Friends of China Camp, Inc.

What Friends of China Camp, Inc. does

Friends of China Camp, Inc. (FOCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in California in 2012 to operate and steward China Camp State Park on the San Pedro Peninsula in San Rafael, Marin County. The organization was formed by community members to prevent permanent closure of the park after the State of California proposed shutting 70 state parks in 2011, and it now manages the 1,514-acre site under contract with the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Its mission centers on preservation of the last intact Chinese shrimp-fishing village in the San Francisco Bay Area, environmental conservation of tidal wetlands, and public outdoor recreation.

FOCC delivers a unified set of park management services across three product clusters: outdoor recreation (a 33-site tent-only campground at Back Ranch Meadows, approximately 15 miles of multi-use trails including the ADA-accessible Turtle Back Nature Trail, and named day-use areas such as Miwok Meadows and China Camp Point); cultural heritage (the historic China Camp Village with its open-air museum, weekend cafe, pier, and 3D virtual tours via CyArk and Matterport); and events (monthly programming such as birding walks, Junior Rangers, AAPI Heritage Month celebrations, plus venue rentals for weddings and celebrations with capacities up to 200 guests). The organization has no proprietary technology infrastructure and relies on third-party platforms (ReserveCalifornia, Square) for reservations, ticketing, and e-commerce.

FOCC monetizes through a mix of usage-based fees (parking at $5/car, trail day-use at $3/person), camping fees ($35/night reserved, $5/person/night hike/bike, $175/night group), annual passes and memberships, donations and grants as a 501(c)(3), concession revenue (firewood and cafe), wedding/celebration rentals, and merchandise via a Square storefront. Operations are delivered by a small staff of 1–10 (including Executive Director Martin Lowenstein and Program Coordinator Carlotta Jackson-Clark) supplemented by thousands of volunteer hours annually. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and there are no identified funding rounds, parent companies, or institutional investors.

Name

Friends of China Camp, Inc.

Legal name

Friends of China Camp, Inc.

Website

https://friendsofchinacamp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Friends of China Camp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the 1,514-acre China Camp State Park in San Rafael, California, under contract with the California Department of Parks and Recreation, delivering camping, trails, cultural heritage programming, and venue rentals funded by fees, donations, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Park Operations and Outdoor Recreation Services

NAICS

RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (72121), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Traditional Campgrounds (Tent & Mixed-Use) (THAMAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Eco/Nature-Based Campgrounds (Sustainable/Off-Grid) (THAMAJAK)

Keywords

• State park management
• Public land stewardship
• Historic preservation services
• Outdoor recreation services
• Cultural heritage conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Parking and Entry Fees: Revenue generated from day-use parking fees ($5 per car), bus parking fees, and trail day-use fees ($3 per person).
2. Camping Reservations: Revenue from campsite reservations ($35/night for reserved sites, $5/person/night for hike/bike sites, $175/night for group camping) and annual passes.
3. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the organization depends heavily on community support through donations and grants to sustain operations.
4. Concession Revenue: Revenue from ancillary sources such as firewood sales and cafe operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Friends of China Camp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates China Camp State Park under contract with the California Department of Parks and Recreation, providing public access to 1,514 acres of protected wetlands and trails. Core offerings include the 33-site Back Ranch Meadows tent campground, approximately 15 miles of multi-use trails, day-use picnic areas, the historic China Camp Village with museum and cafe, weddings and celebrations venue rentals, annual passes, and a merchandise online store, funded through usage fees, donations, and grants.

