New York State Recreation & Parks Society

What New York State Recreation & Parks Society does

The New York State Recreation & Park Society (NYSRPS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1940 and incorporated in 1960, serving park, recreation, and therapeutic recreation professionals across New York State. The organization operates a statewide membership community of more than 600 professionals spanning three regions (Region 1: Hudson Valley, Long Island, Metro and Westchester; Region 2: Central NY, Capital Region, Adirondack-Lake Champlain and North Country; Region 3: Genesee Valley and Niagara Frontier), governed by an elected Executive Board of municipal park professionals.

NYSRPS's core offerings include its Annual Conference and Expo (the largest gathering of park and recreation professionals in NY, featuring 50+ educational sessions and 50+ exhibit booths, with the 2026 edition scheduled for Buffalo, NY), Professional Development Services, Membership Services, Public Policy Development/advocacy, Public Awareness Initiatives, and Resource Development. Technology infrastructure is provided by Wild Apricot membership management software, which powers the organization's website, member portal, event registration, and member communications. The organization has recently migrated its web presence toward a standalone domain (www.nysrps.org) and transitioned to a fully remote operating model.

The business model is community-led and subscription-based, with primary revenue from annual membership dues (non-refundable, active for one calendar year) and conference registration/exhibitor fees. NYSRPS reaches members through its annual conference, regional committee structure, email communications, and digital presence. The organization is operated by a lean paid staff (Executive Director Courtney Carroll and Bookkeeper Kim Brock per the NYSRPS Staff page) supplemented by extensive volunteer board leadership drawn from municipal park agencies across the state.

Name

New York State Recreation & Parks Society

Legal name

New York State Recreation & Park Society

Website

https://newyorkstaterecreationampparksociety.wildapricot.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The New York State Recreation & Park Society (NYSRPS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1940 that serves more than 600 park, recreation, and therapeutic recreation professionals across New York State through membership services, annual conferences, professional development, and public policy advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees that provide access to professional development, networking, and member services. Membership is active for 1 calendar year once purchased, and memberships are non-refundable.
2. Annual Conference Revenue: Registration fees for the Annual Conference and Expo, the largest gathering of park, recreation and therapeutic recreation professionals in New York State. Includes 50+ educational sessions and exhibit hall with 50+ booths.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The New York State Recreation & Parks Society (NYSRPS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership association that serves over 600 park, recreation, and therapeutic recreation professionals across New York State. The organization delivers membership services, professional development and certification support, public policy advocacy, and an Annual Conference and Expo that is the largest gathering of such professionals in the state. It is funded primarily through annual membership dues, conference registrations, and sponsorships, and operates with a small staff led by an Executive Director.

Product overview

The New York State Recreation & Park Society (NYSRPS) is a professional membership association, not a technology product company. It operates as a single unified offering centered on membership services for park, recreation, and therapeutic recreation professionals. The organization's core products include its Annual Conference and Expo (the largest gathering of such professionals in New York State), Professional Development Services (educational sessions and certification opportunities), Membership Services (serving 600+ members), Public Policy Development initiatives, Public Awareness campaigns, and Resource Development programs. These services work together to advance the value of parks, recreation, and leisure services across New York State.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Conference and Expo The NYSRPS Annual Conference and Expo is the largest gathering of park, recreation, and therapeutic recreation professionals in New York State, offering 50+ educational sessions, an exhibit hall with 50+ booths, offsite visits, and social events. Targeted at NYSRPS members and the broader park and recreation professional community.
• Professional Development Services Educational sessions, professional certification support, and networking opportunities for recreation and park professionals across New York State. Designed for members seeking continuing education and best-practice sharing.
• Membership Services Annual membership program delivering services and benefits that attract, engage, and retain park, recreation, and therapeutic recreation professionals in New York State. Membership is active for one calendar year upon purchase.
• Public Policy Development Advocacy services that raise awareness and support advancement of parks, recreation, and leisure services through engagement on local, state, and national policy issues and interests.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600 recreation and park professionals served across New York State
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MyRec.com Recreation SoftwareminorOthersColin Drury from MyRec.com serves as a Commercial Honorary Representative on the NYSRPS Executive Board, providing commercial/industry perspective to the organization's leadership.
• Wild ApricotcoreTechnology or IntegrationWild Apricot provides the membership software platform powering NYSRPS's website, member portal, event registration, and organizational management. NYSRPS uses Wild Apricot as their primary technology infrastructure for member communications and website operations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• MyRec.com Recreation Software: Vendor of recreation management software for parks and recreation departments. Comparable to NYSRPS through its commercial supplier relationship (MyRec.com holds a Commercial Honorary Representative seat on the NYSRPS board) and its shared customer base of municipal park and recreation agencies.

Direct peers

• California Parks and Recreation Society: State-level professional society for California's park and recreation professionals. Closely mirrors NYSRPS's structure: membership-based, hosts an annual conference and expo, runs professional development, and provides advocacy for the parks and recreation profession.
• Florida Recreation and Park Association: Florida's statewide association for park, recreation, and leisure professionals. Comparable to NYSRPS in mission, member model, annual conference, and advocacy footprint, with operation confined to a single U.S. state.
• Illinois Park and Recreation Association: State-level professional association for Illinois park and recreation professionals. Mirrors NYSRPS's mission of professional development, networking, and advocacy for municipal parks staff.
• National Recreation and Park Association: The national professional membership association for park and recreation professionals. Directly comparable to NYSRPS as a peer-tier membership body offering professional development, certification, advocacy, and an annual conference, but operating at the national level versus NYSRPS's single-state scope.
• Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society: Statewide membership association serving Pennsylvania park and recreation professionals. Directly comparable to NYSRPS in scope, governance (volunteer board of practitioners), and event-driven engagement model.
• Ohio Parks and Recreation Association: Ohio's statewide association for park and recreation professionals. Comparable to NYSRPS as a direct state-society peer with membership, professional development, and an annual conference.
• Michigan Recreation and Park Association: Michigan's statewide society for park and recreation professionals. Comparable to NYSRPS in membership-driven model, regional chapter structure, and hosting of an annual conference and expo.
• Texas Recreation and Park Society: Texas state recreation and park society offering membership, annual conference, and professional development. Comparable to NYSRPS as a state-level counterpart serving municipal parks and recreation professionals.

Regional players

• New York State Council of Nonprofits: A New York State–based membership association serving the broader nonprofit sector. Adjacent to NYSRPS as a fellow NY-based 501(c)(3) membership organization with advocacy, training, and an annual conference, but covering nonprofits rather than parks and recreation specifically.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-york-state-recreation-&-park-society-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 New York State Recreation & Parks Society