THE 577 FOUNDATION

What THE 577 FOUNDATION does

The 577 Foundation is a nonprofit community arts and nature center established in 1988 by Virginia Secor Stranahan on her former estate in Perrysburg, Ohio, along the Maumee River. The organization operates a single physical campus featuring a 1803 Log House, a geodesic biodome greenhouse, a Bee Room with a 60,000-bee observation hive, a Flutter Hut for monarch butterflies, gardens, and 52 community garden plots (including three accessible raised beds). Programming spans pottery, fiber arts, studio arts, culinary arts, enrichment and wellness, gardening/nature/conservation, and youth/family classes, alongside special events such as the Music in the Gardens concert series and the StoryWalk literacy trail. Revenue is generated through class and event registration fees, retail sales at the Welcome Center & Curiosity Shop, voluntary donations, and facility rentals for meetings, photography, and private events, while general admission to the grounds remains free.

The foundation's underlying technology footprint is minimal: a WordPress website, Stripe payment processing, and standard social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn) constitute the digital infrastructure. The center also hosts on-site renewable-energy assets, including a 1,020-watt solar photovoltaic tracker installed in 2016 with First Solar and GEM Energy, plus 6 to 10 honeybee hives maintained by a volunteer beekeeper. The property is protected by a conservation easement held by the Black Swamp Conservancy, which structurally prevents any development alternative use.

The foundation serves a broad base of community members, families, hobbyists, environmental enthusiasts, and community groups across Northwest Ohio. Its operating model blends earned revenue (class fees, retail, rentals) with philanthropic support, including grants from the Ohio Arts Council, the Greater Toledo Community Foundation, The Home Depot Foundation, and corporate sponsors such as First Solar and Hartmann Bogan Financial Planning. Strategic partners include Bowling Green State University for educational programming, Owens Community College for solar-education builds, and the Pollinator Partnership for pollinator-awareness initiatives, all of which reinforce the center's role as a regional hub for arts, environmental education, and community gathering.

Name

THE 577 FOUNDATION

Legal name

The 577 Foundation

Website

https://577foundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The 577 Foundation is a nonprofit community arts and nature center in Perrysburg, Ohio, offering free admission to gardens, a Bee Room, and a geodesic biodome, supported by paid classes, retail sales, donations, and facility rentals for the Northwest Ohio community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts & Nature Center

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Community arts education
• Nature center programs
• Nonprofit cultural center
• Organic gardening workshops
• Creative arts classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Perrysburg

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Class and Event Registration Fees: Revenue from registration fees for structured classes and workshops across pottery, fiber arts, studio arts, culinary arts, wellness, gardening, and youth programming.
2. Curiosity Shop Retail Sales: Sales from the Welcome Center & Curiosity Shop featuring gently-used books, art supplies, handmade pottery, houseplants, and local honey. Revenue subsidizes educational programming.
3. Donations and Contributions: Voluntary donations from visitors and supporters, with an online donation option on the website.
4. Facility Reservations: Rental fees for meeting reservations, photography sessions, and private events at Virginia's House and other facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Nonprofit community arts and nature center operating on a historic 30-acre estate in Perrysburg, Ohio. Provides free general admission to gardens, nature trails, and buildings, and offers paid classes and workshops (pottery, fiber arts, culinary, music, gardening), a retail Curiosity Shop selling donated creative-reuse art supplies and handcrafted items, and meeting/event facility rentals for community groups and private events.

