New Orleans Recreation and Development Commission

What New Orleans Recreation and Development Commission does

The New Orleans Recreation and Development Commission (NORDC) is a municipal recreation agency operating under the City of New Orleans that manages a portfolio of public parks, playgrounds, recreation centers, and pools across Orleans Parish. It serves a broad residential base spanning five primary customer segments: youth (after-school programs, Kids Cafe meals, athletics, arts, music, summer camps), teens 13-17 (Teen Council, internship program, career camp), seniors (fitness and recreation), families (community events, outdoor recreation), and individuals with special needs (inclusive adaptive programs). Programs are delivered year-round and cover athletics across twelve sport categories, aquatics, arts and culture, music, fitness, senior activities, and outdoor programming including archery, canoeing, fishing, and family camping at Joe W. Brown Park.

The agency's technology footprint is conventional municipal IT rather than a technology platform play. Program registration and facility reservations are processed through RecTrac, a web-based third-party SaaS platform hosted at laneworleansweb.myvscloud.com. Public-facing communications run through nordc.org, email newsletter (GovDelivery), and active social media accounts on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube. There are no proprietary AI/ML systems, no public APIs, and no mobile applications — service delivery occurs primarily through physical facility attendance supplemented by online registration and walk-in access.

NORDC's revenue model is mixed and modest in commercial terms. Identified revenue streams include hourly facility rentals (picnic shelters, multi-purpose rooms, athletic fields, greenspaces, with rates published in a 2026 Pricing Guide), per-program registration fees for camps, athletics, and classes, and voluntary donations to the NORD Foundation processed via PayPal. The dominant funding source is implicit municipal appropriations from the City of New Orleans parent entity rather than these commercial streams. The agency holds CAPRA accreditation from the National Recreation and Park Association and maintains two core strategic partnerships — Second Harvest Food Bank (Kids Cafe after-school meal program at all recreation centers) and LOOP NOLA (outdoor education at Joe W. Brown Park) — that integrate social services and nature-based programming into the recreation offering.

Name

New Orleans Recreation and Development Commission

Legal name

New Orleans Recreation Development Commission

Website

https://nordc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NORDC is a City of New Orleans municipal recreation agency that operates parks, playgrounds, recreation centers, and pools across Orleans Parish, delivering year-round programming in athletics, aquatics, arts, fitness, and outdoor activities to residents of all ages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Recreation Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ), Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI)

Keywords

• Public recreation services
• Municipal recreation programs
• Parks and recreation
• Community recreation centers
• Youth athletics programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Facility Rentals: NORDC generates revenue through hourly rental fees for picnic shelters, multi-purpose rooms, athletic fields, and greenspaces at recreation centers and parks citywide. Rental rates are published in the 2026 Pricing Guide.
2. Program Registration Fees: Revenue from registration for youth camps, teen programs, summer programs, and various recreational activities including athletics, arts, and fitness classes.
3. Donations to NORD Foundation: The NORD Foundation accepts donations to support athletic equipment, new recreation center outfitting, and priority needs. Donations processed via PayPal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

New Orleans Recreation and Development Commission (NORDC) is a municipal recreation department that operates public parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, and recreation centers throughout Orleans Parish. It delivers year-round programs across athletics, aquatics, arts and culture, fitness, music, after-school, teen, senior, outdoor adventure, summer camp, and special event categories for residents of all ages.

Product overview

NORD (New Orleans Recreation Development Commission) provides a comprehensive portfolio of recreation programs and facilities across Orleans Parish. The organization operates multiple recreation centers and parks offering structured programs including Athletics & Sports (12 sport categories), Aquatics (swim lessons, lap swim, water aerobics), Youth Programs (Kids Cafe, sewing classes), Teen Programs (council, internships, career camps), Arts & Culture, Music, Fitness, Senior Programs, Outdoors (archery, canoeing, fishing, camping), Summer Programs (youth and teen camps), and Special Events. Core infrastructure includes multiple recreation centers (Gernon Brown, Joe W. Brown, Cut-Off, Desire/Florida, Hunter's Field, and others) and parks citywide. Additional services include facility rentals for private events and a registration system for program enrollment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recreation Centers
• Parks
• Athletics and Sports Programs
• Aquatics Programs
• Youth Programs
• Teen Programs
• Senior Programs
• Outdoors Programs
• Arts and Culture Programs
• Fitness Programs
• Summer Programs
• Special Events
• Facility Rentals

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

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 core.

• Second Harvest Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond Harvest partners with NORDC to provide the Kids Cafe free after-school meal program at all recreation centers. Meals are served Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 PM during the school year for youth ages 18 and under. This partnership addresses food insecurity while integrating nutritional support with recreational programming.
• LOOP NOLAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOOP NOLA is a nonprofit organization providing positive, life-changing outdoor experiences for children and youth in Greater New Orleans. They partner with NORDC on family camping programs at Joe W. Brown Park, helping nurture connections to nature and develop social, technical, and academic skills through outdoor adventures.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Houston Parks and Recreation Department: Municipal department operating 370+ parks and dozens of community centers with youth athletics, aquatics, and senior programming. Analogous scale and structure to NORDC's parish-wide operation.
• Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks: Operates 180+ parks, recreation centers, pools, and golf courses for Los Angeles residents with comparable all-ages programming and facility rentals.
• Chicago Park District: Municipal agency managing 600+ parks, recreation centers, pools, and programs across Chicago. Closest functional peer to NORDC as both operate year-round municipal recreation for all ages within a single U.S. city.
• Philadelphia Parks & Recreation: Municipal recreation operator managing hundreds of sites across Philadelphia with structured youth sports, aquatics, and community programming matching NORDC's portfolio breadth.
• Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation: City-level parks and recreation department delivering athletic programming, aquatics, and community events across Atlanta neighborhoods — directly comparable operating model and demographic mix.

Emerging players

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Nationwide youth-development organization delivering after-school programming, mentorship, sports, and arts — overlapping with NORDC's Kids Cafe, teen, and youth athletics work but focused on a narrower age band.
• Police Athletic League (National PAL): Youth-development organization offering athletic, educational, and recreational programming in cities nationwide. Comparable in mission to NORDC's youth and teen programming but operating with a different host institution.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the USA: National network providing youth sports, aquatics, after-school programming, and senior fitness. Overlaps with NORDC's youth/senior/community portfolio via a similar mission-driven non-municipal model.
• Life Time Fitness: Large private operator of multi-use recreation centers with fitness, aquatics, family programs, and youth sports — adjacent commercial analog to NORDC's recreation-center model.

Others

• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA): Industry body that administers the CAPRA accreditation NORDC holds and supports park/recreation agencies nationally. Not a competitor but a direct governance and standards peer shaping NORDC's operating framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nordcommission
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NORDCommission
• Facebookfacebook.com/NORDCommission
• Instagraminstagram.com/nordcommission

Compliance1 record

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 New Orleans Recreation and Development Commission