Hope Gardens
H.O.P.E. Gardens is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that teaches nature-based, regenerative gardening to K-12 students, families, and community groups across West Michigan through 14 school gardens, workshops, home-garden kits, and community gardens.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersWyoming, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Hope Gardens does
H.O.P.E. Gardens is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2015 by Rich and Julie Brunson, that delivers nature-based and regenerative (no-till) gardening education to K-12 students, families, and community groups in West Michigan. Its core method replaces conventional tilled gardening with organic-matter ground cover that supports underground soil ecosystems, retaining nutrients and moisture while reducing weeds. The organization operates 14 school gardens across districts including Wyoming Public Schools, Grandville Public Schools, and Kent ISD, reaching more than 2,700 students and 39+ STEAM classrooms annually, and supplements in-school programming with community workshops, family home-garden kits (e.g., the COVID-era 214 Gardens of H.O.P.E. initiative), and an annual heirloom plant sale.
The portfolio spans core programming (school garden education, community/home garden coordination, seed saving), paid and free educational resources (the Educator Store selling the Living Soil curriculum and lesson kits, plus free multilingual guides in English/Spanish/Swahili), workshops and consultations, and physical infrastructure including two Wyoming, MI greenhouse locations and the 2025-launched Woodfield Community Garden at Woodfield Apartments in Kentwood. Distribution is hybrid: direct on-site delivery at partner schools, a physical greenhouse storefront, online plant and educator sales, and hosted workshops at partner locations such as Flowerland.
The business model is donation-and-grant-driven with ancillary commercial revenue. Primary funding comes from individual donations and grants, notably the Heart of West Michigan United Way and a 2020 USDA Farm-to-School grant (co-awarded with the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids). Secondary revenue streams include annual heirloom plant sales (unit pricing for tomatoes, herbs, melons, vegetables, peppers), paid educator resources and lesson kits, fee-based workshops and school garden consultation/installation, and unit-priced items such as $8 pinecone bird feeder kits distributed through Flowerland. The customer base is concentrated in West Michigan (primarily Kent County), with K-12 schools as the primary institutional segment and families, multi-family housing residents, and community organizations as secondary segments. Funding and partnerships span Feeding America West Michigan, MSU Extension 4-H, Kent District Library, Refugee Education Center, the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, and Heart of West Michigan United Way.
Hope Gardens firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hope Gardens
- Legal name
- H.O.P.E. Gardens
- Website
- https://hopegardensgr.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- H.O.P.E. Gardens is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that teaches nature-based, regenerative gardening to K-12 students, families, and community groups across West Michigan through 14 school gardens, workshops, home-garden kits, and community gardens.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hope Gardens industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Garden Education Services
- NAICS
- Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Home & Garden Hobbies (Gardening, Floral Design, Home Decor) (EDAAAGAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Garden Bed Installation & Planting (Annuals, Perennials, Shrubs) (HSAIAFAB), Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers) (CRAIAIAB)
Keywords
Where Hope Gardens is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wyoming
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Hope Gardens business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, H.O.P.E. Gardens relies heavily on donations from individuals and grants from organizations. The organization receives funding from foundations including Heart of West Michigan United Way and has received USDA Farm-to-School grants.
- Heirloom Plant Sales: Annual spring heirloom plant sale featuring tomatoes, herbs, melons, vegetables, and peppers. Proceeds support school gardens and community programs.
- Workshops and Consultation: Regenerative gardening workshops for community members and consultation services for schools and community groups.
- Educator Resources: Sale of garden activity kits and lesson plans for teachers, families, and community groups through the Educator Store.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One-Time | Heirloom Plant Sale - Various plants available |
| Unit Pricing | One-Time | Pinecone Bird Feeder Kits |
| Freemium | One-Time | Gardening Resources |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Hope Gardens product offering
Product offeringCore offering
H.O.P.E. Gardens is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that teaches children, families, and communities in West Michigan how to grow their own food using nature-based, regenerative, no-till gardening practices. Its core offerings are hands-on school garden education (K-12), school garden design/consultation/installation, an annual heirloom plant sale, community workshops, and educator curriculum and activity kits.
Product overview
Hope Gardens is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose core offering is nature-based and regenerative gardening education for children, families, and communities in West Michigan. Its primary programs include school-based garden education (K-12 with hands-on lessons, seed saving, and harvesting), the annual Heirloom Plant Sale (offering organically grown heirloom tomatoes, herbs, melons, vegetables, and peppers), and community engagement through workshops and the Woodfield Community Garden. The organization supports educators and families with both free resources (Nature-Based Garden Guide, planting guides, worksheets) and paid curriculum/lesson kits through its Educator Store, plus school garden design, consultation, and installation services. The portfolio is centered on in-person experiential programming rather than software products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nature-Based Gardening Education Programs Hands-on educational programs teaching children and families regenerative/nature-based gardening practices, offered in schools (K-12) and community settings, covering planting, tending, harvesting, and seed saving. Reaches 2,700+ students across 14 school gardens.
- School Garden Design, Consultation & Installation Turn-key school garden design, consultation, and installation services for K-12 schools, including garden design, curriculum alignment, and ongoing program support.
- Annual Heirloom Plant Sale Annual spring sale of heirloom, organically grown plants including tomatoes, herbs, melons, vegetables, and peppers available online and at their greenhouse location. Proceeds support school gardens and community programs.
