Great Basin Institute

What Great Basin Institute does

Great Basin Institute (GBI) is a Reno, Nevada-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1998 at the University of Nevada, Reno that delivers environmental research, education, conservation, and stewardship services across the Western United States, primarily Nevada and California. GBI operates eight program lines: the Nevada Conservation Corps (AmeriCorps workforce development), Research Associate Program (placements with federal and state agencies), Ecological Monitoring Program (wildlife and habitat surveys, including desert tortoise monitoring using radio telemetry and rangewide transects), Cultural Resource Program (archaeology and historic preservation), NEPA Resource Planning (environmental compliance), Basin & Range Forestry (forest health, fuels reduction, post-fire restoration), and the C.O.R.E Program (visitor services and community outreach, including the Dog Ambassador Initiative). Technical capabilities include drone-based small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (sUAV) capture of 3D point cloud datasets for forest structure assessment, GIS spatial data integration with federal forest management tools, and structured field-data collection protocols with QA/QC.

GBI's revenue model is fundamentally government-funded: it operates through Master Stewardship Agreements and Supplemental Project Agreements with the USDA Forest Service (Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Eldorado National Forest), Bureau of Land Management (all six Nevada field offices), National Park Service (Great Basin, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Lake Mead), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Nevada state agencies (Division of State Parks, Department of Wildlife, Division of Forestry, Division of Environmental Protection), supplemented by CAL FIRE Forest Health Program funding through California Climate Investments and Sierra Nevada Conservancy grants. AmeriCorps funding, administered through Nevada Volunteers and The Corps Network, has contributed approximately $6.3 million cumulatively over 20 years and supports recruitment of over 2,000 AmeriCorps Members. Donations are accepted through the website but represent a minor stream. GBI also operates four visitor centers (Galena Creek, Tallac Historic Site, Taylor Creek, Rosewood Nature Study Area) generating community engagement rather than commercial revenue. The organization employs an estimated 70+ career staff with significant seasonal AmeriCorps augmentation.

Name

Great Basin Institute

Legal name

Great Basin Institute

Website

https://thegreatbasininstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Great Basin Institute is a Reno, Nevada-based nonprofit founded in 1998 that delivers environmental conservation, ecological monitoring, forestry stewardship, and cultural resource services to federal and state land management agencies across the Western United States, primarily through AmeriCorps workforce deployment and Master Stewardship Agreements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360)

akta.pro primary industry

Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Programs (Water, Biodiversity Credits, PES) (IMAMAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Erosion Control & Stormwater BMP Maintenance (IMAIAIAG), Conservation & Research Lodges (Citizen Science, Field Stations with Guests) (THAAAHAJ)

Keywords

• Environmental conservation services
• Ecological monitoring programs
• Forestry stewardship contracting
• Conservation corps training
• Cultural resource management

Headquarters

HQ city

Reno

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Agreements: GBI receives substantial funding through federal and state government grants, agreements, and contracts with agencies including US Forest Service, BLM, NPS, USFWS, and Nevada state agencies. These agreements fund restoration projects, monitoring programs, and stewardship contracting.
2. AmeriCorps Funding: Funding from AmeriCorps through Nevada Volunteers and The Corps Network, contributing approximately $6.3 million to programs facilitating the recruitment of AmeriCorps Members.
3. Donations: The organization accepts donations through their website (great-basin-institute.square.site) to support public lands conservation efforts throughout the West.
4. Stewardship Contracting: GBI implements projects under Master Stewardship Agreements with the US Forest Service, including supplemental project agreements for forestry, restoration, and fuels reduction work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Great Basin Institute (GBI) is an interdisciplinary nonprofit field studies organization that delivers environmental research, monitoring, and conservation/restoration services. It deploys trained conservation crews, AmeriCorps members, and research associates under stewardship agreements with federal and state land management agencies to support public lands throughout the Western United States.

Product overview

Great Basin Institute (GBI) is an interdisciplinary field studies organization focused on environmental research, education, and conservation throughout the Western United States. Rather than offering commercial software products, GBI provides field-based conservation service programs including the Nevada Conservation Corps, Research Associate Program, Ecological Monitoring Program, Cultural Resource Program, NEPA Resource Planning, Forestry Programs (Basin & Range Forestry), C.O.R.E. Program, and operates Visitor Centers (Rosewood Nature Area, Galena Creek Visitor Center, Tallac Historic Site, Taylor Creek Visitor Center). These are service and workforce development programs, not commercial software or technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nevada Conservation Corps: Conservation corps program focused on environmental restoration and workforce development in Nevada
• Research Associate Program
• Ecological Monitoring Program
• Cultural Resource Program
• NEPA Resource Planning
• Basin & Range Forestry
• C.O.R.E Program

