Vermont Parks Forever

What Vermont Parks Forever does

Vermont Parks Forever (VPF) is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation and the only nonprofit partner for Vermont's 55 state parks, headquartered at P.O. Box 815, Montpelier, Vermont. The organization runs a portfolio of conservation, education, and access programs: the Park Access Fund (granting free park passes through 60+ community organizations and a direct-to-consumer pilot reaching 100,000+ income-eligible Vermonters); Natural Connections, a public-private partnership with Vermont State Parks and ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain that redesigned the Groton Nature Center (7,000+ visitors in its first year) and invests in park-wide educational materials; paid youth internships at Mt. Philo and Branbury State Parks now in their 11th year; and the Adaptive Beach Access Initiative, which deploys beach wheelchairs funded by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. A JEDI program addresses systemic barriers for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented groups.

Name

Vermont Parks Forever

Legal name

Vermont Parks Forever

Website

https://vermontparksforever.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vermont Parks Forever is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation and the only nonprofit partner for Vermont's 55 state parks, funding park access, nature education, youth internships, and adaptive recreation programs across the state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

Keywords

• State park foundation
• Conservation nonprofit
• Park access programs
• Nature education
• Outdoor equity

Headquarters

HQ city

Montpelier

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donations from supporters, park enthusiasts, and community members. Donations are accepted via the website, Venmo, check, and stock gifts.
2. Business Partnership Program: Annual business partnerships at four tiered levels ($250-499 Park Steward, $500-999 Park Patron, $1,000-4,999 Park Benefactor, $5,000+ Park Champion) providing day passes, social media recognition, newsletter features, and impact report inclusion.
3. Merchandise Sales: Partnership with external businesses (Skida, Common Deer, Forest City Designs, Clever Cow, etc.) where a portion of merchandise sales is donated back to VPF.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vermont Parks Forever is the only nonprofit foundation for Vermont's 55 state parks. It raises and deploys funds to expand nature education, park access, and equity in the outdoors through programs such as the Park Access Fund, Natural Connections nature center initiative, paid youth internships at Mt. Philo and Branbury State Parks, adaptive beach access wheelchairs, a Business Partnership Program, and a Justice/DEI initiative.

Product overview

Vermont Parks Forever is a non-profit foundation serving as the only non-profit partner for Vermont's 55 state parks. The organization does not offer a traditional technology product but operates a portfolio of conservation and education programs including the Park Access Fund (providing free park passes through grantee organizations and a direct-to-consumer pilot program), Natural Connections (nature center redesign and educational material investments), paid youth internships at Mt. Philo and Branbury State Parks, an Adaptive Beach Access initiative providing specialized wheelchairs, a merchandise program partnering with local businesses, a Business Partnership Program with tiered sponsorship levels, and a Justice/DEI initiative. The organization also operates online donation and fundraising capabilities. Fundraising is facilitated through the website, Venmo, and mail. The portfolio is unified by its mission to enhance and protect Vermont's state parks through nature education, access equity, and stewardship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Park Access Fund

Quantifiable outcome

• 44,000+ free state park visits provided to underrepresented Vermonters
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vermont State ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore partnership with Vermont State Parks system. VPF is the only nonprofit foundation for Vermont's 55 state parks, collaborating on nature education, access programs, internship funding, and park improvements.
• ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake ChamplaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Natural Connections initiative. ECHO co-designed the Groton Nature Center and provides educational expertise for interactive exhibits and nature interpretation programs.
• One Percent for the PlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnvironmental certification program that enhances VPF's credibility with environmentally-conscious donors and businesses.
• 100+ Vermont BusinessescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partners including AARP Vermont, American Flatbread, King Arthur Baking Company, Hotel Vermont, Stowe Cider, and others supporting VPF through annual partnerships with marketing benefits and day passes.
• Vermont History MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for catamount teaching kits and hands-on training on cultural and natural history, driving both park and museum visitation.
• University of VermontminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UVM Environmental Problem-Solving course for Park Access Survey development and data collection from underrepresented communities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Park Foundation: The official nonprofit partner of the U.S. National Park Service, raising private funds for national parks. Operates the analogous national-scale model to VPF's state-level role, providing direct comparability on fundraising structure, park philanthropy, and corporate partnership programs.
• The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that creates parks and protects land for public use, with significant park-creation and conservation funding programs. Comparable to VPF's mission of expanding park access, though at national scale and with land acquisition as a core activity.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest conservation nonprofits with active Vermont operations and statewide land protection. Comparable on fundraising scale, corporate partnerships, and conservation grantmaking, though with a much larger endowment and global footprint.
• National Wildlife Federation: Large national conservation nonprofit with state affiliate offices and broad outdoor equity programming. Comparable on advocacy, education, and equity-focused outdoor access initiatives similar to VPF's JEDI and Park Access programs.
• Appalachian Mountain Club: Largest outdoor recreation and conservation nonprofit in the Northeast, operating trails, huts, and education programs across multiple states. Comparable to VPF on outdoor access, conservation education, and regional member/donor base.

Direct peers

• Friends of Acadia: A nonprofit foundation that supports Acadia National Park through fundraising, conservation, and education programs. Closest structural peer to VPF — dedicated park-supporting nonprofit with membership tiers, volunteer programs, and grantmaking for park improvements.
• Appalachian Trail Conservancy: Nonprofit dedicated to managing and fundraising for the Appalachian Trail, with membership tiers, volunteer programs, and corporate partnerships. Highly comparable structural model to VPF's state-park foundation role.

Regional players

• Vermont Land Trust: Vermont-focused conservation nonprofit that protects natural and working lands. Shares VPF's Vermont geography and conservation fundraising model, and is a natural comparison point for state-level donor engagement.
• Lake Champlain Basin Program: Regional water and natural resource program covering the Lake Champlain basin (Vermont/New York/Quebec). Shares Vermont geography and partnership-based conservation programming analogous to VPF's state park model.

Emerging players

• Leave No Trace: National nonprofit focused on outdoor ethics education and stewardship programs in parks and natural areas. Comparable on environmental education programming delivered in partnership with public land managers, similar to VPF's Natural Connections.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vtparksforever
• Facebookfacebook.com/VermontParksForever
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vermont-parks-forever
• Instagraminstagram.com/vermontparksforever

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Vermont Parks Forever