Growing Hope Gardens
Growing Hope Gardens is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds and maintains regenerative organic food gardens at affordable housing properties and homeless shelters, serving 3,150+ low-income and unhoused residents with 24/7 produce access, work development internships, and community programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSanta Monica, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Growing Hope Gardens does
Growing Hope Gardens is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 by Carolyn Day, a Master Gardener and former professional stuntwoman. The organization implements and maintains urban regenerative, organic food gardens at affordable housing properties and homeless shelters across Los Angeles County, providing residents with 24/7 access to fresh produce, skill training, and community-building programming. Its core operations span 15 resident food gardens plus the Virginia Avenue Farm in Santa Monica, covering approximately 2,800 square feet of active growing space across 9 affordable housing properties and 2 homeless shelters.
The organization employs a multi-method agricultural approach that includes custom-designed self-wicking stock tank beds (developed in partnership with BTL Liners using copper/PEX components to reduce PVC leaching), wooden raised beds, conversion of ornamental concrete planters into edible gardens, and thermophilic composting based on Dr. Elaine's Soil Food Web methodology. Through its Work Development Program, Growing Hope Gardens offers paid internships to unhoused and recently unhoused individuals; 7 of 9 graduates have been permanently housed as of 2021-2023, an 87% placement rate. Across 2021-2023, the organization donated 100,000 lbs of fresh produce and planted 18,500 seedlings, serving 3,150+ individuals.
The business model is donation- and grant-driven, with revenue sourced from individual donations (channeled via Zeffy), corporate sponsorships, institutional grants (Annenberg Foundation, Heluna Health, St. John's Foundation, Jason Mraz Foundation, American Ag Credit), and a small merchandise line of $35 t-shirts designed by artist Lesley Goren. The go-to-market is community-led: partnerships with five core affordable housing and homeless service organizations (Community Corporation of Santa Monica, The People Concern, Holos Communities, Venice Community Housing, East LA Community Corporation) serve as both service delivery sites and referral channels. The core team is 5 people (Founder/ED, Farming Lead, Operations Lead, Garden Team member, Farm Ambassador), supported by a 5-member Board of Directors and a 4-member Advisory Board.
Growing Hope Gardens firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Growing Hope Gardens
- Legal name
- Growing Hope Gardens
- Website
- https://growinghopegardens.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Growing Hope Gardens is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds and maintains regenerative organic food gardens at affordable housing properties and homeless shelters, serving 3,150+ low-income and unhoused residents with 24/7 produce access, work development internships, and community programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Growing Hope Gardens industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Agriculture and Food Justice Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Landscaping Services (561730), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112), Community Food Services (624210), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vegetable & Herb Garden Installation and Maintenance (HSAIAFAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Raised Garden Beds & Planter Box Installation (HSAIAFAK), Garden Bed Installation & Planting (Annuals, Perennials, Shrubs) (HSAIAFAB), Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)
Keywords
Where Growing Hope Gardens is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Monica
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Growing Hope Gardens business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Growing Hope Gardens operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Primary revenue comes from individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and grant funding. They run donation campaigns including 'Operation: Grow. Gather. Give.'
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts with hand-drawn logo by artist Lesley Goren. T-shirts priced at $35 each, made of 100% heavyweight cotton, hemp colored with black lettering.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | T-Shirt at $35 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Growing Hope Gardens product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Growing Hope Gardens implements and grows urban regenerative, organic food gardens and farms with residents of affordable housing properties and homeless shelters in Los Angeles. The organization provides free on-site garden installation, maintenance, science-based training, community building programs, and a free farmer's market, while also operating a paid work development internship program for unhoused individuals. Services are provided at no cost to residents and supported by donations, grants, and sponsorships.
Product overview
Growing Hope Gardens is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a portfolio of community-focused food growing and access programs. The core offerings include Resident Food Gardens implemented at affordable housing and homeless shelter properties, and the Virginia Avenue Farm urban farm. Supporting programs include Garden Vegetable Donations (over 100,000 lbs of produce donated 2021-2023), a Work Development Program providing paid internships to unhoused individuals, a Free Farmer's Market, and Community Workshops on urban farming techniques. The organization also sells branded merchandise (T-Shirts) through its online store. Together, these programs provide food access, skill training, work development, and community building to residents of financially disadvantaged communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 100,000 lbs of fresh produce donated (2021-2023)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Growing Hope Gardens
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Growing Hope Gardens technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Growing Hope Gardens partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and supporting.
- Community Corporation of Santa MonicacoreSanta Monica-based nonprofit that restores, builds, and manages affordable housing for working families. Key founding partner for resident food garden programs.
- The People ConcerncoreOne of Los Angeles County's largest social services agencies formed in 2016, providing solutions to homelessness and domestic violence. Site of the original pilot project at Samoshel Shelter.
- Holos CommunitiescoreNonprofit dedicated to creating spaces for all people, working to end homelessness, combat global warming, and reverse racial inequity through holistic development of homes, services, and jobs.