Product overview

THE 577 FOUNDATION operates a nonprofit community arts and nature center offering a unified portfolio of programs and facilities. The core offerings include the Welcome Center & Curiosity Shop (resale of books, art supplies, and pottery), diverse Classes & Events (Pottery, Fiber Arts, Studio Arts, Culinary Arts, Gardening/Nature, Youth & Family), and public access to unique facilities including the Bee Room (observation hive), Geodesic Biodome, Green Door Studio, Virginia's House (historic log house), Flutter Hut (butterfly enclosure), and StoryWalk Trail. The center also hosts seasonal programs like Music in the Gardens, Community Garden plots, Artist Trading Cards activities, and facility reservations for meetings and photography. The Curiosity Shop's revenue subsidizes educational programming, keeping class prices affordable.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classes and Workshops Multi-session and single-day paid classes and workshops in pottery, fiber arts, culinary arts, music, gardening, beekeeping, and other creative disciplines, offered to children, adults, and families on the Foundation's campus.
• Curiosity Shop On-site retail shop selling donated creative-reuse art supplies, materials, and handcrafted items made by local artists and program participants, supporting the Foundation's creative-reuse mission.
• Facility and Event Rentals Paid rentals of the Foundation's indoor and outdoor spaces — including Virginia's House, the Geodesic Biodome, the Welcome Center, and the gardens — for meetings, workshops, weddings, and private community events.
• Community Garden Program Subscribed garden plots and gardening support for community members, integrated with the Foundation's organic gardens, food forest, and horticulture education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 52 community garden plots supporting local food production and education
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Black Swamp ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1987Local conservancy organization founded in 1989 to hold conservation easements. Virginia Secor Stranahan and local conservationists established the conservancy, and 577's conservation easement was transferred to them in 1993. The partnership ensures permanent protection of the land from development along the Maumee River.
• Pollinator PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit dedicated to protecting pollinators. 577 participates in National Pollinator Week activities and aligns programming with their educational resources and awareness campaigns.
• Ohio Arts CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState arts agency providing grant funding that enabled 577 to expand fiber arts programming, bringing new creative skills and traditions to the community.
• First SolarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated solar panels and collaborated with GEM Energy to install a photovoltaic tracker system in 2016. Also provided funding through Greater Toledo Community Foundation's First Solar Community Giving Fund Awards Grant for the Curiosity Shop expansion.
• GEM EnergymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy solutions company that installed the solar photovoltaic tracker system near the Geodesic Biodome in 2016.
• Plastics-R-UniqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio-based company that manufactures recycled plastic benches through their CAP (Caring About our Planet) Program. 577 partnered with them to create the Recycled Bottle Cap Bench from collected plastic caps.
• Hartmann Bogan Financial PlanningmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring Music in the Gardens 2026 series, supporting free family-friendly live music events on the second Saturday of each month through September.
• JupmodeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerApparel company that partnered with 577 to create the 'We Root For Each Other' limited merchandise collection featuring artwork by program coordinator Isabelle Tucker.
• Waterville Bee WorksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal beekeeper Dan Bollett provides honey products sold in the Welcome Center & Curiosity Shop. Also tends 6-10 beehives on 577 grounds.
• Wood County Board of Developmental DisabilitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided mobile universal changing unit for visitors with disabilities during Music in the Gardens event, enhancing accessibility for all guests.
• Owens Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents collaborated with First Solar to build an interactive solar panel display near the Geodesic Biodome in 2019 to help children learn about solar energy.
• ToledoGROWSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal organization that hosts seed swaps. 577 donated seeds to support community gardening and seed-sharing initiatives.
• Perrysburg Christian United Food BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal food bank that receives donations of excess produce from 577's gardens to address food insecurity in the community.
• SAME CafeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal restaurant/cafe that receives donations of excess produce from 577's gardens to address food insecurity.
• Perrysburg Garden ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal garden club with members who volunteer and support 577's beekeeping program and garden initiatives.
• Bowling Green State University (BGSU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for educational programming including BGSU In the Round storytelling events and hosting community reads with author Robin Wall Kimmerer at Kobacker Hall.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Broad incumbents

• Wave Hill: Historic Bronx, NY public garden and cultural center offering classes, programming, and gardens on a preserved estate. Similar historic-property nonprofit garden model at larger scale.
• Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: Pittsburgh-based botanical garden with strong educational programming, sustainability focus, and gardens. Comparable educational mission at significantly larger operational scale.
• Longwood Gardens: Major Pennsylvania public garden and conservatory with classes, events, and extensive gardens. Significantly larger-scale comparable operating model for educational garden programming and ticketed visitor experiences.

Direct peers

• Toledo Botanical Garden: Toledo, Ohio community botanical garden offering classes, events, and gardens with free/low-cost admission. Directly comparable mission and geographic market to 577 Foundation.
• Inniswood Metro Gardens: Central Ohio public garden operated by Metro Parks offering gardens, classes, and nature programming. Comparable community-facing nonprofit/public garden model.
• Pittsburgh Botanic Garden: Mid-sized regional botanical garden with classes, gardens, and community education programming. Comparable mission and operational structure to a community nature center.
• Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: Columbus, Ohio botanical garden offering classes, art exhibitions, and community programming. Comparable educational and environmental programming model at slightly larger scale.
• Dawes Arboretum: Ohio nonprofit arboretum offering classes, events, gardens, and nature-based education on a preserved property. Direct comparable in Ohio with similar mission and programming structure.
• Berkshire Botanical Garden: Massachusetts-based nonprofit botanical garden offering classes, events, and educational programming on a preserved site. Comparable small-to-mid-sized community garden nonprofit.

Emerging players

• Reiman Gardens: Iowa State University-affiliated public garden offering classes, butterfly wing, and educational programs. Similar garden + classes + pollinator programming model with university partnership overlay.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2qO-aQrO5QCWMJm7ZUBbog
• Facebookfacebook.com/577Foundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-577-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/577foundation/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 THE 577 FOUNDATION