America in Bloom

What America in Bloom does

America in Bloom (legal entity: America In Bloom Corp.) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2001 and headquartered at PO Box 44005, Columbus, Ohio. It operates a national community beautification and civic engagement program in which municipalities register, receive in-person visits from two trained volunteer advisors who evaluate the community against a proprietary 8-area framework (community vitality, flowers, landscaped areas, urban forestry, environmental efforts, heritage, community involvement, overall impression), and receive a written action plan. Since inception the organization has engaged nearly 480 communities across 44 states, impacting an estimated 22+ million people, and is currently active in roughly 380 communities.

The organization's product portfolio centers on the core AIB Program, an annual Symposium and Awards Celebration, the AIB/CN EcoConnexions From the Ground Up Grants Program (a partnership with CN Railway), an ongoing webinar series, and the Gardens Across America property-level certification. The underlying technology stack is modest: an online community registration portal, a content library of articles and videos, webinar delivery, and online certification tools. Program delivery is labor-intensive and volunteer-driven, with the advisor network donating an estimated 6,000+ hours per year; only two staff positions are paid (Executive Director and Director of Partner Engagement).

Revenue is generated through population-based municipal registration fees ($1,700 to $4,800), multi-tier corporate sponsorships from the horticulture industry ($3,500 to $25,000), individual donations, a $100 raffle with $5,000/$1,000/$500 prizes, and the $20 Gardens Across America certification fee. The organization claims 90-93% of contributions flow directly to programming. There is no venture capital, private equity, or public-company ownership, and no parent or subsidiary entities.

Name

America in Bloom

Legal name

America In Bloom Corp.

Website

https://americainbloom.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

America in Bloom is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2001 that runs a national community beautification program, sending trained volunteer advisors to evaluate municipalities against an 8-area framework and awarding national recognition, currently serving roughly 380 communities across 44 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Program Registration Fees: Communities pay registration fees based on population size to participate in the America in Bloom program, receiving advisor visits, evaluation reports, and access to resources. Fee range from $1,700 to $4,800 depending on population.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Horticulture industry companies sponsor the organization at various levels (World Changer $25,000 to Beautification Agent $3,500) with benefits including symposium registrations, logo placement, and community beautification project sponsorship.
3. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute tax-deductible donations. The organization states that 93% of donations go directly to community programs.
4. Raffle: $100 raffle tickets with prizes of $5,000, $1,000, and $500. Drawing occurs at annual Symposium.
5. Gardens Across America Certification: $20 certification fee for individual properties (residential, business, school, place of worship, government, or public garden) with optional $32 metal sign purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

America in Bloom is a 501c3 nonprofit that runs a national community beautification and civic engagement program for U.S. municipalities. Participating communities pay population-based registration fees and receive two-day in-person evaluation visits from trained advisors, a written action plan with recommendations, eligibility for national recognition awards, and access to an online resource library, webinars, and the Gardens Across America property-level certification.

Product overview

America in Bloom operates as a single unified program focused on community beautification and civic engagement, with multiple interconnected components. The core America in Bloom Program provides communities with advisor evaluations, action plans, and national awards recognition. The National Awards Program and Symposium and Awards Celebration work together to recognize achievements and provide education. Additional offerings include the AIB/CN EcoConnexions From the Ground Up Grants Program for funding eligible communities, the Webinars series for educational content, and Gardens Across America for property-level certification. These products share the common mission of promoting vibrant communities through flowers, plants, trees, heritage, and environmental stewardship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AIB/CN EcoConnexions From the Ground Up Grants Program: A grant program partnered with CN Railway to support collaborative community greening projects.
• Gardens Across America