- Community Workshops Regenerative gardening workshops for families, schools, and community groups, teaching no-till garden installation and nature-based growing techniques.
- Educator Store (Paid Curriculum and Lesson Kits) Paid garden activity kits and lesson plans for teachers, families, and community groups, including the 'Living Soil' curriculum and school garden consultation services.
- Woodfield Community Garden Community garden space launched in 2025 at Woodfield Apartments in Kentwood, MI, offering organic garden plots for residents with planned events, educational workshops, and shared growing areas; a collaboration with Feeding America West Michigan, Land & Co., and other partners.
- Seed Saving & Seed Sharing Program Program where students save seeds from school gardens and share them with surrounding schools and the community, promoting biodiversity and food security.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2,700+ students educated annually in 14 school gardens
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Hope Gardens
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hope Gardens technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Hope Gardens partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Feeding America West MichigancorePartner in the Woodfield Community Garden initiative, addressing food insecurity through collaborative community programming.
- MSU Extension 4-HcoreCollaboration on the Woodfield Community Garden, bringing extension education and youth development programming to the initiative.
- Kent District LibrarysupportingPartner in Woodfield Community Garden providing educational resources and community programming.
- Refugee Education CentercorePartner in Woodfield Community Garden, supporting diverse refugee community members in accessing garden space and education.
- Land & Co.supportingProperty management partner for Woodfield Apartments where the community garden is located.
- Woodfield Community CentersupportingPartner in providing community space and programming for Woodfield Community Garden.
- YMCA of Greater Grand RapidssupportingCo-recipient of USDA Farm-to-School grant for garden education programming.
- FlowerlandsupportingWyoming, MI retailer hosts H.O.P.E. Gardens regenerative gardening workshops and distributes pinecone bird feeder kits.
- Anchor Point Christian SchoolsupportingSchool property hosts the H.O.P.E. Gardens greenhouse location.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hope Gardens competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Big Green: National nonprofit that builds Learning Gardens in schools and provides garden-based education; most directly comparable to Hope Gardens' school-garden install + curriculum + ongoing instruction model.
- KidsGardening: National nonprofit offering educator resources, lesson plans, and grants for youth garden programs; mirrors Hope Gardens' Educator Store, free downloadable content, and grant-funded school programming.
- The Edible Schoolyard Project: Founded by Alice Waters; integrates gardens into K-12 curricula with hands-on cooking and growing — closely aligned with Hope Gardens' curriculum-aligned, hands-on STEAM garden programming.
- National Farm to School Network: Advocacy and resource network for farm-to-school programs that receive USDA Farm-to-School grants — same funding channel as Hope Gardens' 2020 USDA award.
- Life Lab: California-based nonprofit operating school gardens and educator training programs; highly comparable to Hope Gardens' model of school-garden installation plus teacher curriculum and workshops.
Regional players
- Cultivate Kansas City / KC Farm School: Regional nonprofit running community gardens, school programs, and farmer training in Kansas City; comparable in scope and community-led GTM, though operating in a different geography.
- Frederik Meijer Gardens: West Michigan botanical garden where Hope Gardens team member Kathy Bego previously worked; comparable regional horticultural organization, but operates as a public garden rather than school-based educator.
Emerging players
- Green Education Foundation: Provides K-12 sustainability lesson plans and grants (Green Thumb Challenge); adjacent to Hope Gardens' Educator Store and free curriculum resources.
- Captain Planet Foundation: Funds school and community gardens and environmental education; comparable to Hope Gardens in grant-making and project-based garden education, but operates as a funder rather than direct educator.
- Slow Food USA: National nonprofit promoting good, clean, fair food with school garden and education programs; overlaps with Hope Gardens on food-security-via-education framing and community programming.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hope Gardens social profiles
Digital presenceHope Gardens financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hope Gardens leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Hope Gardens funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hope Gardens M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hope Gardens
What does Hope Gardens do?
H.O.P.E. Gardens is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that teaches children, families, and communities in West Michigan how to grow their own food using nature-based, regenerative, no-till gardening practices. Its core offerings are hands-on school garden education (K-12), school garden design/consultation/installation, an annual heirloom plant sale, community workshops, and educator curriculum and activity kits.
Is Hope Gardens a public or private company?
Hope Gardens is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Hope Gardens founded?
Hope Gardens was founded in 2015.
Where is Hope Gardens based?
Hope Gardens is headquartered in Wyoming, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hope Gardens make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are heirloom Plant Sales, workshops and Consultation and educator Resources.
Who are Hope Gardens's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Big Green, KidsGardening, The Edible Schoolyard Project, National Farm to School Network and Life Lab. Regional players are Cultivate Kansas City / KC Farm School and Frederik Meijer Gardens. Emerging players are Green Education Foundation, Captain Planet Foundation and Slow Food USA.
Does Hope Gardens have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hope Gardens.
What industry is Hope Gardens in?
Hope Gardens's product category is Garden Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAGAL, Home & Garden Hobbies (Gardening, Floral Design, Home Decor), with a secondary code of HSAIAFAB, Garden Bed Installation & Planting (Annuals, Perennials, Shrubs). Its NAICS code is 1114 and its SIC code is 700.