San Diego Floral Association

What San Diego Floral Association does

The San Diego Floral Association is a California-based 501(c) non-profit organization founded in 1907 (with documented organizational activity from 1915 in Balboa Park) that promotes the knowledge and appreciation of horticulture and floriculture in the San Diego region. Its core offerings include the bimonthly California Garden magazine (with archives extending back to 1915), hands-on educational classes on floral design and gardening, annual docent-led garden tours, the Festival of Trees exhibition held in conjunction with Balboa Park's December Nights, and community grant and scholarship programs. The organization is headquartered at 1650 El Prado, Room 105, in Balboa Park, San Diego, and maintains an extensive archive of horticultural history including a Growing Grounds series and Roots biographical series.

The business is structured around a community-led go-to-market model, with 1-10 employees and a base of volunteer docents supporting events and tours. Revenue is generated through six primary streams: recurring membership dues, tax-deductible donations and legacy gifts, advertising in California Garden magazine, per-session class fees (tiered at $50 for members and $55 for non-members), book sales including the Enduring Literary Legacy and Centennial Compilation, and garden tour and event sponsorships. Membership management is handled through the Wild Apricot platform, with class and event registration available online.

The organization operates as a non-profit focused on horticultural education and community engagement, with no proprietary technology or commercial products. It functions as a coordinating body for over 60 affiliated garden clubs, plant societies, Ikebana schools, and related institutions across San Diego County, and maintains partnerships with strategic entities including the City of San Diego / Balboa Park, Forever Balboa Park, the Huntington Library, and the San Diego Botanical Garden Foundation. Its social impact programs include the Garden Outreach Grant Program (grants up to $500) and scholarship programs targeting community college students and high school seniors pursuing horticulture-related degrees.

Name

San Diego Floral Association

Legal name

San Diego Floral Association

Website

https://sandiegofloral.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

San Diego Floral Association is a 1907-founded San Diego non-profit that promotes horticulture and floriculture through California Garden magazine, educational classes, garden tours, scholarships, and a network of 60+ affiliated garden clubs and plant societies based in Balboa Park.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Horticultural Education and Community Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Floral & Event Installations (HSACAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Event Floral Design & Arrangements (HSACAOAA)

Keywords

• Horticultural education
• Floral design classes
• Gardening publications
• Community garden grants
• Plant society affiliation

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

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. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to member benefits including class discounts and the California Garden publication
2. Donations and Legacy Gifts: Tax-deductible charitable contributions to support the organization's educational mission in horticulture and floriculture
3. California Garden Advertising: Revenue from advertisers in the California Garden magazine publication
4. Class Fees: Fees charged for educational classes such as the Lei Po'o or Plumeria Crown workshop ($50 members, $55 non-members)
5. Book Sales: Sale of publications including the Enduring Literary Legacy and Centennial Compilation books
6. Garden Tour and Event Sponsorships: Advertising and sponsorship revenue from garden tours and the Festival of Trees event

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The San Diego Floral Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that promotes the knowledge and appreciation of horticulture and floriculture in the San Diego region. It sells memberships, runs hands-on floral design and gardening classes, publishes the bimonthly California Garden magazine, hosts annual garden tours and the Festival of Trees, awards scholarships and community garden grants, and sells historical books.

Product overview

The San Diego Floral Association offers a portfolio of horticultural programs and services rather than commercial technology products. Its offerings include California Garden magazine (a bimonthly publication), educational classes covering floral arts and gardening techniques, annual events such as garden tours and the Festival of Trees, scholarship programs for students pursuing horticulture studies, a garden outreach grant program supporting community gardens, and books documenting horticultural history. The organization functions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on promoting knowledge and appreciation of horticulture and floriculture in the San Diego region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• California Garden Magazine Bimonthly publication covering gardening topics, plant profiles, and historical articles about San Diego horticulture, distributed to members and advertisers.
• Educational Classes

