What North Brooklyn Parks Alliance does

North Brooklyn Parks Alliance (NBK Parks) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit parks conservancy founded in 2003 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. It operates as the only conservancy in New York City that manages public space across multiple agencies and land jurisdictions—holding Licensed Partner status with NYC Parks, Plaza/Open Streets stewardship with NYC DOT, and Manager-Operator role with New York State DOT for Under the K Bridge Park. Its geographic scope is concentrated in Brooklyn Community Board District 1 (Williamsburg and Greenpoint), where it serves local residents, schools, community gardens, and government partners through park maintenance, horticulture, volunteer programs, and large-scale cultural events.

The organization's core offerings include Under the K Bridge Park (a 7-acre 'el-space' public park and event venue along Newtown Creek), the NBK Parks Native Nursery (cultivating 100+ native plant species), a Neighborhood Services/Mobile Crew for plaza and corridor maintenance, Community Programming (30+ large-scale and 100+ public events annually), and a ten-week Horticultural Fellowship program. Additional stewardship covers Bushwick Inlet Park, McGolrick Park, and other neighborhood spaces. Revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, event rentals, and government grants, with no proprietary technology platform underpinning operations. NBK Parks is governed by a board of directors and led by Executive Director Katie Denny Horowitz (appointed May 2019), with a staff of 20+ and a network of community volunteers.

Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, activating public spaces through grassroots volunteer engagement (Garden Club), horticulture fellowships, and large-scale event programming. The organization operates a multi-channel marketing approach combining its website, social media (Twitter, Instagram, YouTube), email newsletter, and earned media coverage to drive donations, volunteer sign-ups, and event bookings. Strategic positioning emphasizes pioneering 'el-space' activation, ecological renewal, and serving as the nonprofit partner-of-choice for cash-constrained municipal agencies seeking community-driven stewardship.

Name

North Brooklyn Parks Alliance

Legal name

North Brooklyn Parks Alliance

Website

https://nbkparks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

North Brooklyn Parks Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit parks conservancy managing public spaces across Williamsburg and Greenpoint through partnerships with NYC Parks, NYC DOT, and NY State DOT. It operates Under the K Bridge Park, a Native Nursery, and community programming with 20+ staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Parks Conservancy & Public Space Management

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Parks & Protected Area Visitor Services (Concessions, Guided Access) (THAAAAAH), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Parks conservancy services
• Public space management
• Urban horticulture programs
• Community event programming
• Nonprofit land stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals supporting parks and open space in North Brooklyn. Website provides donation portal.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship opportunities for businesses seeking to align with community parks and environmental initiatives.
3. Event Rentals: Revenue from booking and hosting events at Under the K Bridge Park, including concerts, cultural programming, and private events. Event rental deck available.
4. Government Grants and Partnerships: Funding from government agencies including NYC Parks, NYC DOT, New York State DOT, and Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund (GCEF) grants for specific projects and ongoing maintenance.
5. Plant and Nursery Sales: Free plants provided to neighbors, schools, community gardens, and nonprofit organizations through the Native Nursery program.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

North Brooklyn Parks Alliance is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) parks conservancy that manages, maintains, and programs public parks, plazas, and open streets across Williamsburg and Greenpoint in Brooklyn Community Board District 1. Its core offerings include the 7-acre Under the K Bridge Park (NYC's first el-space), the NBK Parks Native Nursery, a Neighborhood Services mobile crew, Community Programming (events and volunteer stewardship), Horticultural Fellowship, and stewardship of Bushwick Inlet Park and McGolrick Park. Services are funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, event rentals, and government grants, with 30+ large-scale and 100+ public events delivered annually.

Product overview

North Brooklyn Parks Alliance is a nonprofit parks conservancy operating as a single unified offering—full-service parks management and public space stewardship—rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization delivers services through interconnected programs: Under the K Bridge Park (its flagship 7-acre operational home base and event venue), the NBK Parks Native Nursery (supporting ecological restoration), Neighborhood Services/Mobile Crew (maintenance operations), Community Programming (events and volunteer activities including Garden Club and Horticultural Fellowship), and stewardship of partner parks including Bushwick Inlet Park and McGolrick Park. The organization executes over 30 large-scale events and 100 public events annually, integrating maintenance, horticulture, sustainability, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Under the K Bridge Park A 7-acre public space beneath the Kosciuszko Bridge along Newtown Creek, operating as NBK Parks' operational home base and living laboratory for community-driven placemaking, circular operations, and ecological renewal; serves as neighborhood amenity and event destination.
• NBK Parks Native Nursery A native plant nursery at Under the K Bridge Park launched in winter 2023 to grow native species for ecological restoration, providing free plants to neighbors, schools, community gardens, and nonprofit organizations; cultivates thousands of plants representing more than 100 native species.
• Neighborhood Services / Mobile Crew Mobile maintenance crew providing cleaning, trash collection, event supply delivery, and watering services for a growing network of plazas, corridors, and dog runs across North Brooklyn.
• Community Programming Over 30 large-scale events and 100 public events annually, integrating maintenance and cultural programming including Garden Club volunteer days, horticultural fellowships, walking tours, and panel discussions.
• Horticultural Fellowship Program A ten-week immersive fellowship providing hands-on skills in nursery operations, seed germination monitoring, plant repotting, and educational material drafting for those pursuing horticulture or ecology fields.
• Event Booking / Venue Rental at Under the K Bridge Park Under the K Bridge Park event venue available for rentals, including concert space and flexible zones for cultural programming and seasonal events; booked via [email protected].
• Bushwick Inlet Park 27+ acre waterfront park (partial opening 2013) serving the community with soccer fields, LEED-certified building, and pollinator gardens.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ large-scale events and 100+ public events annually
• +3 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

