Seattle Parks Foundation
Seattle Parks Foundation is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides fiscal sponsorship, grant management, and programmatic support to volunteer-led grassroots groups executing parks and public space projects across the Seattle and King County region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Seattle Parks Foundation does
Seattle Parks Foundation is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2001 that operates as a fiscal intermediary and community convener for parks and public space projects across the Seattle and King County region. Its core service is fiscal sponsorship: the foundation lends its tax-exempt status to dozens of grassroots, volunteer-led community organizations (including River City SkatePark, Garfield Super Block, Lid I-5, Wakulima USA, Outdoor Asian Washington, and the King County Play Equity Coalition), enabling them to receive tax-deductible donations, manage grants, and execute neighborhood-based projects without obtaining independent 501(c)(3) status.
Beyond fiscal sponsorship, the foundation runs direct programs including the Pop-Up Concerts in the Park free outdoor concert series, the Tree Equity Network urban forestry initiative, the Occidental Promenade corridor project, volunteer coordination with partners such as Green Seattle Partnership, and the Parks Legacy Circle planned giving program. It bridges community groups to government agencies, with documented partnerships with Seattle Parks & Recreation and the Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development on the Outside Citywide initiative. Amazon provides corporate sponsorship for the concert series.
The organization has approximately 25 employees, is led by CEO Rebecca Bear, and is funded through individual donations (online via Classy.org, by mail, and vehicle donations), grants, and fiscal sponsorship administrative fees. There is no disclosed revenue, no venture or institutional investment, and no parent company; governance rests with a Board of Directors. The foundation's underlying technology is limited to a standard content-managed website and the third-party Classy.org donation platform, with no proprietary software, APIs, or AI components.
Seattle Parks Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Seattle Parks Foundation
- Legal name
- Seattle Parks Foundation
- Website
- https://seattleparksfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Seattle Parks Foundation is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides fiscal sponsorship, grant management, and programmatic support to volunteer-led grassroots groups executing parks and public space projects across the Seattle and King County region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Seattle Parks Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community & Public Space Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)
Keywords
Where Seattle Parks Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Seattle Parks Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations: The foundation accepts donations through its website (Classy.org platform), mail (check donations to PO Box), and vehicle donations. Donations are tax-deductible as it is a 501(c)(3) organization.
- Fiscal Sponsorship Services: Provides fiscal sponsorship services to grassroots community groups, managing grants and funding on their behalf.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Seattle Parks Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Seattle Parks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that mobilizes private philanthropic resources, advocates for parks and public spaces, and provides fiscal sponsorship to grassroots community-led projects across the greater Seattle region. It connects individual donors, volunteers, sponsors, and government agencies to expand, protect, and activate parks through grantmaking, advocacy, and community programming such as Pop-Up Concerts in the Park.
Product overview
Seattle Parks Foundation operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of community-focused services rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings include fiscal sponsorship services enabling grassroots groups to receive tax-deductible donations, the annual Pop-Up Concerts in the Park free concert series, an online donation platform powered by Classy.org, and coordination of community partner park improvement projects (such as River City SkatePark, Garfield Super Block, Lid I-5 Campaign, and Gateway Park North). Additional services include volunteer coordination for restoration events, the Tree Equity Network initiative, and the Parks Legacy Circle planned giving program. The foundation bridges community organizations with government agencies to advance parks and public space partnerships across the Seattle region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fiscal Sponsorship Program A service in which Seattle Parks Foundation provides its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, financial oversight, and administrative infrastructure to grassroots community projects that do not have their own nonprofit incorporation, enabling those projects to solicit and manage tax-deductible donations and grants.
- Pop-Up Concerts in the Park A free, outdoor concert series held in parks across Seattle that activates public spaces, builds community, and showcases local musicians; designed for Seattle residents and visitors of all ages.
- Green Seattle Partnership Volunteer Program A coalition-based volunteer program that organizes community work parties and stewardship activities to restore and maintain urban forest and green spaces in Seattle parks; open to individual volunteers and corporate groups.
Companies that use Seattle Parks Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Seattle Parks Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Seattle Parks Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Seattle Parks & RecreationcorePrimary government partner. Seattle Parks Foundation bridges community to government agencies and works closely with Seattle Parks & Recreation on parks and public space projects.
- Community Partners (Fiscal Sponsors)coreProvides fiscal sponsorship to grassroots community groups including River City SkatePark, Garfield Super Block, Wakulima USA, Outdoor Asian, King County Play Equity Coalition, and others.
- Green Seattle PartnershipcorePartners to organize and host forest restoration work parties at parks throughout Seattle, including Carkeek Park, EC Hughes Playground, and others.
- Dirt CorpsminorOrganization that leads restoration work parties at Westcrest Park and other locations.
