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BUFFALO OLMSTED PARKS CONSERVANCY INC
BUFFALO, NY · EIN 222720927 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A82Z · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M)
revenue
$6.6M
expenses
$7.4M
net assets
$2.0M
employees
142
volunteers
2,170
program ratio
86%
mission · from form 990

STEWARDING THE CITY OF BUFFALO'S HISTORIC OLMSTED PARK AND PARKWAY SYSTEM TO WELCOME AND BENEFIT ALL.

profile · synthesized from sources

Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy Inc. is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and enhancing Buffalo, NY's historic Olmsted-designed park and parkway system. The organization focuses on stewardship, restoration, and public programming to ensure equitable access and community benefit across the city's green spaces. It operates through public-private partnerships, volunteer engagement, and fundraising.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Advocacy & Planning
Policy advocacy and long-term planning to protect and enhance the integrity and equity of the city's park network
Community Programming & Events
Public events, educational programs, and volunteer initiatives to increase access and engagement with the park system
Olmsted Park Restoration
Comprehensive restoration and maintenance of Frederick Law Olmsted-designed parks, parkways, and landscapes across Buffalo
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Urban Park and Public Space Conservation 4 activities
    • Advance long-term park system planning and advocacy
      Guides restoration and development of Buffalo’s Olmsted park system through the Plan for the 21st Century, adopted in 2008, to realize Frederick Law Olmsted’s original vision and complete the park system as a “city within a park.”
    • Preserve and restore Buffalo's public urban forest
      Engages in the maintenance, preservation, and restoration of Buffalo’s public urban forest, including ongoing studies and restoration work on the South Park Arboretum and management of meadow areas to support native plants and pollinators.
    • Restore historic park structures and landscapes
      Undertakes restoration projects including the removal of Baird Drive and restoration of surrounding parkland at Front Park, refurbishment of the Rose Garden pergola, restoration of the Marcy Casino and restroom shelters, reinstallation of historic cannons, and transformation of minnow pools into the River Rock Garden at Riverside Park.
    • Stewardship of Olmsted Park System
      Stewards the historic Olmsted park and parkway system in Buffalo, NY, to benefit the public through preservation, maintenance, and public access initiatives.
  • Film Festival and Screening Programming 1 activity
    • Host public cultural events in Olmsted parks
      Hosts a free family movie night series across multiple Olmsted parks during summer 2026, featuring scheduled film screenings and providing free light refreshments on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Public Space Beautification and Maintenance 1 activity
    • Manage and maintain 850 acres of historic Olmsted parkland
      Provides daily care and maintenance for over 850 acres of historic parks, parkways, and circles in Buffalo, including turf care, litter pickup, trash removal, graffiti clean-up, planting and pruning of trees, shrubs, and flowers, and regular mowing every 7 to 10 days during the growing season.
  • Charity Golf Tournament Fundraiser 1 activity
    • Organize annual fundraising events
      Organizes an annual charitable golf tournament to support the stewardship and maintenance of Buffalo’s historic Olmsted park system.
  • Community Stewardship Volunteer Programs 1 activity
    • Organize volunteer gardening programs
      Hosts weekly and monthly volunteer gardening events in the Rose Garden and Japanese Garden at Delaware Park, respectively, to support horticultural stewardship and community engagement.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Support research through archival services
      Maintains an archive with source materials, annual reports, and advocacy records related to Buffalo’s Olmsted parks; permits non-flash digital photography, use of laptops and iPads for note-taking, and requires pencil for written notes to protect materials.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$6.61M
Contributions & grants$5.27M80%
Program service revenue$1.15M17%
Investment income$43K1%
Other revenue$145K
expenses
Total expenses$7.37M
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$3.55M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.17M
Cash$671K
Investments$505K
Liabilities$1.17M
Net assets$2.00M
Liquid reserves1.9 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +46.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
CATIE STEPHENSON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $128K
BETH DOWNING CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 40 $105K
board members · 23
  • AARON SIEGEL — TRUSTEE
  • AMY ABRAHAMSON — CHAIR
  • ANDREW RABB — TRUSTEE
  • BART KRESSE — TRUSTEE
  • CRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ-DABNEY — TRUSTEE
  • DIANA CIHAK — TRUSTEE
  • DONNA MEDINA — TRUSTEE
  • JACK O'DONNELL — TRUSTEE
  • JAMIE HANSBERRY — TRUSTEE
  • JARED THREAT — TRUSTEE
  • JODI BATTAGLIA — VICE CHAIR
  • JULIE SNYDER — TRUSTEE
  • KEVIN KELLY — TRUSTEE
  • LINDA MAGGIO — TRUSTEE
  • MARIE CARONE — TRUSTEE
  • MARK CORNELL — TRUSTEE
  • MICHAEL BALL — TRUSTEE
  • NORMAN LEWIN MD — SECRETARY
  • PAUL DIBENEDETTO — TRUSTEE
  • PHIL KADET — TREASURER
  • ROBERT SHIBLEY — TRUSTEE
  • SIA ROGERS — TRUSTEE
  • WILLIAM K BUSCAGLIA JR — TRUSTEE
relationships · 18

