Kalamazoo In Bloom

What Kalamazoo In Bloom does

Kalamazoo In Bloom is a nonprofit organization founded in 1984 that beautifies public spaces in Kalamazoo and Portage, Michigan, with locally grown plants and a special emphasis on annuals. Its core activity centers on community planting and maintenance of public flower beds, executed through volunteer programs including community-wide planting days each May, an adopter volunteer program for weekly bed maintenance, and end-of-season plant pull days. The organization also administers specialty gardens such as the Five Senses Garden (a sensory garden at Phoenix High School completed in 1969), the Three Sisters Garden featuring traditional Native American planting, and a native bee habitat program. Over 200 volunteers of all ages participate in the mission alongside a paid Executive Director and Board of Directors.

The organization sustains a broad partnership ecosystem spanning Phoenix High School, MSU Extension Master Gardeners, Home Builders Association, Audubon Society of Kalamazoo, local libraries (Portage District Library), commercial partners (Wenke Greenhouses, River Street Flowerland, Brewery Outré, Martell's Restaurant, 468 Urban Winery), and the Kalamazoo County Community Foundation (KZCF). Marketing is conducted through Facebook, Instagram, and the Bloomin' News email newsletter, with community events serving as a primary engagement channel.

The business model is nonprofit and donation-driven. Revenue inflows include unrestricted donations accepted via the Kindful platform (with a dedicated Five Senses Garden Fund channel through KZCF), small unit-priced event fees (Wreath Making $20, Garden Tea Party $40, Herb Workshop $14 per planter, Succulent planting $10 members/$15 non-members), and co-branded commercial partnerships such as a Brewery Outré cherry Saison commitment of a portion of sales. There is no proprietary technology; the underlying platform is volunteer labor, partner relationships, and horticultural operations.

Name

Kalamazoo In Bloom

Legal name

Kalamazoo In Bloom

Website

https://kalamazooinbloom.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kalamazoo In Bloom is a 1984-founded nonprofit that beautifies public spaces in Kalamazoo and Portage, Michigan, through volunteer-driven planting and maintenance of flower beds, specialty gardens, and community events supported by donations and local partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community horticulture and public space beautification

NAICS

Landscaping Services (561730), Landscaping Services (56173)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Garden Bed Installation & Planting (Annuals, Perennials, Shrubs) (HSAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seasonal Color & Flower Rotation (Spring/Fall Plantings) (HSAIAFAE)

Keywords

• Public space beautification
• Community gardening
• Volunteer planting programs
• Urban horticulture
• Sensory garden experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Kalamazoo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kalamazoo In Bloom is a nonprofit organization that beautifies public spaces in Kalamazoo and Portage, Michigan, with locally grown plants and flowers, with a special emphasis on annuals. Its core offering is volunteer-driven planting and maintenance of community flower beds (via Planting Days, Plant Pull Days, and an Adopter Volunteer Program), supplemented by specialty gardens including the Five Senses Garden, the Three Sisters Garden, and a Native Bee Nest program, plus community events, outreach, and a donation-supported funding model.

Product overview

Kalamazoo In Bloom is a nonprofit organization offering a unified portfolio of public space beautification services centered around planting and maintaining flower beds in Kalamazoo and Portage. Its core products include community volunteer planting days and plant pull days where hundreds of volunteers participate, along with an adopter volunteer program for ongoing bed maintenance. The organization administers specialty gardens including the Five Senses Garden (a sensory garden at Phoenix High School), the Three Sisters Garden featuring traditional Native American planting methods, and programs supporting native bee populations. Additional offerings encompass outreach and educational programs, seasonal events such as Pumpkin Soiree, and community celebrations including the 40th Anniversary festivities. The organization also provides a newsletter (Bloomin' News) and online donation platform to support volunteer engagement and fundraising. The entire portfolio operates through community volunteer mobilization and strategic partnerships with local schools, organizations, and municipal entities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Five Senses Garden (5SG): A public garden located at Phoenix High School in Kalamazoo, designed to appeal to senses of sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste through plants and gardening. Completed in 1969 as part of the Kennedy Center.

