LOUISVILLE grows

What LOUISVILLE grows does

Louisville Grows is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 in Louisville, Kentucky, that operates a portfolio of urban forestry, urban horticulture, and community wellness programs. Its core offerings include the Urban Forestry Program (a five-step neighborhood-based Tree Canopy Restoration Methodology that canvasses residents, trains volunteer Citizen Foresters, and plants 1–3 free trees per 'treecipient' property with three years of follow-up care), the Urban Horticulture Program (technical assistance, raised beds, irrigation, beehives, and infrastructure support for community gardens, particularly in food-insecure neighborhoods), and the Healthy House Programs (a community space at 1641 Portland Avenue hosting cooking demonstrations, workshops, yoga, film series, and an art gallery). The organization has planted 8,000+ trees cumulatively across 21 focus neighborhoods in west and south Louisville, where canopy coverage averages 15–22% versus a 45% recommended level and residents face elevated urban heat island exposure. Supporting infrastructure includes an in-house greenhouse on the Portland Avenue campus, a 500+ strong network of trained Citizen Foresters, and a 600+ volunteer base contributing over 2,200 hours annually.

The business model is multi-stream nonprofit funding rather than commercial revenue. Primary revenue sources include (1) individual donations and monthly giving through the 'Friends of Louisville Grows' membership program via DonationPay, (2) foundation and corporate grants (Owsley Brown II Family Foundation, Kentucky Colonels, Humana, LG&E/KU, Schneider Electric, Churchill Downs, REI), (3) an annual Seeds & Starts plant sale fundraiser (which netted $24K in Spring 2024 and supports the Community Garden Grant program), and (4) passive affiliate/referral giving programs (Kroger Community Rewards, Nanz and Kraft, 1% for the Planet). End beneficiaries — tree recipients, community gardens, schools, and Louisville Metro parks — receive services at no cost; pricing to donors is freemium/monthly recurring or one-time, with the plant sale operating on unit pricing. Distribution is community-led and event-driven: door-to-door canvassing, seasonal planting events (November–April), the annual Seeds & Starts Sale, periodic tree giveaways, and Healthy House programming. The organization operates from a single headquarters (Healthy House) in Jefferson County, Kentucky, and has begun extending its model through a 2025 workforce training partnership with Kentucky State University's College of Agriculture and a Microforest planting at Alberta O. Jones Park.

Revenue is unquantified in the source data; the organization is governed by a Board of Directors including a Co-Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and Past Chair, with three paid staff (Executive Director Christine Brinkmann, Community Engagement Manager Ellie Davenport, Urban Horticulture Manager Seamus Allman).

Name

LOUISVILLE grows

Legal name

Louisville Grows

Website

https://louisvillegrows.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Louisville Grows is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 that runs urban forestry and horticulture programs in west and south Louisville neighborhoods. It plants free trees on residential properties, trains 500+ volunteer Citizen Foresters, supports community gardens, and operates the Healthy House community space on Portland Avenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Environmental Services

NAICS

Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)

SIC

Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Native & Pollinator Garden Design/Install (HSAIABAG), Sod, Turfgrass & Groundcover Production (AFAGAHAL), Tree Care & Arborist Services (BPABADAD), Raised Garden Beds & Planter Box Installation (HSAIAFAK)

Keywords

• Urban forestry
• Community gardens
• Tree planting
• Urban horticulture
• Nonprofit environmental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: Direct donations from individuals through the 'Friends of Louisville Grows' program. Monthly giving options available through online donation platform.
2. Grants and Foundation Funding: Funding from foundations including Owsley Brown II Family Foundation, Kentucky Colonels, and partnerships with government agencies like Kentucky Division of Forestry and Jefferson County Cooperative Extension.
3. Seeds & Starts Sale Fundraiser: Annual plant sale fundraiser featuring hundreds of locally grown vegetables, herbs, flower starts, perennials, and fruit trees. Proceeds support the Community Garden Grant program. Volunteers receive 10% discount.
4. Third-Party Donation Programs: Partnership with Kroger Community Rewards (Non-Profit Number 98951) where a portion of shopping proceeds are donated. Nanz and Kraft 'Helping' option donates $2.00 per transaction to Louisville Grows.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Louisville Grows is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that plants trees on residential properties through its Treecipient Program, trains Citizen Foresters as volunteer leaders, supports community gardens with technical assistance and infrastructure, and operates the Healthy House community space for environmental education and wellness programming. The organization runs an annual Seeds & Starts plant sale fundraiser and a workforce development initiative in partnership with Kentucky State University.

