
• Partnership for Parks: NYC Parks-supported program mobilizing volunteers for parks stewardship and a documented NY4P collaborator. Directly comparable as a NYC parks community engagement organization.
• New York League of Conservation Voters: Co-founder of the Play Fair for Parks Coalition with NY4P, focused on environmental policy advocacy in New York State. Direct peer in environmental advocacy with strong coalition overlap.
• Open Space Institute: Northeast-focused land conservation nonprofit that protects parks, farmland, and natural areas. Directly comparable as a parks and open space conservation organization with research and advocacy capabilities.

Regional players

• Municipal Art Society: NYC civic advocacy organization focused on urban planning, design, and the public realm. Direct advocacy partner of NY4P and highly comparable as an urban-equity advocacy organization working on parks and the public realm.
• Scenic Hudson: Hudson Valley-focused parks and open space conservation nonprofit. Comparable as a regional parks advocacy organization, though operating in a different geography and focused on a specific river corridor rather than a dense urban environment.

Emerging players

• Center for an Urban Future: NYC urban policy think tank that partnered with NY4P on Build Back Faster research. Comparable as a research-and-advocacy organization producing data-driven reports that influence NYC policy.
• Open Plans: NYC-focused nonprofit advocating for better streetscapes and public space. Documented NY4P coalition partner on the Director of the Public Realm campaign with overlapping public-realm advocacy mission.

Broad incumbents

• Natural Resources Defense Council: Large national environmental advocacy organization with NYC presence. Comparable as an environmental advocacy nonprofit, though operating at a much larger scale and broader environmental remit than NY4P's parks focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ny4p
• Facebookfacebook.com/redhookconservancy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-yorkers-for-parks
• Instagraminstagram.com/ny4p

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 New Yorkers for Parks