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, supporting and emerging.

• NYC Parks DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensed Partner with NYC Parks for managing and maintaining public parks and open spaces in North Brooklyn. NBK Parks serves as the nonprofit partner of the Parks Department, supporting operations and acting as community liaison.
• NYC Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlaza Partner and Open Streets steward with NYC DOT. NBK Parks provides maintenance and programming for designated plaza spaces and supports the Open Streets program in North Brooklyn.
• New York State DOTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManager and operator of Under the K Bridge Park through New York State DOT. NBK Parks leads design, maintenance, and programming of the 7-acre el-space beneath the Kosciuszko Bridge.
• NYC Parks Plant Ecology Center and Nursery (PECAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeed donation partnership for the Native Nursery. PECAN provides seeds for native plant species that NBK Parks cultivates and distributes to the community.
• PUBLIC WORKmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToronto-based landscape architecture firm that designed Under the K Bridge Park. Led a two-year community-driven design process to create the innovative el-space.
• North Brooklyn Open Streets Community CoalitionsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity coalition supporting Open Streets activations. NBK Parks is a DOT community partner providing support to the coalition.
• Northside Business Improvement District (BID)emergingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBK Parks is part of the steering committee engaged in forming a Northside BID to generate sustainable funds for parks and public realm maintenance in response to Parks Department budget cuts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Friends of the High Line: Nonprofit conservancy maintaining and programming the High Line, an elevated linear park built on a former railway. Comparable in operating an unconventional public space in NYC through a partnership with NYC Parks and in delivering distinctive public programming and events.
• Prospect Park Alliance: Nonprofit conservancy managing Brooklyn's flagship 526-acre Prospect Park. Comparable in operating model—partnership with NYC Parks for management, stewardship, and events—and comparable in its focus on community programming and ecological restoration.
• Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy: Nonprofit conservancy managing Brooklyn Bridge Park, a 1.3-mile waterfront park. Directly comparable as a Brooklyn-based parks conservancy that operates maintenance, programming, and horticulture on public parkland in partnership with municipal authorities.
• New York Restoration Project (NYRP): Nonprofit focused on urban greening, tree planting, and park stewardship across NYC. Comparable in operating community-driven parks and open space programs, horticulture fellowships, and partnerships with NYC Parks for stewardship of public spaces.
• Hudson River Park Trust: Public benefit corporation managing the 4-mile Hudson River Park waterfront in Manhattan. Comparable in operating a large urban waterfront park with a mix of public funding, event venue rentals, and programming. Larger scale but analogous operating structure.
• New Yorkers for Parks: Citywide parks advocacy nonprofit. Comparable as a parks-focused nonprofit, though NBK Parks' Executive Director Katie Denny Horowitz previously served as Director of Development here. Strong overlap in mission and NYC parks policy ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Central Park Conservancy: The largest and most established NYC park conservancy, managing 843-acre Central Park. While much larger and broader in scope, it represents the gold-standard conservancy model that smaller borough conservancies like NBK Parks emulate and partner with.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land conservation and creating parks and protected areas. Comparable in mission of expanding urban green space access, though operating at a much larger national scale with a focus on conservation easements and land acquisition.
• Battery Park City Authority: Public benefit corporation managing Battery Park City's 92 acres of waterfront parkland. Comparable in operating urban public park space with mixed revenue sources including ground rent and event venue income, but at a larger institutional scale.

Others

• Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund (GCEF): Local environmental funder that has granted to NBK Parks for Under the K and McGolrick Park stewardship. Listed as a peer ecosystem participant since GCEF is a strategic funding partner, not a competitor, but is part of the same Greenpoint-based environmental funding ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nbkparks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBKzZcYaE3hb3kNsH_KUmKQ
• Instagraminstagram.com/nbkparks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nbkparks

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Brooklyn Parks Alliance