Park People
Park People is a Canadian national bilingual nonprofit that funds, trains, and connects 1,400+ community park groups and 46 municipalities across all provinces to activate and improve urban parks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Park People does
Park People is a registered Canadian charitable nonprofit organization (Charity #846449437RR0001) and the only national bilingual organization solely dedicated to championing city parks in Canada. Founded in Toronto in 2011 by Dave Harvey and a group of volunteers, it operates as a platform connecting community park groups, municipal park departments, environmental non-profits, and equity-deserving communities to funding, training, research, and peer network support. The organization maintains three regional offices (Toronto headquarters, Vancouver, Montreal) and runs a national network spanning 1,400+ community park groups across 46 cities in every Canadian province, with 7,000+ individual members.
The core offerings form a four-part ecosystem: (1) funding programs including TD Park People Grants supporting 72 community groups annually and the Park People Nature Connect Fund (Emerging Stream up to $5,000, Scaling Stream up to $20,000); (2) place-based programs such as InTO the Ravines, Cornerstone Parks, Sparking Change, Arts in the Parks, Vancouver Senior Park Champions, and Montreal Urban Park Champions; (3) research and thought leadership anchored by the annual Canadian City Parks Report, which synthesizes data from 46 municipalities representing 48% of Canada's population; and (4) fee-based professional services including Public Space Evaluation and Park Governance Consulting for municipal and institutional clients. Content distribution occurs through a website library, email newsletter, webinars, an annual rotating conference, and a community events calendar.
The revenue model is diversified across four streams: individual donations and monthly giving, corporate sponsorships (anchored by founding sponsor TD Bank Group since 2010), foundation and government grants (Waltons Trust $750K+, Balsam Foundation, Parks Canada, Government of Canada, Rossy Foundation, Weston Family Foundation, RBC Foundation, United Way Toronto, Mohari Hospitality), and fee-based professional services. Core programs, network membership, and grants are provided free of charge to community groups, while consulting services generate direct revenue. Leadership transitioned in 2024, with founder Dave Harvey retiring in June and Erika Nikolai assuming the sole Executive Director role effective July 1, 2024; she received the World Urban Parks Distinguished Individual Award in October 2025.
Park People firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Park People
- Legal name
- Park People
- Website
- https://parkpeople.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Park People is a Canadian national bilingual nonprofit that funds, trains, and connects 1,400+ community park groups and 46 municipalities across all provinces to activate and improve urban parks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Park People industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Urban Park Advocacy
- NAICS
- Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)
Keywords
Where Park People is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Park People business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Gifts: Individual donors contribute one-time or monthly gifts. Monthly giving programs support long-term projects. Securities donations provide tax-efficient giving options. Legacy gifts through bequests ensure lasting impact.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support the organization in exchange for brand alignment with the national park movement, audience exposure, and association with sustainability and community wellness initiatives.
- Foundation and Government Grants: Major foundations (TD Bank Group, Balsam Foundation, Rossy Foundation, Weston Family Foundation) and government programs (Parks Canada, Government of Canada) provide significant funding for programs and operations.
- Professional Services: Park People offers fee-based professional services including public space evaluation, park governance consulting, and community engagement expertise to municipalities and organizations seeking to improve their parks and public spaces.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Park People product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Park People is a national bilingual nonprofit organization that connects communities, municipalities, and partner organizations with tools, training, mentorship, and grant funding to activate and improve urban parks across Canada. The organization delivers community activation programs (such as InTO the Ravines, Cornerstone Parks, Sparking Change, Arts in the Parks, Vancouver Senior Park Champions, and Montreal Urban Park Champions), administers grant programs (TD Park People Grants and Park People Nature Connect Fund), publishes the annual Canadian City Parks Report synthesizing national research, and provides fee-based professional services including Public Space Evaluation and Park Governance Consulting to municipal and institutional partners.
Product overview
Park People is a national bilingual nonprofit organization (the only one dedicated solely to championing city parks in Canada) that operates as a platform of interconnected programs, funding opportunities, research publications, and professional services. The core offerings include community programs (InTO the Ravines, Cornerstone Parks, Sparking Change, Arts in the Parks, Vancouver Senior Park Champions, Montreal Urban Park Champions) that connect people to parks; funding programs (TD Park People Grants, Park People Nature Connect Fund with Emerging and Scaling streams) that support grassroots and established organizations; the Canadian City Parks Report as its flagship research publication synthesizing national park data; and professional consulting services (Public Space Evaluation, Park Governance Consulting) for municipal and institutional partners. Together, these offerings form a comprehensive ecosystem supporting citizen-led park engagement, park programming, and urban park advocacy across Canada.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TD Park People Grants Microgrant program supporting local leaders to organize environmental education, sustainability, or stewardship events that bring people together in parks across Canada. Funded through TD Bank Group as founding sponsor.
- Park People Nature Connect Fund Grant program with two streams: Emerging Stream (up to $5,000) for grassroots organizations and Scaling Stream (up to $20,000) for registered organizations, connecting people with nature and restoring urban parks.
- Canadian City Parks Report Annual research publication synthesizing data and insights from 46 Canadian municipalities on the state of city parks, covering trends, challenges, and opportunities in urban park planning and management from 2019-2024.
- InTO the Ravines Toronto-based program creating opportunities for residents to explore, learn about, and champion the preservation of the city's ravine system through training, activities, and community engagement.
