Overton Park Conservancy

What Overton Park Conservancy does

Overton Park Conservancy is a Tennessee 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded in 2011 that manages and enhances Overton Park, a 342-acre urban green space in Memphis, Tennessee, in partnership with the City of Memphis. The Conservancy's functions span conservation of the Old Forest State Natural Area (a rare old-growth forest with more than 350 flowering plant species), ecological restoration including invasive species removal and native plantings, environmental education programming (Science Café, Third Thursday Treks, Guided Nature Walks, Songbird Strolls, NatureZen blog series), wellness and recreation programming (Tai Chi, Yoga, Mindfulness Walks), and event venue operations (Greensward, Formal Gardens, Veterans Plaza, Rainbow Lake Pavilion, East Parkway Pavilion, Abe Goodman Golf Clubhouse). The park draws 1.2 million or more visitors per year and the Conservancy maintains a small core team of 1–10 employees, supplemented by a sustained volunteer network.

The organization's business model is a hybrid nonprofit framework rather than a commercial revenue model. Roughly 90% of the annual operating budget (approximately $1.4 million) is raised annually from private donors through online giving, the Roots Giving Society ($20/month or $240/year threshold), the Canopy Giving Society ($1,000+/year), planned giving, employer matching, and non-cash gifts; the remaining ~10% is provided by the City of Memphis. Earned income streams include venue rentals for weddings, corporate outings, field trips, and public events (max 500 attendees for public events, 250 for private events); food-truck vendor permits at $100 annually; and film permits. Corporate sponsorship is delivered through a "Park Champions" program featuring Memphis-headquartered companies (AutoZone, FedEx, First Horizon, International Paper, ServiceMaster, Hollywood Feed, Hyde, LPI). Park admission is free; in-park institutions such as the Memphis Zoo and Brooks Museum charge their own admission fees.

There is no proprietary technology platform, no API, no software product, and no disclosed AI or machine-learning capability underpinning the Conservancy's operations. Technology footprint is limited to standard digital communications: a Mailchimp-distributed email newsletter, a WordPress-based website (overtonpark.org) with iCalendar/Google/Outlook calendar subscriptions, and an Instagram channel (@overtonpark). Distribution is exclusively direct to Memphis-area visitors and donors; geographic footprint is a single location (Memphis, Tennessee, USA). Leadership comprises a former Executive Director (Tina Sullivan, as of 2012), Director of Operations Dr. Eric Bridges, Director of Events and Volunteers Susan Green, Communications Coordinator Melissa McMasters, Program Coordinators Scout Anglin and Dr. Malle Carrasco-Harris, and a board of directors. The City of Memphis retains ownership of the park property and provides regulatory oversight (park hours, vending ordinances), giving the City partnership a quasi-governance character.

Name

Overton Park Conservancy

Legal name

Overton Park Conservancy

Website

https://overtonpark.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Overton Park Conservancy is a Tennessee 501(c)(3) nonprofit that manages and restores Overton Park, a 342-acre urban green space in Memphis, through conservation, environmental education, wellness programming, and event venue rentals, serving 1.2 million annual visitors and funded largely by private donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Park Management & Conservation

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Facilities Maintenance & Environmental Services (Waste, Water, Trail Maintenance, Restrooms) (THAAAGAI), National Park & Protected Area Tours (THAJAIAA)

Keywords

• Park management
• Urban conservation
• Environmental education
• Event venue rental
• Community programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Memberships: The conservancy raises approximately 90% of its annual budget from private donors and individual members. Any donation amount makes someone a member; monthly donors of $20+ or annual donors of $240+ join the Roots Giving Society; annual donors of $1,000+ join the Canopy Giving Society.
2. Event and Facility Rentals: Revenue generated through renting park facilities including Greensward, Formal Gardens, Veterans Plaza, Rainbow Lake Pavilion, East Parkway Pavilion, and the Abe Goodman Golf Clubhouse for private events, weddings, corporate outings, field trips, and public events.
3. Vendor Permit Fees: Food trucks and mobile vendors pay an annual vendor permit application fee of $100 to operate within Overton Park. Permits are valid for one calendar year.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors (AutoZone, FedEx, First Horizon, Hyde, Hollywood Feed, International Paper, ServiceMaster, LPI, Memphis) provide financial support as Park Champions in exchange for recognition.
5. City of Memphis Funding: The City of Memphis provides approximately 10% of the conservancy's annual budget as public funding in partnership with the conservancy.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Overton Park Conservancy manages and operates the 342-acre Overton Park in Memphis, Tennessee, providing park maintenance, conservation of the Old Forest (one of the last remaining old-growth forests in the region), environmental education programs, recreational activities, event venue rentals, and community programming for more than 1.2 million annual visitors.