- Georgetown Open Space CommitteecorePartner organization leading Gateway Park North restoration project in Georgetown.
- Rainier Beach Link2Lake Open Space Steering CommitteecoreVolunteer steering committee advocating for accessible waterfront at Be'er Sheva Park, fiscally sponsored through Seattle Parks Foundation.
- Lid I-5 Steering CommitteecoreVolunteer-led grassroots effort to put a lid on I-5, with Seattle Parks Foundation providing fiscal sponsorship and support.
- Garfield Super Block Steering CommitteecoreCommunity team working to implement the Garfield Super Block Master Plan with art, history, and community design.
- Friends of Detective Cookie Chess ParkminorSteering committee for the chess park in Rainier Beach, with Seattle Parks Foundation providing fiscal sponsorship.
- Volunteer Park TrustcoreOrganization preserving and enhancing Volunteer Park; maintains nonprofit status under Seattle Parks Foundation's 501(c)(3) designation.
- AmazonminorCorporate sponsor of Pop-Up Concerts in the Park series.
- Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD)corePartner on Outside Citywide initiative to expand, improve, and connect Seattle's open spaces in collaboration with communities.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Seattle Parks Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Boston Parks and Recreation Foundation: Boston nonprofit that raises private funds for the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and supports community-led park projects. Same city-parks-partnership and donor-bridging model as SPF.
- Chicago Parks Foundation: Independent nonprofit that supports Chicago Park District programming and capital improvements through philanthropy and community partnerships. Direct structural analog to SPF, scaled to a larger city.
- Cincinnati Parks Foundation: Regional nonprofit supporting Cincinnati Parks through fundraising, volunteer programs, and signature community events. Comparable to SPF in scope, single-city concentration, and event-driven community engagement approach.
- Friends of the High Line: NYC-based nonprofit that funds, programs, and maintains a major public park in partnership with city government. Comparable in its fundraising scale, government partnership structure, and community engagement model, though focused on a single flagship public space.
- Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy: City-focused nonprofit that partners with the city parks department to restore and program public parks through fundraising and volunteer engagement. Directly comparable to SPF in structure, single-city focus, public-private park partnership model, and volunteer-driven restoration projects.
- San Francisco Parks Alliance: Bay Area nonprofit that supports San Francisco's parks and public spaces through fundraising, volunteer programs, and partnerships with the city's Recreation and Park Department. Operates with the same bridge-between-community-and-government model as SPF.
- Philadelphia Parks Alliance: Citywide nonprofit advocating for and supporting Philadelphia's parks and rec system through community organizing and government partnerships. Closely mirrors SPF's advocacy-plus-fundraising-plus-community-engagement mix.
- Portland Parks Foundation: Pacific Northwest peer foundation that raises funds and partners with Portland Parks & Recreation on community-driven park improvements. Direct geographic and structural analog to SPF, including fiscal sponsorship of community projects.
- Park Pride: Atlanta-based nonprofit that advocates for and funds neighborhood parks through community organizing, government partnerships, and volunteer programs. Closely matches SPF's community-led parks improvement model and bridging role between grassroots groups and municipal government.
Broad incumbents
- The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that conserves land for public use and works with communities and government agencies on parks and public spaces. Highly comparable to Seattle Parks Foundation in mission, fiscal-sponsorship-like partnership models, and government bridging role, though operating at national scale rather than city-focused.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Seattle Parks Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceSeattle Parks Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Seattle Parks Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Seattle Parks Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Seattle Parks Foundation 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 Seattle Parks Foundation
What does Seattle Parks Foundation do?
Seattle Parks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that mobilizes private philanthropic resources, advocates for parks and public spaces, and provides fiscal sponsorship to grassroots community-led projects across the greater Seattle region. It connects individual donors, volunteers, sponsors, and government agencies to expand, protect, and activate parks through grantmaking, advocacy, and community programming such as Pop-Up Concerts in the Park.
Is Seattle Parks Foundation a public or private company?
Seattle Parks Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Seattle Parks Foundation founded?
Seattle Parks Foundation was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Seattle Parks Foundation based?
Seattle Parks Foundation is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Seattle Parks Foundation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are fiscal Sponsorship Services.
Who are Seattle Parks Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Boston Parks and Recreation Foundation, Chicago Parks Foundation, Cincinnati Parks Foundation, Friends of the High Line, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, San Francisco Parks Alliance, Philadelphia Parks Alliance, Portland Parks Foundation and Park Pride. The Trust for Public Land is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Seattle Parks Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Seattle Parks Foundation.
What industry is Seattle Parks Foundation in?
Seattle Parks Foundation's product category is Community & Public Space Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAIAMAH, Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8600.