North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation, Inc.

Name

North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation, Inc.

Legal name

North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://ncbg.unc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1966 that supports the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's botanical garden in Chapel Hill, NC. It delivers plant conservation, environmental education, therapeutic horticulture, and the FloraQuest mobile app suite serving southeastern U.S. flora identification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chapel Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees in the North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation provide supporter benefits and fund conservation operations.
2. Donations and Gifts: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations supporting conservation and education programs.
3. Plant Sales: Native plant sales including spring and fall plant sales, native seed distribution, and specialty items from the Garden Shop.
4. Program Fees: Fees for educational programs including certificate programs, adult education, youth camps (Camp Flytrap), therapeutic horticulture, and school programs.
5. Facility Rentals and Event Hosting: Private event rentals, corporate partner events, and venue bookings at garden facilities.
6. Grants and Government Funding: Funding from National Science Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and private foundations for conservation research and programs.
7. License Plate Program: Venus Flytrap specialty license plate sales through North Carolina DMV, with proceeds supporting conservation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that provides philanthropic, membership, and program support for the North Carolina Botanical Garden at UNC-Chapel Hill, delivering native plant conservation, environmental education, therapeutic horticulture services, citizen-science programs, and digital plant-identification tools (FloraQuest mobile apps and Flora of the Southeastern United States web/PDF resources) to individuals, students, researchers, healthcare partners, and corporate supporters across North Carolina and beyond.

Product overview

The North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation supports a portfolio centered on botanical education, conservation, and plant identification tools. The core products include the FloraQuest mobile app series (covering the Northern Tier, Carolinas and Georgia, Florida, and South-Central regions) and the Flora of the Southeastern United States delivered as both web application and downloadable PDFs. Supporting programs include therapeutic horticulture services, native plant conservation initiatives, certificate programs in native plant studies and botanical illustration, the annual NC Wildflower of the Year program, and community science initiatives. The organization also manages multiple preserves and natural areas in North Carolina, with the UNC Herbarium supporting floristic research and taxonomy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Carolina Community Garden (CCG): A community garden dedicated to serving UNC housekeepers and campus community members.
• FloraQuest Apps
• Flora of the Southeastern United States (FSUS)