Product overview

Overton Park Conservancy is a Tennessee 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 2011 that manages Overton Park in Memphis, Tennessee. The organization does not offer a technology product; instead, it provides park management services including conservation of the Old Forest State Natural Area, event venue rentals (pavilions, golf clubhouse, formal gardens), environmental education programs (NatureZen series, Science Café, guided nature walks, Tai Chi, yoga), volunteer programs, and community engagement activities. The conservancy serves over 1.2 million annual visitors and relies on private donations for 90% of its approximately $1.4 million annual operating budget.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Event Venue Rentals
• Park Vendor Permits
• Mindfulness Walk
• Free Tai Chi and Qi Gong Classes
• Free Yoga in the Park
• Third Thursday Treks
• Guided Nature Walks
• Songbird Strolls
• Science Café Events
• Volunteer Ranger Program
• Roots Giving Society
• Canopy Giving Society
• Conservancy Store Notecards

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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tom Pellett (Landscape Designer)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal landscape designer Tom Pellett donated his services to develop a planting scheme for the formal gardens (2012), selecting locations for new plants including hostas, ornamental grasses, ferns, and a camellia. He also donated expertise for selecting planting locations for the nearly 200 new trees funded by the Kelly Family Foundation.
• Greg Touliatos & AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided a diverse mix of trees and shrubs at a generously discounted cost for the 2012 planting of nearly 200 new trees in Overton Park, including five varieties of magnolias, three types of maples, and five different oaks.
• City of MemphiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Memphis is the primary public partner, providing approximately 10% of the conservancy's annual budget and partnership in managing Memphis's central green space. The Conservancy operates in partnership with the City, which retains ownership of the park property and provides regulatory oversight (park hours, permits, ordinances).
• Invasive Avengers Volunteer CrewcoreOthersA dedicated group of volunteers led by Bill Bullock who have been removing invasive plants from the Old Forest for a decade. The crew meets weekly during winter months when non-native plants are visible. Members include Bill Stegall, John Joyner, Victoria Van Cleef, Juliet Jones, James Brooks, and Jim Brooks. Responsible for removing thousands of invasive plants over 10 years, significantly improving forest ecosystem health.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Friends of the High Line: Nonprofit conservancy that operates and maintains the High Line elevated park in NYC in partnership with the City. Directly comparable as an urban park nonprofit with private-donor dependency, event programming, and volunteer engagement, though serving a much denser visitor base.
• Prospect Park Alliance: Nonprofit managing Prospect Park in Brooklyn in partnership with NYC Parks. Operates the same conservancy-plus-city-partnership model, raising private funds for maintenance, running year-round programming, and operating event venues. Highly comparable in operational structure though larger in scale.
• Piedmont Park Conservancy: Nonprofit managing Piedmont Park in Atlanta in partnership with the City of Atlanta. Comparable operating model: conservancy raises private funds to supplement public budget, runs events, festivals, and venue rentals, and maintains park grounds. Similar scale and similar Southern U.S. urban context.
• Central Park Conservancy: The preeminent urban park conservancy in the U.S., managing Central Park in NYC in partnership with the City of New York. Directly comparable in mission (park restoration, fundraising from private donors, volunteer programs, event venues) and operational model (nonprofit + city partnership), though at much larger scale than Overton Park Conservancy.
• Golden Gate Park Conservancy: Nonprofit supporting San Francisco's Golden Gate Park through private fundraising, programming, and volunteer engagement in partnership with San Francisco Recreation and Parks. Comparable mission and city-nonprofit hybrid structure; larger park and budget scale.
• Forest Park Forever: Nonprofit conservancy managing Forest Park in St. Louis in partnership with the City of St. Louis. Closest geographic and demographic comparable to Overton Park Conservancy — similar mid-size American city, urban park of comparable scale, similar private-donor + public-funding mix, and similar programming (conservation, events, education).

Broad incumbents

• The Trustees of Reservations: Massachusetts-based nonprofit that owns and operates more than 100 historic properties and natural areas. Comparable as a conservation nonprofit running public-facing nature properties with programming, education, and donor-supported operations, though serving a different region.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on creating and protecting parks and green space across the U.S. Operates broadly across many cities rather than managing a single park. Comparable in nonprofit mission around urban parks and conservation but a much larger, geographically diversified organization.

Others

• City Parks Alliance: National membership organization supporting urban park conservancies and park agencies. Functions as an industry association and network hub for organizations like Overton Park Conservancy. Comparable as a peer in the urban park nonprofit ecosystem though not a direct operational competitor.

Regional players

• Shelby Farms Park Conservancy: Memphis-area park conservancy operating Shelby Farms Park, one of the largest urban parks in the U.S. Same city, same metropolitan market, and similar nonprofit + public partnership model. Directly comparable regionally though at a significantly larger footprint and budget scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/overtonpark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/overton-park-conservancy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Overton Park Conservancy