Products and services

• Public Space Beautification Services Core nonprofit service that plants and maintains public flower beds in Kalamazoo and Portage, Michigan, using locally grown plants and flowers with a special emphasis on annuals; delivered by over 200 community volunteers.
• Volunteer Planting Days Community volunteer programs held each May where over 200 community members plant flower beds in Kalamazoo and Portage.
• Plant Pull Days End-of-season volunteer events in Portage and Kalamazoo where community members help remove plants and can take plants home as a perk.
• Adopter Volunteer Program Program in which volunteers adopt and tend assigned flower bed sections once weekly throughout the summer growing season.
• Five Senses Garden Public sensory garden at Phoenix High School in Kalamazoo designed to engage visitors' senses of sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste through plantings, sculptures, and winding paths.
• Three Sisters Garden Garden featuring the traditional Native American planting method of corn, beans, and squash grown together.
• Three Sisters Planting Series Educational planting series covering the traditional Three Sisters growing method of corn, beans, and squash.
• Native Bee Nest Program supporting native bee populations through habitat preservation at a dedicated bee nest site.
• Pumpkin Soiree Fall seasonal event celebrating the season with community activities and gatherings.
• Outreach Programs Community outreach and educational programs that promote beautification and gardening to Kalamazoo-area audiences.
• 40th Anniversary Celebrations Commemorative 2024 events celebrating 40 years of service, including wreath making, bird walks, presentations, garden parties, and community activities.
• Bloomin' News Newsletter Email newsletter providing updates on events, volunteer opportunities, and organizational news for Kalamazoo In Bloom subscribers.
• Donation Platform Online donation system hosted on the Kindful platform that enables public financial support for Kalamazoo In Bloom's beautification mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 volunteers participate in community planting efforts
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Phoenix High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhoenix High School hosts the Five Senses Garden on its campus off Oakland Drive in Kalamazoo. The school principal serves on the 5SG Board of Directors. The partnership enables the garden's presence and provides educational opportunities.
• Audubon Society of KalamazoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for Birds and Blooms event at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery on Great Backyard Bird Count Day, providing educational activities focused on birds and blooms.
• Wolf Lake State Fish HatcheryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Birds and Blooms event focused on birds and blooms education on Great Backyard Bird Count Day.
• Kalamazoo Area Wild OnesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for Birds and Blooms event providing educational activities focused on birds and blooms.
• Home Builders AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Home Builders Association for Home and Garden Expo at Kalamazoo County Expo Center, providing workshops, activities, and a feature garden area with MSU Extension Master Gardeners.
• MSU Extension Master GardenerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaster Gardeners help plant and tend to gardens including Five Senses Garden, and partner for educational seminars at Home and Garden Expo.
• River Street FlowerlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for herb workshop event where surprise gifts were given to participating guests.
• Wenke GreenhousescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for spring potting parties where customers could design and plant combination planters. KIB provided gifts to random customers during the events.
• Brewery OutréminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted KIB 40th Anniversary Party; brewed a special cherry Saison called 'Queen of Cherry Flowers' for the month and donated a portion of sales to KIB.
• Martell's RestaurantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Mead Tasting and featured menu event on Martell's Terrace in Parkview Hills.
• Kalamazoo Nature CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for Butterfly Walk event - guided outdoor walk to learn about and find butterflies.
• Portage Zhang Senior CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted presentation on area's celery history and transition to bedding plants, plus creation of Kalamazoo in Bloom. Participants planted and took home succulents.
• Portage District LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for Creation Station Day events using the library's sublimation machine for makerspace activities.
• 468 Urban WineryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted wreath making event with wine available for purchase. 21+ event with limited spots.
• KZCF (Kalamazoo County Community Foundation)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured on KZCF donation QR code for Five Senses Garden Fund, indicating financial/donor support for the garden.
• Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra (Burdick-Thorne String Quartet)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided string quartet music entertainment for Garden Tea Party event at Crane Park.
• Shades of Lavender (Anthony Tran)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented at Garden Tea Party event on herbal teas.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Project GREEN (Grand Rapids): Michigan-based nonprofit focused on public garden development and beautification in the Grand Rapids area. Comparable in mission, but operates in a different Michigan geography with similar public-garden and volunteer-driven model.
• Kalamazoo Nature Center: Regional nonprofit in Kalamazoo focused on nature education and conservation. Existing partner of Kalamazoo In Bloom; comparable geographic footprint and overlapping mission in environmental education and community engagement.
• Fredrick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park: Major regional botanical garden in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Comparable in horticultural mission and educational programming within the same Michigan geography, though it operates as a paid-admission attraction rather than free public beautification.

Broad incumbents

• National Garden Clubs: Federation of community garden clubs supporting beautification, horticulture education, and civic gardening. Comparable in volunteer-driven horticultural mission and grassroots community programming.
• Keep America Beautiful: National nonprofit that engages volunteers in community beautification, litter prevention, and greening. Comparable in scale and volunteer-driven model but broader scope beyond flower beds.
• America in Bloom: National nonprofit that mobilizes community beautification efforts across U.S. cities through volunteer-driven horticultural programs. Direct overlap with Kalamazoo In Bloom's mission of public space beautification and annual plantings.

Emerging players

• Wild Ones: National nonprofit promoting native plant landscaping and ecological gardening. Listed as a partner of Kalamazoo In Bloom; shares the native/pollinator garden focus and aligns with the Native Bee Nest program.

Direct peers

• Communities in Bloom: Canadian volunteer-based nonprofit that evaluates and beautifies municipalities through floral displays and community greening. Closest mission-aligned peer to Kalamazoo In Bloom, with similar volunteer mobilization and annual flower bed programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KalamazooInBloom
• Instagraminstagram.com/kalamazoo_in_bloom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kalamazoo-in-bloom

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 Kalamazoo In Bloom