Products and services

• FloraQuest Mobile Apps Series of mobile plant identification and discovery applications covering four regions of the southeastern United States (Northern Tier, Carolinas and Georgia, Florida, and South-Central). Each app contains graphic keys, dichotomous keys, habitat descriptions, range maps, and approximately 30,000 diagnostic photographs. Apps work offline in remote field settings without an internet connection and link to iNaturalist for observation logging. Sold as a $19.99 one-time purchase on iOS and Android.
• Flora of the Southeastern United States (Web App) Comprehensive online flora database and web application providing access to plant species information across the southeastern United States, including dichotomous keys, species details, distribution maps, and photographs. Available at fsus.ncbg.unc.edu.
• Flora of the Southeastern United States (PDF) Downloadable PDF flora publications available for full floristic coverage, individual states, and regional editions spanning 2020 through 2025, with optional donations to support the project.
• UNC Herbarium (NCU) University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU) curating plant specimens and supporting botanical research, taxonomy, and floristic studies for the southeastern United States. Mailing address Campus Box 3375, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill.
• Therapeutic Horticulture Program Treatment intervention program promoting health and well-being through positive interactions with plants and nature, serving various populations including those with traumatic brain injuries, dementia, mental illness, physical limitations, and developmental disabilities. Delivered at the Farm at Penny Lane in Pittsboro and other partner sites.
• Certificate Programs (Native Plant Studies and Therapeutic Horticulture) Educational certificate programs including Native Plant Studies and Therapeutic Horticulture for students and emerging professionals seeking botanical knowledge and credentials.
• Plant Conservation Programs Conservation initiatives including rare plant reintroduction (e.g., Canby's dropwort reintroduction to North Carolina in 2025 after 20 years of absence), habitat restoration, seed collection, and collaborative research on endangered plant species.
• NC Wildflower of the Year Program Annual program since 1982 selecting a showy native perennial wildflower and distributing seeds to interested gardeners, managed with support from the Garden Club of North Carolina.
• Botanical Art & Illustration Program Educational offerings in botanical illustration and art, including fundamentals courses and certificate programs for those interested in documenting plants through art.
• Preserves and Natural Areas Multiple conservation properties totaling 500+ acres including the main North Carolina Botanical Garden (100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill), Piedmont Nature Trails, Coker Arboretum, Battle Park & Forest Theatre, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Parker Preserve, and Coker Pinetum. Free admission; open Tuesday–Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Community Science Programs Citizen science initiatives engaging community members in documenting plant biodiversity, including herbarium collections and species discovery programs, with integration to iNaturalist for community plant observations.
• Private Event Rentals and Venue Hosting Private event rentals, corporate partner events, and venue bookings at garden facilities, including the Allen Education Center and other garden spaces.
• American Indian Cultural Garden On-campus cultural garden developed and opened in partnership with the American Indian Center at UNC, providing a new facility for cultural engagement and education.
• Venus Flytrap License Plate Program Venus Flytrap specialty license plate offering for North Carolina drivers through NCDMV, with proceeds supporting NCBG conservation and education programs.
• School and Group Programs (PreK–12) School and group educational programs for PreK–12 audiences, curriculum-aligned lessons, field trips, teacher resources, and youth camps including Camp Flytrap.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully reintroduced Canby's dropwort to North Carolina after 20 years of absence from the state
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• Atlanta Botanical GardencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Grant administrator for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recovery funding supporting Canby's dropwort conservation. Partnership enables coordinated regional conservation efforts for imperiled southeastern plant species.
• NC Plant Conservation ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration on Canby's dropwort reintroduction project. Led by ecologist Geoff Austin, the program manages property and conducts annual August surveys for the species. Staff (Kate Loughran) conducts ongoing monitoring of outplanted populations.
• NC Natural Heritage ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Tri-agency collaboration (along with NCBG and NC Plant Conservation Program) on conservation of Canby's dropwort. Katherine Culatta leads annual surveys and contributed to reintroduction planning.
• Venus Flytrap ChampionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Nonprofit organization helping landowners conserve Venus flytrap populations on private land. NCBG refers property owners to this organization for conservation guidance and support.
• Kansas State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborative research partnership on Venus flytrap conservation studying how climate change affects optimal burn frequency for fire-dependent species. Part of NSF-funded Partnership to Advance Conservation Science and Practice grant. Researchers studying longleaf pine savanna ecosystems and Venus flytrap population responses to climate and fire interactions.
• Duke UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborative research partnership on Venus flytrap conservation studying climate change impacts on fire-dependent ecosystems. Part of $946,000 NSF Partnership to Advance Conservation Science and Practice grant. Duke researchers contribute to demographic monitoring and climate cage studies.
• The Nature ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Early collaborator in Canby's dropwort conservation, working to remove loblolly pines from the historical bay habitat. Initial restoration work enabled return of standing water to the site, creating conditions necessary for potential species reestablishment.
• South Carolina Native Plant SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Stewards Lisa Matthews Memorial Bay, the site of the largest and most genetically diverse existing Canby's dropwort population. NCBG team collected seeds from this site for propagation and reintroduction in North Carolina.
• Garden Club of North Carolina, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1982Financial support partner for the NC Wildflower of the Year program since its inception in 1982. Annual program selects and promotes native wildflowers while distributing seeds to interested gardeners.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chicago Botanic Garden: Large public garden with plant conservation, native plant programs, education, and research initiatives serving as a comparable mission-driven nonprofit with similar program mix.
• Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University: University-affiliated botanical garden and research institution with herbarium collections, plant conservation, and educational programs — closely mirrors NCBG's UNC-Chapel Hill academic affiliation model.
• Atlanta Botanical Garden: Southeastern U.S. botanical garden with conservation, education, and research programs; actively partners with NCBG on Canby's dropwort recovery as the grant administrator for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funding.
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Urban botanical garden offering plant conservation, education, native plant programs, and free/low-cost public access — similar mission mix and free-admission model.
• Missouri Botanical Garden: Major botanical garden with deep plant conservation, research, and floristic documentation programs analogous to NCBG's Flora of the Southeastern United States and conservation initiatives.
• New York Botanical Garden: Flagship botanical garden operating herbarium, plant science research, conservation, and public education programs at a similar mission and structure.
• Sarah P. Duke Gardens: Duke University-affiliated botanical garden in Durham, NC that collaborates with NCBG on the African American Legacy in Gardening and Horticulture Symposium; comparable university-garden structure and regional mission.
• Longwood Gardens: Major public garden with display gardens, plant conservation, education programs, and significant endowment-supported operations comparable in scale and mission.
• United States Botanic Garden: National public botanical garden with plant conservation, education programs, and research analogous to NCBG's mission, providing a federal-scale benchmark for program scope.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: Large-scale environmental conservation organization that partners with NCBG on Canby's dropwort habitat restoration; broader geographic and programmatic scope but overlapping conservation mandate and southeastern U.S. operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ncbotgarden
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAiJC8DgA0x7pdfQXe3gjAw/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCBotanicalGarden
• Instagraminstagram.com/ncbotanicalgarden

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation, Inc.