Garden District Association

What Garden District Association does

Garden District Association (GDA) is a nonprofit neighborhood stewardship organization founded in 2008 and headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. It serves as the recognized civic voice for approximately 2,500 residents and property owners within the Garden District, a National Historic Landmark District bounded by Jackson Avenue, Carondelet Street, Magazine Street, and Louisiana Avenue. The association provides tiered membership programs (General at $100, Sustaining at $250, Sponsor at $500, and custom-priced Multi-Unit Building), ticketed community events (Fall Affair gala at $200-$300 per ticket held at Commander's Palace; Halloween Under the Oaks at $10-$20 per ticket), the "Profiles in Preservation" publication documenting more than 100 historic homes, and a Resource Center covering zoning, code enforcement, short-term rentals, and other neighborhood regulatory matters.

A core operational pillar is GDA's sponsorship of the Garden District Security District (GDSD), a separate 501(c)(4) entity that has provided 24-hour daily enhanced patrols since 1998, with three officers on duty at all times plus NOPD detail officers each evening. GDSD is funded by an 11-mill property tax assessment (unchanged since 2013) billed through city property tax bills, providing a structurally stable revenue stream distinct from voluntary membership dues. The association operates with 1-10 employees supplemented by a volunteer board of directors (including President Andre Gaudin, Vice President Barbara Beckman, Executive Director Shelley Landrieu, Secretary Liz Creel, and Treasurer Bill Gahagan) and multiple committees.

GDA's go-to-market is fundamentally community-led, relying on word-of-mouth, neighborhood gatherings, the annual events, and direct advocacy on zoning and development matters. Distribution is enabled by a modest technology stack: a WordPress-based website with WooCommerce for e-commerce sign-ups and ticket sales, PayPal for payment processing, and Constant Contact for email newsletters. The organization also accepts direct mail membership applications and accepts donations through its website. GDA pursues regulatory and advocacy influence (e.g., opposition to height waivers at 2400 St. Charles Avenue; support for expansion of historic district protections) as a complement to its membership and event-based revenue model.

Name

Garden District Association

Legal name

Garden District Association

Website

https://gardendistrictassociation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Garden District Association is a nonprofit neighborhood stewardship organization in New Orleans serving 2,500+ Garden District residents through tiered membership dues, community events, and the sponsored Garden District Security District's 24-hour patrol services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues collected from residents, property owners, and businesses within the Garden District. Tiers include Sponsor ($500/year), Sustaining ($250/year), General ($100/year), and Multi-Unit Building (custom pricing). Membership runs on an annual basis and is the primary source of operating revenue.
2. Event Tickets and Fundraisers: Revenue generated from ticketed community events including the annual Fall Affair gala at Commander's Palace ($200-$300 per ticket) and Halloween Under the Oaks family party ($10-$20 per ticket). These serve as both community engagement and fundraising activities.
3. Publication Sales: Sales of the 'New Orleans Garden District: Profiles in Preservation' book, which highlights historic homes in the National Historic Landmark District. This publication supports preservation awareness and generates ancillary revenue.
4. Donations: The organization accepts donations through its website to support neighborhood improvement initiatives and community programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Garden District Association is a nonprofit neighborhood stewardship organization offering annual memberships to residents and property owners of the Garden District in New Orleans, with tiers priced from $100 to $500. It sponsors the Garden District Security District to coordinate 24-hour enhanced neighborhood patrols, hosts community events such as the Fall Affair gala and Halloween Under the Oaks, publishes the Profiles in Preservation book on historic homes, and maintains a Resource Center with guidance on zoning, code enforcement, filming, and short-term rentals.

