Ottawa County Parks Foundation

What Ottawa County Parks Foundation does

The Ottawa County Parks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2016 as the private fundraising arm of the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission. Headquartered at PO Box 314 in West Olive, Michigan, the Foundation channels philanthropic contributions from individual donors, corporate partners, and other foundations toward land acquisition, trail development, facility improvements, and educational programming across the county's 42 parks and 5 regional trail systems. Since its founding, the Foundation has raised nearly $8 million in cumulative funding, with $463,330 disbursed to support parks in 2023 alone. Its flagship initiative, the Grand River Greenway Campaign, targets $7.2 million in philanthropic gifts to support 700 acres of land acquisition and 27 miles of new trail (13 miles along or near the Grand River); the central trail feature was named the Idema Explorers Trail in recognition of a landmark $2 million gift from the Bill and Bea Idema Foundation.

The Foundation operates a community-led and event-driven fundraising model centered on donor cultivation rather than technology platforms. Its underlying infrastructure is a WordPress-based website (OnePress theme) supporting online donations, event registration, newsletter subscriptions, and volunteer interest forms. Membership and giving programs include the Park Sustainers Club (monthly recurring giving starting at $5/month), the Stewardship Circle (annual giving at $250+), and Parks for Life planned giving, supplemented by IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, appreciated securities, charitable trusts, and life insurance gifts. Annual fundraising events such as Breakfast/Lunch at the Park, Art for the Parks, Grand Explorers' Trail Race, Piece Together Parks, and the Fireside Chat series generate additional revenue and serve as community engagement vehicles. A long-term Endowment Fund is held with the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation subject to a 4% annual spending limit.

The Foundation's primary beneficiary is the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission and the West Michigan community that uses the park system, which attracted over 900,000 vehicle visits in 2021. Key philanthropic partners include the Bill and Bea Idema Foundation ($2 million), Wege and Frey Foundations ($860,000 combined for the Grand River Greenway), Grand Haven Area Community Foundation ($125,000 for the Stearns Bayou Connector and $5,000 endowment seed), and corporate partners such as Herman Miller Cares (wildflower planting and trail construction volunteer engagement). The Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors led by Tom Werkman as Board President and managed operationally by Manager Angela Miller-Niarhos, with no disclosed technology or AI capabilities beyond standard nonprofit website and email tools.

Name

Ottawa County Parks Foundation

Legal name

Ottawa County Parks Foundation

Website

https://ottawacountyparksfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Ottawa County Parks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises private funds for Ottawa County Parks and Recreation. Established in 2016, it has raised nearly $8 million cumulatively for land acquisition, trail development, and park improvements across 42 parks and 5 regional trails in West Michigan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Parks and Recreation Fundraising

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)

Keywords

• Parks fundraising
• Nonprofit foundation
• Trail development
• Land conservation
• Community philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

West Olive

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. Donations and Fundraising: The foundation raises funds through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and event-based fundraising to support Ottawa County Parks land acquisitions, trail development, and park improvements.
2. Planned Giving: Accepts gifts through IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (up to $100,000 annually for donors over 70.5), wills and bequests, appreciated stocks, bonds, mutual funds, charitable trusts, retirement accounts, and life insurance.
3. Event Revenue: Annual fundraising events including Breakfast/Lunch at the Park, Art for the Parks, Grand Explorers' Trail Race, and community events generate revenue through ticket sales and sponsorship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ottawa County Parks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises charitable funds and coordinates community engagement to support Ottawa County Parks and Recreation. It channels donations, grants, planned gifts, and event proceeds into land acquisitions, trail construction (including the Idema Explorers Trail and Grand River Greenway), facility improvements, accessibility enhancements, and nature education programs that fall outside the county's operating budget.

Product overview

Ottawa County Parks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2016 that serves as the charitable arm of Ottawa County Parks and Recreation. The foundation focuses on fundraising and community engagement to support park acquisitions, trail development, and nature education programs. Key initiatives include the Grand River Greenway Campaign, Idema Explorers Trail fundraising, the Parks Sustainers Club monthly giving program, Stewardship Circle donor recognition, and Parks for Life planned giving. The organization also hosts community events including Breakfast at the Park, Art for the Parks, Grand Explorers' Trail Race, and publishes monthly e-newsletters and annual reports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grand River Greenway Campaign

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $8 million raised since 2016 for land acquisitions and major parks improvements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 core and minor.

• Herman Miller CarescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partnership through which Herman Miller employees volunteer to plant wildflowers and native grasses for Monarch Waystation at M-231 trailhead. Herman Miller Cares supports construction of two-mile trail section along Green Street and 128th Avenue in Robinson Township. Partnership illustrates company's environmental stewardship commitment established by founder D.J. DePree in 1953.
• Ferris State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced The Poor Farm documentary with local historian Marjie Viveen. FSU students edited film profiling iconic property and its history; co-produced by Assistant Professor Joshua Pardon.
• Michigan Edge Mountain Biking Association (MEMBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer organization working with Ottawa County Parks on trail development and maintenance throughout the county, particularly mountain bike trails.
• Crowe LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFacilitating strategic planning process for Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission including public engagement, stakeholder input, surveys, research, and data gathering.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Grand Rapids Community Foundation: A West Michigan community foundation that manages endowments and distributes grants to local nonprofits and causes. Comparable model as a place-based grantmaking foundation serving Ottawa County's broader West Michigan region.
• Michigan Recreation and Park Association: State-level association supporting Michigan parks and recreation departments. Direct counterpart that represents and advocates for the parks systems that foundations like OCPF fund.
• Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance: Michigan nonprofit that advocates for and supports trail development across the state. Directly comparable in mission around trail building, funding, and community engagement that underpins OCPF's Idema Explorers Trail and Grand River Greenway projects.
• Grand Haven Area Community Foundation: Local community foundation serving the Grand Haven / Ottawa County area. Already an active funder of OCPF projects ($125K grant, $5K endowment seed) and operates the same community-foundation model with overlapping donor pool.

Broad incumbents

• Land Trust Alliance: National membership organization supporting land trusts and conservation organizations. Adjacent peer given OCPF's land-acquisition focus, though OCPF is a parks-foundation rather than a formal land trust.
• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit focused on land and water conservation, including acquisition of natural areas for public benefit. Closely aligned mission with OCPF's land-acquisition focus but at a much larger, multi-state scale.
• National Park Trust: National nonprofit focused on acquiring and preserving parkland. Comparable mission in land protection for public recreation, though operating at a national rather than county scale.
• Trust for Public Land: A national nonprofit that works with communities to protect land for parks, trails, and natural areas. Directly comparable mission to OCPF — land acquisition and conservation for public recreation — but operates nationally and serves as a broader-incumbent counterpart.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OCParksFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ottawa-county-parks-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Ottawa County Parks Foundation