What Fairmount Park Conservancy does

Fairmount Park Conservancy is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that serves as the designated philanthropic and operational partner of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. The organization stewards more than 100 parks across the city, delivering community health and engagement programs (We Walk PHL at 29 park locations, Love Your Park volunteer events, TreePhilly tree giveaways with 21,500+ trees distributed, and a Neighborhood Park Stewardship program supporting 130 Park Friends Groups), alongside large-scale capital projects anchored by the $250+ million FDR Park Plan covering 348 acres in South Philadelphia. Recent completed capital work includes a 33-acre tidal wetland with 7,000+ native plantings, the Anna C. Verna Playground, the Gateway Plaza, the FDR Park Welcome Center, and the 4-mile Trolley Trail loop in West Fairmount Park.

The Conservancy's service portfolio spans programs (community health, volunteer stewardship, ecological restoration), capital projects (FDR Park transformation, Trolley Trail, Welsh Fountain restoration, Hunting Park revitalization, Franklin 5K), and architectural conservation services for park structures. Its technology footprint is limited to event-production systems — notably the 2024 programmable LED relighting of Boathouse Row used for promotional displays including the 2026 FIFA World Cup — and consumer-grade digital engagement tools such as a GooseChase-based scavenger hunt.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model: government and foundation grants (William Penn Foundation $10M, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania $2.3M, Pennsylvania DCED, Pennsylvania DEP, City of Philadelphia), corporate sponsorships (TD Bank, Independence Blue Cross, PECO, Greenberg Traurig), an individual donor and membership program ($50/year with Park Perk Pass benefits), and the Fair Play Campaign as a unified fundraising vehicle. Programs are delivered free or near-free to Philadelphia residents, with optional donations, and distribution is direct through the city's park system rather than commercial channels.

Name

Fairmount Park Conservancy

Legal name

Fairmount Park Conservancy

Website

https://myphillypark.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fairmount Park Conservancy is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that stewards the city's park system through community health programs, volunteer networks, and large-scale capital projects including the $250M+ FDR Park Plan, serving Philadelphia residents in partnership with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Park Stewardship and Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF), Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

Keywords

• Park stewardship services
• Urban park conservation
• Historic preservation services
• Community park programming
• Park capital projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grants and Government Funding: Primary revenue from government grants including Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, City of Philadelphia, and state representatives. Major grants include $10M from William Penn Foundation for FDR Park transformation and $276,000 in tree planting grants.
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: Donations from individuals and corporate sponsors including TD Bank, Independence Blue Cross, Greenberg Traurig Law, PECO, and others. Fundraising campaigns like A Community Thrives and Fair Play Campaign.
3. Membership Program: $50 annual membership level provides benefits including free/discounted event registration, map guides, stickers, newsletter, and Park Perk Pass with partner discounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fairmount Park Conservancy is a nonprofit organization that invests in, cares for, and programs Philadelphia's network of public parks. It provides park stewardship, plans and delivers major capital improvement projects, offers architectural and historic preservation services, and runs free community programs that connect residents to the parks.

Product overview

Fairmount Park Conservancy operates as a nonprofit partnership organization managing Philadelphia's parks and public spaces. Their portfolio consists of community health and wellness programs (We Walk PHL, Love Your Park, Tree Philly, Neighborhood Park Stewardship), major capital projects (FDR Park Plan, Trolley Trail, Welsh Fountain Restoration, Hunting Park Revitalization), and visitor services (Boathouse Row Lights, Architectural Conservation). The organization runs the Fair Play Campaign as its primary fundraising vehicle. Programs like the Centennial District Scavenger Hunt engage the public with park amenities through digital platforms. The conservancy does not appear to offer a unified software product but rather delivers park management services, community programs, and physical infrastructure improvements through partnerships with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and other public agencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• We Walk PHL: A free walking group program in partnership with Philadelphia Department of Public Health and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, promoting positive health outcomes and community connection through weekly walks at various public parks.
• TreePhilly
• Love Your Park
• Neighborhood Park Stewardship