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

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Coronado Floral AssociationminorOthersCo-Presidents: Kelly Kindorf and Colby Freer. Local floral association affiliated organization in Coronado, CA.
• Cuyamaca College Ornamental Horticulture Dept.coreOthersEducational partnership with community college horticulture program. Students eligible for Ethyl and Roland Hoyt Scholarship/Internship.
• Flower Arrangers Guild of San DiegominorOthersPresident: Dale Rekus. Affiliated floral design organization.
• Forever Balboa Park (formerly Balboa Park Conservancy and Friends of Balboa Park)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresident and CEO: Katy McDonald. Strategic partner for Balboa Park initiatives and conservation efforts.
• The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical GardenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenowned botanical gardens and research library in San Marino, CA. Partner in horticultural education and plant conservation.
• Master Gardener Association of San Diego CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresident: Heather Holland. Collaborative partnership for Master Gardener training content published in California Garden magazine. Hotline: 858-822-6910.
• San Diego Botanical Garden FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresident: Tom Derr. Co-located at 1650 El Prado #104 in Balboa Park. Shared Fern Society hosting.
• San Francisco Botanical Garden SocietyminorOthersAffiliated botanical garden society for educational exchange.
• San Diego Horticultural SocietyminorOthersPresident: Karen England. Horticultural society partner in Encinitas, CA.
• Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO)minorOthersPresident: Robin Lakin. Historical preservation organization with shared interest in garden heritage.
• Southwestern Judges CouncilminorOthersChair: Diana Drummey. Affiliated organization for flower show judging.
• The Water Conservation GardenminorOthersInterim Director: Lauren Magnuson. Located at Cuyamaca College. Shared interest in water-wise gardening education.
• Balboa Park (City of San Diego)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeadquarters location and host of major annual events including Festival of Trees and December Nights.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Horticultural Society: National membership-based horticultural education and advocacy non-profit based in Virginia. Operates a similar member-benefit + publication model (The American Gardener magazine) but at national scale, making it the broader-incumbent analog of the SDFA's regional model.
• The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens: A strategic partner in San Marino, CA focused on horticultural education, plant conservation, and public garden operations. Operates at much larger institutional scale but shares the SDFA's mission of advancing horticultural knowledge and conservation.
• National Garden Clubs, Inc. The largest national umbrella for local garden clubs in the U.S., with a structure of state and local federations directly analogous to the SDFA's affiliate-of-clubs network. Functions as the broad-incumbent apex body in the same community-of-clubs space.

Direct peers

• Flower Arrangers Guild of San Diego: An affiliated floral design organization within the SDFA's network. Focuses on the floral-arts sub-discipline the SDFA teaches (e.g., Lei Po'o / Plumeria Crown workshops), making it a directly comparable educational peer in the same city.
• San Diego Horticultural Society: Encinitas-based regional horticultural membership society serving San Diego County gardeners. Directly comparable mission, member base, and programming model (meetings, garden tours, education), differing mainly in emphasis on ornamental horticulture vs. floriculture.
• Coronado Floral Association: A listed affiliated organization of the SDFA focused on floral design and horticultural education in Coronado. Operates with an identical membership-association structure, floral design classes, and community events model, making it the closest peer.
• Master Gardener Association of San Diego County: A strategic partner that publishes Master Gardener training content in California Garden magazine. Volunteers deliver horticultural education through community programs, operating a comparable member-driven, education-first non-profit model in San Diego County.
• San Diego Botanical Garden Foundation: Co-located at 1650 El Prado #104 in Balboa Park and a strategic partner of the SDFA. Operates as a parallel non-profit in the same horticultural/educational space, sharing infrastructure such as the Fern Society hosting, making it a near-twin peer in the same building.

Regional players

• San Francisco Botanical Garden Society: A listed affiliate of the SDFA and peer botanical garden society operating in the San Francisco Bay Area. Comparable membership + education + publication model but in a different California region, so primarily a regional rather than direct competitor.

Others

• Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO): A San Diego-based historical preservation non-profit and listed SDFA affiliate. Shares the membership-driven non-profit model and Balboa Park heritage focus but addresses architectural/historical preservation rather than horticulture.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 San Diego Floral Association