Los Angeles Parks Foundation

What Los Angeles Parks Foundation does

The Los Angeles Parks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008 that serves as the primary dedicated philanthropic partner of the Los Angeles City Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP), which stewards more than 450 municipal parks and recreation facilities. Headquartered in Griffith Park, the foundation channels private donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants toward park infrastructure, programming, and equity initiatives across the city. It operates with a lean team (1-10 employees as reported via Candid) under board governance and holds a Candid Bronze Seal of Transparency.

The foundation's core programs include Adopt-A-Park (civic volunteer stewardship), Park Forests (at least 22 urban canopy and planting sites), Community School Parks (joint programming with LAUSD, expanded under a 2025 Joint Powers Agreement), Girls Play LA (youth sports equity), and a membership program offering benefits such as free parking at select facilities. Service lines span direct capital improvements (e.g., the Clippers-funded refurbishment of 350 basketball courts from 2018-2022, the Hazard Park upgrades supported by USC), nature-based programming, youth sports access, and disaster-recovery delivery — exemplified by the April 2025 Palisades Park playground rebuild funded jointly with FireAid, GameTime, and Banc of California.

Revenue is generated exclusively through charitable channels: individual giving, corporate sponsorships (notably the Steve Ballmer / Clippers $10M gift), foundation grants (Annenberg, USC, Werner, Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation), membership dues, and special events including the Griffith Park Run, Harvest Festival, and an annual gala. Cumulative private support since inception exceeds $50 million. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations are program-delivery-led with technology limited to standard nonprofit CRM tooling, and the organization has disclosed no AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Los Angeles Parks Foundation

Legal name

Los Angeles Parks Foundation

Website

https://laparksfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Los Angeles Parks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 that serves as the dedicated philanthropic partner of LA's Department of Recreation and Parks, channeling private donations toward park infrastructure, programming, and equity initiatives across the city's 450+ parks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Park Philanthropy and Recreation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Education & Community Programs (Junior Ranger, Citizen Science, School Programs) (THAAAGAK), Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Public parks foundation
• Park fundraising
• Recreation philanthropy
• Community park programs
• Urban park stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting specific parks, projects, or general foundation operations. Includes direct one-time donations and recurring contributions.
2. Membership Program: Annual membership tiers (Mariposa Lily $50, Wild Rye $125, Toyon $250) providing benefits including native plants, merchandise, event access, and donor recognition.
3. Adopt-A-Park Program: Corporate/foundation partnerships adopting city parks starting at $25,000 investment, with one-year term and renewal options. Includes prominent park acknowledgment and community celebration.
4. Event Fundraising: Revenue generation through event participation fees (Griffith Park Half Marathon, Harvest Festival) with proceeds benefiting LA city parks.
5. Project-Specific Fundraising: Targeted donations for specific projects including playground restoration, skatepark construction, native plant nurseries, and facility improvements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Los Angeles Parks Foundation is a nonprofit that raises private philanthropic funds to support Los Angeles city parks through public-private partnership with the LA City Department of Recreation and Parks. It delivers a portfolio of programs including park adoptions, micro-forest installations, native plant cultivation, schoolyard park conversions, youth sports access, and fundraising events, serving 450+ city parks across Los Angeles.

Product overview

Los Angeles Parks Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 2008 to support the Los Angeles City Department of Recreation and Parks. Rather than a unified software product, the Foundation offers a portfolio of programs and initiatives that work together to enhance, expand, preserve, and promote public recreation, parks, and open space. The core offerings include: the Community School Parks Initiative (which repurposes schoolyards as parks), Los Angeles Park Forests (micro-forests using the Miyawaki Method), the Commonwealth Native Plant Nursery (growing native plants for park ecosystems), Adopt-A-Park partnerships, Friends of the Parks donations, a Membership Program with three tiers, Girls Play LA sports programming, and signature events including the Griffith Park Half Marathon and Harvest Festival. These programs collectively address sustainability, preservation, access, community, equity, and emergency shelter goals across LA's 450+ city parks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commonwealth Native Plant Nursery