Products and services

• We Walk PHL Free group walking program that brings Philadelphia residents into the city's parks through scheduled, volunteer-led walks; open to the general public at no cost.
• Love Your Park Annual volunteer-driven park stewardship and community engagement campaign that mobilizes residents to clean and care for neighborhood parks across Philadelphia.
• TreePhilly Community tree-planting and tree-care program that provides free trees to Philadelphia residents and coordinates volunteer planting events to expand the urban tree canopy.
• Neighborhood Park Stewardship Ongoing stewardship program that supports neighborhood-based volunteer groups (Friends of Park) with training, tools, and coordination to maintain local parks.
• Architectural Conservation Services In-house architectural and historic preservation services delivered by the Conservancy's Preservation & Property Management team for historic structures within Philadelphia's park system.
• FDR Park Plan Multi-year capital master plan and phased construction project for FDR Park in South Philadelphia, encompassing landscape restoration, new gateways, a welcome center, and a tidal wetland.
• Trolley Trail Capital project to design and build a multi-use trail along a former trolley right-of-way, adding new active-transportation and recreational infrastructure to the park system.
• Hunting Park Revitalization Multi-phase capital project to revitalize Hunting Park in North Philadelphia, including new playground facilities, landscape improvements, and community amenities.
• Welsh Fountain Restoration Historic restoration project that returned the Welsh Fountain in Logan Circle to working order after decades of disrepair, preserving a key piece of the park's cultural heritage.
• Boathouse Row Lighting Program Operational program that maintains and programs a state-of-the-art LED lighting system on Boathouse Row, enabling the historic boathouses to be lit in varied colors and patterns for civic and celebratory occasions.
• Fair Play Capital Campaign Fundraising campaign that channels philanthropic capital to a portfolio of park improvement, programming, and stewardship projects across Philadelphia.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reported deaths and serious injuries on Parkside Avenue fell from 5 (2013-2017) to 0 in 2023 after safety improvements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• Philadelphia Parks & RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary implementation partner for all park projects, capital improvements, and community programming. Joint management of We Walk PHL, Love Your Park, and major FDR Park Plan initiatives.
• Philadelphia Department of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-partner with Fairmount Park Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation on We Walk PHL health promotion program offering free weekly walking groups.
• Pennsylvania Horticultural SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceived $276,000 in grants for tree planting at Meadow Lake in FDR Park; implementing 500 trees, 200 shrubs, and 250 herbaceous plants through Trees for Watersheds program.
• Belmont Plateau Trails Alliance (BPTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered since 2017 on Trolley Trail development in West Fairmount Park. BPTA provides volunteer support, stewardship, and fundraising contributions including Parks on Tap proceeds.
• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on FDR Park tidal wetland project in southwest corner of park; airport provides funding and support for ecological restoration and wildlife habitat improvement.
• Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape ArchitectsmajorTechnology or IntegrationEngaged landscape architects to design Welsh Fountain restoration and surrounding landscape improvements in West Fairmount Park with community input.
• Centennial Parkside CDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Parkside Edge Project and West Park Family Field Day; community development organization supporting neighborhood park improvements.
• Please Touch MuseumsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated adjacent to Welsh Fountain site in West Fairmount Park; involved in community engagement and programming for the area.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Conservancy for the Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Citizens of Philadelphia: Comparable regional nonprofit conservancy model serving Philadelphia-area constituents with similar nonprofit fundraising and program-delivery mechanics, though with a different mission focus.

Direct peers

• Park Pride (Atlanta): Atlanta-based nonprofit that supports neighborhood parks and the Park Friends Network model — essentially the same structural approach as Fairmount Park Conservancy's 130 Park Friends Groups, with a citywide volunteer coordination focus.
• Pennsylvania Horticultural Society: Philadelphia-based nonprofit that operates TreePhilly-adjacent planting programs and is a co-grantee on FDR Park ecological work. Directly comparable on horticultural stewardship, tree-planting scale, and conservation programming.
• Central Park Conservancy: New York City's nonprofit partner for Central Park, the gold-standard urban park conservancy. Direct peer — both organizations are designated nonprofit partners managing large urban park systems, running capital campaigns, and operating community programs with corporate/foundation funding.
• Schuylkill River Development Corporation: Philadelphia nonprofit managing the Schuylkill River Trail and waterfront parks. Direct regional peer in urban park/trail management, capital project delivery, and public-private partnership models within the same city.
• Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy: Pittsburgh's nonprofit partner for Frick, Schenley, and Riverview Parks. Closely comparable as a mid-sized city park conservancy executing capital projects and volunteer-driven stewardship programs in a Pennsylvania-adjacent urban context.

Broad incumbents

• National Park Foundation: Official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. Overlaps in the conservation, fundraising, and program-delivery missions but operates at federal scale rather than for a single city park system.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that creates and protects parks and green spaces across the U.S. Broader incumbent with overlapping park-creation and conservation mission, including urban park programs in Philadelphia and beyond.

Others

• Keep America Beautiful: National nonprofit focused on litter prevention, recycling, and community beautification. Adjacent in the volunteer-driven community stewardship space and shares a comparable nonprofit funding model for park/greenspace programming.
• National Recreation and Park Association: National membership organization for park and recreation professionals. Adjacent ecosystem player that influences funding policy, sets standards, and provides advocacy that the Conservancy benefits from.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/myphillypark
• Facebookfacebook.com/myphillypark
• Instagraminstagram.com/myphillypark

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Fairmount Park Conservancy