- Cornerstone Parks National network supporting and connecting organizations working in large urban parks across Canada, helping to revitalize green infrastructure and celebrate the value of Canada's largest urban parks.
- Sparking Change Program supporting equity-deserving community groups to transform parks into engines of community development, focusing on underserved neighborhoods.
- Arts in the Parks Program bringing free, family-friendly arts events and activities to parks outside Toronto's downtown core.
- Vancouver Senior Park Champions Program providing Metro Vancouver seniors with training and support to organize fun park activities, fostering social connections and physical activity among elders.
- Montreal Urban Park Champions Mentoring program offering community members from equity-deserving neighborhoods training and coaching to help organize activities in local parks and transform underused spaces into green areas.
- Public Space Evaluation Canada's experts in public life studies, designing studies, recruiting volunteers, and analyzing insights to help municipal and institutional partners make better decisions about public spaces.
- Park Governance Consulting Consulting service to help surface partner strengths and recommend governance models that build solid foundations for productive park relationships.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% of residents believed parks positively impacted their physical health
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Park People
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Park People technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Park People partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.
- City of TorontocorePartnership with City of Toronto on InTO the Ravines program, bringing principles of the City's Ravine Strategy to life. The program creates opportunities for Torontonians to explore ravines, learn about their benefits, and champion their preservation.
- Cornerstone Parks PartnerscoreCornerstone Parks program supports and connects organizations working in large urban parks across Canada, including Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition, Toronto Botanical Garden, Ecology Action Centre, Everett Crowley Park, and Champlain Heights Trails.
- Les Amis de la montagneregionalMontreal-based organization working on Mont Royal conservation, hosting invasive species control events and other park stewardship activities that align with Park People's mission.
- City of Toronto (No-Fee Community Activations)corePartnership enabling free community activations booking in 80 parks across Toronto, removing booking fees and reducing barriers for community groups to host events.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Park People competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Evergreen: Canadian national nonprofit focused on urban sustainability and community greening, including school ground greening and city-wide nature programs. Highly comparable as a fellow national nonprofit building urban green space capacity across Canada, with overlapping audience of community groups, municipalities, and corporate funders.
- Friends of the High Line: New York-based nonprofit that funds and programs the High Line park in partnership with the City of New York. Comparable as a park-focused nonprofit combining fundraising, programming, advocacy, and community engagement for urban green spaces.
- 8 80 Cities: Toronto-based Canadian nonprofit focused on vibrant, healthy, equitable cities through parks, public spaces, and active mobility. Direct peer given the overlapping Canadian focus on urban parks, municipal partnerships, and community-led programming.
- Project for Public Spaces: US nonprofit focused on placemaking and improving public spaces, including parks. Comparable as it provides training, consulting, and resources to communities and municipalities seeking to activate public spaces, mirroring Park People's community-led model and professional services.
- Central Park Conservancy: US nonprofit that manages and funds Central Park in partnership with the City of New York. Directly comparable as a nonprofit intermediary that funds park programming, partners with municipalities, and runs public-facing community and research programs for an iconic urban park system.
- The Trust for Public Land: US national nonprofit working to create and protect parks and public land. Comparable as a park-focused organization that partners with municipalities, conducts research (ParkScore index), and advocates for park investment, similar to Park People's policy and data work.
Regional players
- Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation: Toronto-focused foundation supporting the city's parks and trees. Comparable as a regional park-focused nonprofit that channels private sector support to municipal park programs, though narrower in geographic scope than Park People.
Broad incumbents
- Ducks Unlimited Canada: Large Canadian conservation nonprofit focused on wetland and habitat conservation. Comparable as a Canadian nonprofit with national reach, federal government partnerships, and provincial offices, though focused on wetlands rather than urban parks.
- Nature Conservancy of Canada: Canada's largest land conservation nonprofit, focused on natural areas rather than urban parks. Comparable as a major Canadian conservation charity competing for similar foundation, corporate, and government dollars, with broader scope and larger budget.
Others
- World Urban Parks: International industry association for urban parks. Comparable as the global counterpart to Park People's national network, providing international recognition (e.g., 2025 Distinguished Individual Award to Park People's Executive Director) and a peer network of park organizations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Park People social profiles
Digital presencePark People financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Park People leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Park People funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Park People 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 Park People
What does Park People do?
Park People is a national bilingual nonprofit organization that connects communities, municipalities, and partner organizations with tools, training, mentorship, and grant funding to activate and improve urban parks across Canada. The organization delivers community activation programs (such as InTO the Ravines, Cornerstone Parks, Sparking Change, Arts in the Parks, Vancouver Senior Park Champions, and Montreal Urban Park Champions), administers grant programs (TD Park People Grants and Park People Nature Connect Fund), publishes the annual Canadian City Parks Report synthesizing national research, and provides fee-based professional services including Public Space Evaluation and Park Governance Consulting to municipal and institutional partners.
Is Park People a public or private company?
Park People is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Park People founded?
Park People was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Park People based?
Park People is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Park People make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Gifts are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, foundation and Government Grants and professional Services.
Who are Park People's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Evergreen, Friends of the High Line, 8 80 Cities, Project for Public Spaces, Central Park Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land. Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Ducks Unlimited Canada and Nature Conservancy of Canada. World Urban Parks is listed as an others.
Does Park People have an API?
No public API is recorded for Park People.
What industry is Park People in?
Park People's product category is Nonprofit Urban Park Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAMAH, Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration, with a secondary code of BPAIACAI, Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services. Its NAICS code is 712190 and its SIC code is 8600.