Park People

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.

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

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

• Community park advocacy
• Urban park programs
• Nonprofit grant programs
• Municipal park consulting
• Public space research

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

Core 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

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• City of TorontocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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 PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornerstone 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 montagneregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal-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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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

Direct 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

• Instagraminstagram.com/parkpeople
• Xx.com/park_people

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Park People