- Venice Community HousingcoreFounded in 1988 as a grassroots movement to develop comprehensive solutions to homelessness and affordable housing. Invests in permanently affordable housing and advances health and housing-based solutions.
- East LA Community CorporationcoreAdvocates for economic and social justice in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles by building affordable housing, grassroots leadership, and self-sufficiency.
- CORE ResponsekeyClimate action organization with which Growing Hope Gardens collaborated on a farm launch video and volunteer activities.
- UC SAREP (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program)supportingUniversity of California program supporting sustainable agriculture research and education.
- Kellogg Garden ProductssupportingGarden products company providing soil and gardening supplies for the gardens.
- GrowoyasupportingProvider of Porous Clay Irrigation Vessels (ollas) used for water-efficient irrigation in gardens.
- BTL LinerssupportingPartnered to develop high-quality custom drop-in liners for self-wicking stock tank beds, enabling innovative water management in urban garden settings.
- Santa Monica Brew WorkssupportingLocal brewery providing spent hops for thermophilic composting, supporting sustainable waste reduction and garden nutrition.
- GrowGoodsupportingOrganization that grows and supplies seedlings for the nursery program until plants are hardened and ready for planting.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Growing Hope Gardens competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Community Healing Gardens: LA-based nonprofit that builds gardens and small farms in low-income communities (Venice Beach, South LA). Previously led by GHG board member Nicole Landers; directly comparable in urban food justice mission and LA geography.
- Heart of America Foundation: National nonprofit providing food, education, and resources to communities in need, including school and community garden programs. Comparable in deploying garden infrastructure to underserved communities with educational components.
- EnrichLA: LA nonprofit that builds edible gardens in public schools. Comparable in urban garden installation and education mission in the same LA geography; Harriet (GHG Fruit Tree specialist) previously volunteered with EnrichLA.
- GrowGood: LA-based nonprofit urban farm that grows and supplies seedlings to Growing Hope Gardens. Operates similar regenerative urban agriculture programs serving vulnerable populations and uses regenerative practices—directly comparable in mission, geography, and methodology.
- Big Green: National nonprofit that builds food gardens in schools and communities to connect kids to real food. Comparable in building gardens for underserved communities and providing hands-on food education.
Regional players
- Project Angel Food: LA-based nonprofit providing medically tailored meals to people facing serious illness. Comparable LA-based food access nonprofit with overlapping board connections (Bonnie Graves served on its board) and similar mission of serving vulnerable populations.
- Homeboy Industries: LA-based social enterprise providing wraparound services including job training to formerly incarcerated and formerly homeless individuals. Overlaps with GHG's work development/internship program for unhoused individuals and shares the LA geography.
- Food Forward: LA-based nonprofit that rescues surplus produce and distributes it to communities facing food insecurity. Complementary food-access mission in the same LA geography, focused on gleaning and distribution rather than growing.
Emerging players
- Kitchen Table Advisors: California nonprofit providing business advising to small sustainable farms and food enterprises. Adjacent peer supporting regenerative agriculture viability, though focused on farm business resilience rather than food access directly.
- LA Compost: LA-based nonprofit advancing composting and regenerative soil practices across the city. Overlaps with GHG's thermophilic composting methodology and urban soil regeneration focus in the same geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Growing Hope Gardens social profiles
Digital presenceGrowing Hope Gardens financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Growing Hope Gardens leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Growing Hope Gardens funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Growing Hope Gardens M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Growing Hope Gardens
What does Growing Hope Gardens do?
Growing Hope Gardens implements and grows urban regenerative, organic food gardens and farms with residents of affordable housing properties and homeless shelters in Los Angeles. The organization provides free on-site garden installation, maintenance, science-based training, community building programs, and a free farmer's market, while also operating a paid work development internship program for unhoused individuals. Services are provided at no cost to residents and supported by donations, grants, and sponsorships.
Is Growing Hope Gardens a public or private company?
Growing Hope Gardens is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Growing Hope Gardens founded?
Growing Hope Gardens was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Growing Hope Gardens based?
Growing Hope Gardens is headquartered in Santa Monica, United States, in the North America region.
How does Growing Hope Gardens make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales.
Who are Growing Hope Gardens's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Community Healing Gardens, Heart of America Foundation, EnrichLA, GrowGood and Big Green. Regional players are Project Angel Food, Homeboy Industries and Food Forward. Emerging players are Kitchen Table Advisors and LA Compost.
Does Growing Hope Gardens have an API?
No public API is recorded for Growing Hope Gardens.
What industry is Growing Hope Gardens in?
Growing Hope Gardens's product category is Community Agriculture and Food Justice Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAIAFAM, Vegetable & Herb Garden Installation and Maintenance, with a secondary code of HSAIAFAK, Raised Garden Beds & Planter Box Installation. Its NAICS code is 561730 and its SIC code is 700.