Product overview

Louisville Grows is a nonprofit organization offering a suite of interconnected environmental programs focused on urban forestry, urban horticulture, and community wellness. Its core offerings include the Urban Forestry Program (tree planting via the Treecipient Program and Citizen Forester volunteers), the Urban Horticulture Program (community garden support and the Green Thumb teaching garden), and Healthy House Programs (community space hosting workshops, cooking classes, and an art gallery). The organization funds its work through the annual Seeds & Starts Sale (plant fundraiser) and donor memberships, distributing proceeds via the Community Garden Grant Program. The portfolio is unified by the mission to create greener, healthier neighborhoods through expanded tree canopy, food security, and workforce development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urban Forestry Program
• Urban Horticulture Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,000+ trees planted to date
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Kentucky State University College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Kentucky State University's Cooperative Extension teams to deliver hands-on training in conservation, urban forestry, horticulture, and community agriculture. KSU provides curriculum development, credentialing, and program evaluation expertise while Louisville Grows leads community engagement efforts. The initiative aims to prepare adults for meaningful careers in the green economy while strengthening local food systems and resilient landscapes.
• Blueprint 502coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership to expand access to workforce training in conservation, urban forestry, horticulture, and community agriculture in west Louisville, investing directly in people who live and work in the community.
• 1% for the PlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnvironmental partner designation allowing Louisville Grows to receive 1% of annual sales from participating businesses as donations to support environmental causes.
• Arbor Day FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational tree-focused nonprofit providing support for urban forestry initiatives and tree planting programs.
• KrogermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerKroger Community Rewards Program allows shoppers to register their Kroger Plus account and designate Louisville Grows as their charity of choice (Non-Profit Number 98951). A portion of qualifying purchases is donated to Louisville Grows.
• Nanz and KraftminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWhen ordering from Nanz and Kraft, customers can select Louisville Grows as their charity of choice and the company donates $2.00 per transaction.
• Louisville Metro Government / Urban ForestrymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Louisville Metro Tree Advisory Commission and Louisville Parks and Recreation/Urban Forestry for neighborhood tree planting initiatives and canopy preservation efforts.
• NC State University, University of Michigan, Texas A&M, University of Louisville, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Forest ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research study on equitable urban greening, examining how tree planting transforms communities for positive outcomes.
• Green Heart Louisville ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership focused on understanding the health impacts of urban greening initiatives.
• Parks Alliance of LouisvillemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the planting of West End's first Microforest at Alberta O. Jones Park in 2025.
• Louisville Parks and Recreation / Urban ForestrymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for tree planting initiatives and urban forestry programs.
• Americana Community CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for neighborhood programs and outreach.
• Bernheim Forest and ArboretumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental nonprofit partner for conservation and arboretum initiatives.
• REIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOutdoor retailer partnership for outdoor and environmental initiatives.
• Jefferson County Cooperative Extension AgencymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity extension partner providing agricultural and horticultural expertise.
• Heine Brothers' CoffeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal coffee company partner supporting community initiatives.
• LoveTitosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVolunteer support for restoration of Shelby Park Community Garden.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Arbor Day Foundation: National nonprofit focused on tree planting and urban forestry; existing Louisville Grows partner and the largest tree-focused nonprofit in the U.S. Operates at a much broader geographic and programmatic scale, including Energy-Saving Trees and community forestry grants.
• Keep America Beautiful: National nonprofit focused on litter prevention, recycling, and community beautification including tree planting. Operates at much broader scope than Louisville Grows but overlaps on grassroots community greening and volunteer-driven beautification programming.
• American Forests: National conservation organization with a dedicated urban forestry program focused on tree canopy equity, city forest plans, and Tree Equity Score. Comparable mission of restoring urban tree canopy in disadvantaged neighborhoods, but at national scale with research-driven policy work.
• The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit creating parks and protecting land for people, with major urban greening and tree canopy initiatives. Overlaps on urban tree equity and climate-resilient cities but operates as a broad parks/land conservation incumbent, not a grassroots planting nonprofit.

Direct peers

• Friends of Trees: Portland, OR-based nonprofit planting trees and restoring natural areas through volunteer-led events. Same neighborhood-based, volunteer-centric planting model, with similar Tree Planting Team structure and emphasis on community engagement.
• TreePeople: Los Angeles-based nonprofit operating a community tree-planting and urban forestry program with a strong volunteer training and tree-care model. Closest direct analog in structure: free-tree distribution, volunteer-led planting, and emphasis on disadvantaged neighborhoods facing heat-island effects.
• Casey Trees: Washington DC-based nonprofit focused exclusively on planting, protecting, and caring for the District's urban tree canopy. Direct functional peer offering tree planting, tree giveaways, volunteer stewardship, and community education analogous to Louisville Grows' Urban Forestry Program.

Regional players

• Bernheim Forest and Arboretum: Kentucky-based arboretum and forest conservation nonprofit, and existing Louisville Grows program partner. Comparable regional conservation/education mission and horticultural expertise, but operates as a destination arboretum rather than urban-focused planting program.
• City Parks Foundation: NYC-based nonprofit running urban greening programs including tree planting, community gardens, and environmental education in low-income neighborhoods. Direct analog on the urban horticulture/community garden side but anchored to NYC rather than Louisville.

Others

• Sustainable Louisville: Louisville-focused sustainability coalition addressing local food, climate, and resilience. Adjacent ecosystem participant that overlaps with Louisville Grows on community sustainability themes and likely cross-referral of volunteers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LouisvilleGrows
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/louisville-grows-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/louisvillegrows
• Xx.com/LouisvilleGrows

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 LOUISVILLE grows