Quantifiable outcome

• $47-50 million raised for LA parks since 2008
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) established formal 10-year partnership for Community School Parks Initiative, allowing RAP to manage recreational programming at select schoolyards open to public during non-school hours. Addresses park equity by utilizing existing school infrastructure.
• GameTimemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2025$300,000 in-kind contribution providing equipment for Palisades playground reconstruction project.
• Los Angeles City Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary public sector partner for all foundation initiatives. Foundation provides private funding to support RAP projects and programs across 450+ city parks.
• Trust for Public LandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner on Community School Parks Initiative, working to improve park access in underserved neighborhoods.
• NikesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Nike and RAP to expand Women Coach LA (WCLA) program and develop Coach Plan Citywide Initiative for equitable sports participation.
• The Skatepark ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership transforming under-utilized space under Imperial Highway in South Los Angeles into large skatepark (Watts Skatepark).
• The Nature ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partner supporting Commonwealth Nursery, native plant initiatives, and climate resilience projects.
• Food ForwardsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to harvest and distribute produce from Franklin Canyon Orange Grove to local food banks and community organizations since 2014.
• Angel City Football ClubsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership powering LA City United Football Club, a citywide youth soccer initiative for girls and gender-expansive youth ages 5-17.
• Los Angeles Equestrian CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting community and animal welfare, providing shelter for 400+ large animals during wildfire crisis.
• Barnsdall Art Park FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to restore and maintain historic olive grove at Barnsdall Art Park, including Park Forest installation.
• Resources Legacy FundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental nonprofit supporting Community Parks Coalition initiative for park funding measure.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on creating parks and protecting land for people; active Collaborative partner with LAPF on the Community School Parks Initiative. Directly comparable as a parks-focused grantmaking/advocacy nonprofit serving municipal park systems.
• Chicago Parks Foundation: Independent nonprofit that supports the Chicago Park District through private fundraising, capital projects, and programs — directly analogous structure to LAPF for a large mid-size US city park system.
• San Francisco Parks Alliance: Nonprofit that mobilizes private resources for San Francisco's parks and open spaces, with a similar mix of corporate partnerships, volunteer programs, and equity-focused initiatives in park-poor neighborhoods.
• LA84 Foundation: LA-based sports foundation funding youth sports infrastructure; active LAPF partner funding EXPO Center swim programs and the $10.5M Ferraro Fields soccer complex. Comparable grantmaking nonprofit supporting LA recreation and youth sports facilities.
• LA Neighborhood Land Trust: LA-based nonprofit that creates parks in historically under-resourced communities — active LAPF partner. Directly comparable in mission focus on park equity in South LA and other park-poor neighborhoods of Los Angeles.
• NYC Parks Foundation: City-specific parks foundation supporting New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Closest functional analog to LAPF — same model of raising private funds for a single municipal park system through corporate partnerships, memberships, and events.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits and active LAPF partner on native plant nurseries and climate resilience projects. Operates at vastly larger scale but overlaps on urban conservation, native species, and climate-focused park programming.
• City Parks Alliance: National nonprofit dedicated to urban parks; operates as an umbrella advocacy and networking organization rather than raising capital for a single city — broader scope but overlapping mission around park funding and equity.
• National Recreation and Park Association: National nonprofit dedicated to advancing park and recreation development through advocacy, professional development, and grants. Industry-wide umbrella organization that contextualizes LAPF's municipal-level work within the broader parks and recreation field.

Emerging players

• Catalina Island Conservancy: Land trust and conservation organization that operates park-like natural areas; former employer of LAPF President Tony Budrovich. Comparable in nonprofit conservation/parks management model, though focused on a single island rather than a city park system.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/laparksfndtion

Compliance1 record

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 Los Angeles Parks Foundation