Who they work with

  • City of Buffalo Government — Appointee Jack O’Donnell represents the City of Buffalo on the Board of Trustees
  • City of Buffalo Government — Enforces city ordinances related to park use, including dog leashing, open flames, and parking restrictions.
  • City of Buffalo Government — Partner in a public-private partnership for the management and maintenance of the Buffalo Olmsted Park System since 2004.
  • City of Buffalo Government — Provides year-round support to the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy.
  • City of Buffalo Department of Public Works, Parks & Streets, Parks Department Partner — Partner in the maintenance, preservation, and restoration of Buffalo's park system.
  • City of Buffalo Department of Public Works, Parks and Streets, Parks Department Partner — Partnership with the City of Buffalo's Parks Department to support park maintenance and operations.
  • Erie County Government — Appointee Mark Cornell represents Erie County on the Board of Trustees
  • Erie County Government — Partner in a public-private partnership for the management and maintenance of the Buffalo Olmsted Park System since 2004.
  • Erie County Government — Provides year-round support to the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy.
  • Erie County Legislature Government — Appointee Sia Rogers represents the Erie County Legislature on the Board of Trustees
  • Flickr Partner — Hosts photo albums from the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site Olmsted Archives for public access.
  • GiveButter Partner — Platform used for fundraising and event registration for the Olmsted Open.
  • Hathi Trust Digital Library Partner — Provides online access to Annual Reports of the Buffalo Park Commissioners (1870–1915) in partnership with BOPC.
  • M&T Bank Partner — Supports the Conservancy's volunteer program through funding and employee engagement.
  • NYS Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera Government — Secured state funding to support the Family Movie Night Series in Buffalo Olmsted parks.
  • New York Heritage Digital Collections Partner — Hosts vintage postcards and stereoviews from Jim Mendola’s collection in collaboration with BOPC.
  • Shea’s Seneca Partner — Venue partner hosting the "Party for the Parks" fundraising event.
  • The Buffalo History Museum Partner — Compiles and shares additional Olmsted-related resources in coordination with BOPC.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community-Centered Capital Improvement Model
    methodology: community_collaboration_and_capital_improvement
    By advancing park equity through beautification, maintenance, and capital projects in collaboration with community and strategic partners, the Conservancy increases public benefit and ownership, because inclusive co-design leads to more responsive, used, and sustained park spaces.
  • Historic Vision-Based Restoration
    methodology: historic_restoration_and_system_completion
    By guiding long-term restoration and expansion using the Plan for the 21st Century to complete Olmsted’s original “city within a park” vision, the Conservancy produces systemic coherence and cultural continuity in urban green space, because alignment with foundational design intent strengthens ecological and social resilience.
  • Public-Private Partnership for Park Stewardship
    methodology: public-private_partnership
    By jointly managing and caring for the Olmsted park system with the City of Buffalo Parks Department, the Conservancy leverages municipal resources and nonprofit agility to ensure long-term preservation and equitable public access, because collaborative governance improves accountability and operational reach.