Products and services

• America in Bloom Program Annual community beautification program in which U.S. municipalities register, receive a two-day in-person evaluation visit from two trained advisors, a written action plan with recommendations, access to online resources, a participation certificate, and eligibility for national recognition awards.
• Symposium and Awards Celebration Annual three-day educational event combining sessions, learning tours, best-ideas sharing, and an awards celebration for participating communities, advisors, sponsors, and industry supporters.
• National Awards Program National awards program recognizing community achievements through Population Category Awards, Outstanding Achievement Awards across eight impact areas, Special Awards, Community Champion, YouTube Video Award, Progress Award, and Spirit Award.
• AIB/CN EcoConnexions From the Ground Up Grants Program Grant program in partnership with CN Railway that funds collaborative community greening projects in qualifying communities along CN rail lines, focused on urban forests, natural landscaping, groundcover improvement, and flower displays.
• Webinars Educational webinar series covering cemetery preservation, rain gardens, pollinator-friendly landscapes, container programs, plant nutrition, community beautification techniques, and other best practices for AIB participants.
• Gardens Across America Property-level certification program with a $20 fee allowing residential, business, school, place of worship, government, or public garden properties to certify their commitment to beautification, environmental stewardship, and community vitality; includes optional $32 12x12 metal sign and self-assessment tools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22+ million people impacted through community involvement
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• CN RailwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to administer the AIB/CN EcoConnexions From the Ground Up grants program, providing funding for collaborative community greening projects in communities along CN Railway's transcontinental network. CN provides grant funding while AIB administers the program and requires recipients to participate in the national AIB program.
• Ball Horticultural CompanysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of America in Bloom programs and initiatives.
• AmericanHortsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor supporting America in Bloom community beautification programs.
• Neal Mast GreenhousessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the YouTube Video Award, providing $1,500 prize to winning community.
• Proven WinnerssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of America in Bloom programs.
• Dummen OrangesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor supporting AIB community beautification initiatives.
• Griffin Greenhouse SuppliessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of America in Bloom programs.
• J.R. Peters Inc. (Jack's Fertilizers)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor supporting AIB programs and initiatives.
• Suntory FlowerssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of America in Bloom.
• Blackmore CompanysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of AIB programs.
• American Florist Endowment (AFE)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor supporting America in Bloom.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Project for Public Spaces: Placemaking nonprofit that helps communities activate public spaces through consulting, training, and grassroots programs. Adjacent but partially overlapping focus on community vitality and volunteer-driven public-space improvement.

Direct peers

• American Horticultural Society: National horticulture-education nonprofit that shares AIB's horticulture-industry sponsorship base (AIB's Katy Moss Warner is AHS President Emeritus). Overlaps on environmental stewardship, gardening education, and horticultural industry engagement.
• National Garden Clubs: U.S. federation of 18,000+ garden clubs running community beautification, horticulture education, and award programs. Comparable volunteer-driven model serving members and communities on landscaping, flowers, and civic beautification.
• National Civic League: Centennial-old civic-engagement nonprofit supporting community-building initiatives across U.S. cities. Comparable target audience (municipal leaders) and overlapping themes of civic pride, volunteerism, and cross-sector coalition building.
• Arbor Day Foundation: National tree-planting and urban forestry nonprofit running the Tree City USA recognition program for municipalities. Directly comparable model: municipal recognition, evaluation framework, sponsored awards, and aligned with AIB's 'Urban Forestry' evaluation category.
• Keep America Beautiful: The largest U.S. community-improvement nonprofit focused on litter prevention, recycling, and beautification through a network of state and local affiliates. Directly comparable mission (community aesthetics, volunteerism) and comparable municipal-membership GTM.
• Main Street America: National nonprofit running a designated network of downtown revitalization programs (Main Street Approach). Highly comparable: serves municipalities, emphasizes heritage preservation, volunteer committees, and economic development outcomes through place-based improvement.
• Garden Club of America: National horticulture and conservation organization funding community gardens, civic beautification, and conservation education. Comparable donor- and volunteer-supported model with overlapping sponsor relationships in the horticulture industry.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: National nonprofit dedicated to saving historic places, with a strong municipal membership and grants program. Overlaps directly with AIB's 'Celebrating Heritage' evaluation pillar and serves the same mayor/city-council buyer.
• Communities in Bloom: Canadian national nonprofit that evaluates and recognizes municipalities on community beautification, environmental quality, and heritage, using a multi-criteria judge-visit framework almost identical to America in Bloom's. Operates the closest international analog and a direct inspiration for AIB.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLB6S8-Nt-kzCGN8HoV3zdq4372_ZV8Ll7
• Xx.com/americainbloom
• Facebookfacebook.com/americainbloomusa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/americainbloom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 America in Bloom