Product overview

Friends of China Camp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates China Camp State Park under contract with the California Department of Parks and Recreation. The organization offers a unified set of park management services centered on public recreation, environmental preservation, and cultural heritage. Core offerings include the Back Ranch Meadows Campground (33 tent-only campsites), approximately 15 miles of multi-use hiking and biking trails, day-use picnic areas, the historic China Camp Village with museum and cafe, virtual tours, and venue rentals for weddings and celebrations. The organization also provides annual passes and memberships, hosts regular events and programs, and operates an online store. Since 2012, FOCC has relied entirely on volunteer service, donations, camping fees, and grants to keep the park open, as it receives no state funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Back Ranch Meadows Campground A walk-in, tent-only campground with 33 campsites in a secluded oak-and-bay forest on the edge of San Pablo Bay, offering Glade Sites (1-15), Hill Sites (16-30), and two hike/bike-in sites with campfire rings, grills, hot showers, and flush toilets for overnight visitors.
• Hiking and Biking Trails Approximately 15 miles of multi-use trails including the ADA-accessible Turtle Back Nature Trail (3/4-mile loop), Shoreline/Bayview Loop Trail (6.9 miles), and Bay View/Bay Hills/Back Ranch Fire Trail (5.6 miles), traversing tidal wetlands, lush forests, and grassy meadows for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians.
• Day-Use Areas Picnic and gathering areas including Buckeye Point (50 persons), Weber Point, Bullhead Flat (kayak/canoe/SUP launch), Miwok Meadows (200 people), China Camp Point (120 people), and the China Camp Village beach area, available first-come, first-served or by reservation.
• China Camp Village Historic shrimping village site featuring an open-air museum open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset, a weekend cafe, pier fishing without a license, and a beach area on the edge of San Pablo Bay for cultural heritage visitors.
• Virtual Tours 3D virtual tours of the Historic Village (via CyArk), Museum (via Matterport), and Historic Cafe (via Matterport), enabling remote visitors to explore the park's cultural heritage online.
• Events and Programs Monthly scheduled events including birding walks, volunteer give-back mornings, Junior Rangers programs, campfire programs, full moon hikes, naturalist book clubs, and special cultural celebrations such as AAPI Heritage Month events.
• Weddings and Celebrations Venue Rentals Event venue rentals including China Camp Point (up to 120 guests), China Camp Village Deck and Beach (up to 120 guests, evening events only), and Miwok Meadows (up to 200 guests), with proceeds supporting park operations.
• Annual Passes and Memberships Annual trail and parking passes providing unlimited hiking and parking access plus membership benefits including quarterly newsletters and other perks depending on membership level.
• Online Store E-commerce store operated via Square selling merchandise such as China Camp t-shirts, with proceeds supporting park operations.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California Department of Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Operating agreement established in 2012 for the organization to support operations and maintenance of the park under the California State Parks system.
• California State Parks FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1976Partnership established in 1976 to purchase and preserve the China Camp land, marking the beginning of the Friends of China Camp organization's mission to protect this historic site.
• The Federated Indians of Graton RancheriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for archaeological monitoring to ensure proper documentation and preservation of indigenous cultural heritage at the site.
• Marin County Fire DepartmentminorOthersCounty emergency services partnership for fire response and safety operations within park boundaries.
• Marin County SheriffminorOthersCounty law enforcement partnership for public safety and emergency response within park lands.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yosemite Conservancy: Nonprofit that supports Yosemite National Park through philanthropy, membership, and retail. Directly comparable nonprofit park-support model with donor cultivation and visitor programming at scale.
• Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy: 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates and supports the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in the San Francisco Bay Area. Closest structural analog: park-operating nonprofit with a similar membership/donation model in the same metropolitan market.
• California State Parks Foundation: Statewide nonprofit that funds and advocates for California State Parks and is FOCC's named partner. Closely aligned mission (preservation, advocacy, fundraising) on a California-wide footprint.
• YMCA of San Francisco: Operates youth and family camping programs (e.g., YMCA Camp) in Northern California. Comparable nonprofit operating overnight outdoor recreation and youth educational programming for Bay Area families.

Emerging players

• Hipcamp: Private marketplace connecting campers to private and public campsites, with deep Bay Area roots. Comparable commercial overlap on the campsite-discovery and booking layer that competes for similar end-users.

Others

• National Park Trust: National nonprofit dedicated to preserving and expanding U.S. parklands through land acquisition and youth programs. Comparable park-focused nonprofit with similar donor and education models, scaled nationally.
• National Parks Conservation Association: National nonprofit advocacy and membership organization for national parks. Comparable nonprofit, donor/member-funded park stewardship organization, though advocacy-driven rather than operating a specific park.
• Save the Redwoods League: California land conservation nonprofit focused on redwood forest acquisition and stewardship. Comparable nonprofit conservation model, though operating at a much larger scale and focused on land acquisition rather than park operations.
• Sierra Club: Large U.S. environmental nonprofit with significant Bay Area membership and historic outdoor recreation programming. Comparable nonprofit with overlapping donor base and outdoor recreation mission.

Broad incumbents

• Kampgrounds of America (KOA): Largest U.S. private campground franchise system with 500+ locations. Comparable core service (overnight tent/RV camping) but commercial franchise model rather than nonprofit park operation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/China_Camp_Park
• Facebookfacebook.com/Friends-of-China-Camp-371395306219570
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendsofchinacamp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-of-china-camp-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Friends of China Camp, Inc.