Umbrella Organizations

Some farmers markets are part of a larger nonprofit or other parent organization, often referred to as an "umbrella organization."

Umbrella organizations are not a separate business structure category. Calling something an "umbrella organization" merely describes the relationship it has with the programs it oversees. For example, a nonprofit corporation might oversee a farmers market, a community garden, and an after-school program. People in the community may call it an umbrella organization because it does so many different things. But legally, it is still a nonprofit corporation and the farmers market under it is just a program run by the nonprofit. For more information on nonprofit umbrella organizations, click here.

If your market operates as part of an umbrella organization, that umbrella organization is the relevant legal entity, which means that it likely falls into one of the business structure options discussed in this Toolkit.