Product overview

Garden District Association is a neighborhood stewardship organization offering a tiered membership program (General, Sustaining, Sponsor, and Multi Unit Building tiers ranging from $100-$500+ annually) along with community events and services. The association provides the Garden District Security District for 24-hour neighborhood patrols, publishes the Profiles in Preservation book documenting historic homes, hosts annual events including the Fall Affair Gala, Halloween Under The Oaks, and Joueurs De Jardin garden club gatherings, and operates a Resource Center with guidance on zoning, code enforcement, and neighborhood regulations. The organization uses WooCommerce for membership and event e-commerce, with PayPal processing payments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Membership Annual membership tier priced at $100 per year for duplex/double units per unit, individual apartments and condominiums within buildings, and small businesses located in the Garden District. Provides membership benefits including access to community events, newsletters, and advocacy.
• Sustaining Membership Annual membership tier priced at $250 per year for owners of single-family homes and businesses in the Garden District.
• Sponsor Membership Annual membership tier priced at $500 per year for owners of larger homes who wish to provide enhanced support to the Garden District Association.
• Multi-Unit Building Membership Custom-priced annual membership for owners of multi-unit buildings in the Garden District, with pricing based on building size and number of occupants (call GDA office at 525-7608 for quote).
• Garden District Security District Patrol Services 24-hour daily enhanced security patrol services for the Garden District neighborhood, with 3 officers on duty at all times plus special NOPD detail officers each evening. Funded separately by a property millage on district properties.
• Fall Affair Gala Annual fundraising gala held at Commander's Palace restaurant in the Garden District, featuring dinner, music, and socializing. Ticket prices typically $200-$300 per person.
• Halloween Under The Oaks Annual Halloween celebration featuring a trick-or-treat safe house route through the Garden District and a family party with costume contest at 2707 Coliseum Street. Tickets $10-$20; GDA member rates Adult $15/Child $10, Non-member rates Adult $20/Child $15, Under 2 free.
• New Orleans Garden District: Profiles in Preservation Book Published book highlighting stories of more than 100 historic homes in the Garden District, a National Historic Landmark District. Created and sold by the Garden District Association to support preservation awareness.
• Resource Center Online information hub providing guidance on Code Enforcement, Filming Guidelines, Front Yard Paving, Local Historic District designation, Good Neighbor Agreements, Helpful Contacts, LA Cultural District Designation, Short Term Rentals, and Zoning Guidelines for Garden District residents, property owners, and businesses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Security patrol services for 2,500+ residents and 5 million annual visitors
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Garden District Security District (GDSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Garden District Association is the sponsoring organization for the Garden District Security District (GDSD), a separate 501(c)(4) entity that manages 24-hour daily enhanced patrols for the neighborhood. Currently, 3 officers are on duty at all times, around the clock, plus special NOPD detail officers each evening. GDSD is funded by a special district-wide property millage. All residents and property owners within the district boundaries are eligible to use patrol services.
• New Orleans Police Department (NOPD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GDSD patrol works closely with NOPD Sixth District officers to monitor and deter crime in the area. NOPD detail officers patrol each evening, and GDSD reports crimes that have occurred to assist NOPD investigations.
• Commander's PalacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommander's Palace, an internationally famous New Orleans restaurant, serves as the venue for the Garden District Association's annual Fall Affair fundraiser. The restaurant is located within the Garden District neighborhood and is considered 'our favorite neighborhood world-class restaurant' by the association.
• Film New OrleansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm New Orleans, part of the Mayor's Office of Cultural Economy, coordinates with the Garden District Association for film permits and production notifications. All filming in the neighborhood is conducted with the knowledge and cooperation of Film New Orleans.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lakeview Civic Improvement Association: Lakeview Civic Improvement Association is a New Orleans neighborhood membership organization focused on community improvement, security advocacy, and quality-of-life issues, mirroring GDA's structure of tiered memberships, neighborhood watch coordination, and resident advocacy.
• French Quarter Citizens Inc. French Quarter Citizens is a New Orleans neighborhood civic association that advocates on zoning, security, and historic preservation for residents and property owners — directly parallel to the Garden District Association's mission and operating model in an adjacent historic district.
• Audubon Park Neighborhood Association: Audubon Park Neighborhood Association is a neighboring uptown New Orleans civic group serving residents around Audubon Park with similar membership dues, security coordination, and preservation-related advocacy — a comparable scale peer in the same urban geography.
• Holy Cross Neighborhood Association: Holy Cross Neighborhood Association is a New Orleans neighborhood civic organization focused on revitalization, preservation, and resident advocacy along the Lower 9th Ward and St. Claude corridor — a comparable peer in mission and community-organizing model.

Others

• New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation: NOTMC is the city's DMO that promotes tourism to districts like the Garden District; it does not compete with GDA but is an ecosystem partner whose marketing of the neighborhood to 5M annual visitors amplifies GDA's brand and fundraising reach.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: The National Trust for Historic Preservation is the largest U.S. preservation nonprofit operating nationally; it does not directly compete with GDA but is thematically adjacent and a likely partner/funder for the Profiles in Preservation book and advocacy campaigns.

Regional players

• Historic Districts Council: Historic Districts Council is a New York-based preservation advocacy organization that supports neighborhood groups in protecting historic districts — closely comparable in function to GDA but operating in a different city.
• Preservation Alliance of New Orleans: Preservation Resource Center (now Preservation Alliance) of New Orleans is the city's leading historic preservation nonprofit; it operates more broadly across New Orleans than GDA but shares a preservation mission and overlapping constituency of historic property owners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/garden-district-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Garden District Association