Products and services

• Nevada Conservation Corps
• Research Associate Program
• Ecological Monitoring Program
• Cultural Resource Program
• NEPA Resource Planning
• Basin & Range Forestry (Forestry Programs) Forestry stewardship contracting, forest health treatments, fuels reduction, and post-fire restoration across National Forests in Nevada and California, including drone-based sUAV 3D point cloud monitoring.
• C.O.R.E Program (Community Outreach) Visitor services and community outreach program that staffs and operates visitor centers and educational programming, including the Dog Ambassador Initiative.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 AmeriCorps Members recruited and deployed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AmeriCorps / Corporation for National and Community ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmeriCorps, as administered by Nevada Volunteers, the Corps Network, and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has been a consistent partner for 20+ years, contributing $6.3 million to programs and facilitating recruitment of over 2,000 AmeriCorps Members for environmental restoration projects.
• The Corps NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Corps Network provides leadership to the Corps movement with 100+ members operating in all states, enrolling approximately 26,000 Corpsmembers annually. Many of GBI's AmeriCorps positions are made possible by The Corps Network.
• Great Basin Landscape Conservation CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched by Secretary of the Interior in 2010, LCCs unite researchers, tribes, universities, federal, state and local governments, and NGOs to enhance understanding of climate effects and promote coordinated science-based actions.
• USDA Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong partnerships with Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and Carson, Austin, Bridgeport, and Ely Ranger Districts of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, as well as Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. GBI implements stewardship agreements for forest management.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Southern Nevada Refuge Complex including Ash Meadows, Desert, Moapa and Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuges. Partnership with Desert Tortoise Recovery Office for LDS monitoring.
• Bureau of Land ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive partnerships with all six Nevada BLM field offices: Battle Mountain, Carson, Elko, Ely, Las Vegas, and Winnemucca. Support for recreation, wilderness, minerals, fire, wildlife and restoration initiatives.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong partnerships with Great Basin National Park, Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Parashant National Monument and Lake Mead NRA. Partnership with Mojave Inventory & Monitoring Network.
• Nevada Division of Environmental ProtectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for collecting biological, chemical and geomorphologic data on streams in north, central, eastern and western Nevada.
• Nevada Division of State ParksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive partner especially in recreational trails and user surveys for Nevada's 24-state park system.
• Nevada Department of WildlifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for wildlife restoration and management through ecological monitoring programs.
• Nevada Division of ForestryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for forestry, nursery, endangered plant species, and watershed resource activities.
• Healthy Eldorado Landscape Partnership (HELP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Calfire and Sierra Nevada Conservancy for forest restoration and management across Eldorado National Forest. GBI data scientist Evan Barbarick works with HELP team on drone-based forest monitoring.
• City of RenocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to lease and steward Rosewood Nature Study Area, a 220-acre decommissioned golf course being restored to wetland habitat. GBI facilitates public access and maintains trails through Nevada Conservation Corps.
• Bureau of Land Management - Southern NevadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesert Tortoise Monitoring and Habitat Research program in partnership with BLM, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, and Clark County.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit working on land conservation, parks, and urban green space. Overlaps with GBI's local-government conservation partnerships and visitor/parks management, but at significantly broader geographic scale.
• National Park Foundation: Official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service funding and supporting visitor services, education, and conservation across NPS sites. Overlaps with GBI's NPS visitor-center work (Galena Creek, Tallac, Taylor Creek) at much larger national scale.
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC): Large national conservation organization with land management, fire, and restoration programs overlapping GBI's forest health and stewardship work. Multiple GBI staff (COO, Forestry Director) previously worked at TNC, indicating a comparable but much broader scale of operations.

Direct peers

• The Corps Network: National umbrella of 100+ service and conservation corps enrolling ~26,000 corpsmembers annually; GBI is a member organization. Comparable in service-model delivery and federal funding access.
• Student Conservation Association (SCA): One of the largest U.S. conservation corps, placing members with NPS, USFS, BLM and other agencies on conservation and restoration projects. Directly comparable in workforce model, federal contracting, and AmeriCorps funding base.
• Conservation Legacy: Operates multiple regional conservation corps (including Southwest Conservation Corps, Southeast Conservation Corps) providing similar stewardship contracting and AmeriCorps-backed crews to federal agencies in the West. Highly comparable programmatic peer.
• American Conservation Experience (ACE): National conservation corps providing trained crews to federal and state land management agencies; operates CRDIP, NPS Academy, and similar AmeriCorps-backed programs. GBI's CEO previously led ACE nationwide, making it the closest operational and programmatic peer.
• Wildlands Restoration Volunteers: Volunteer-based ecological restoration organization running stewardship projects on public lands across the Rockies and Southwest. Operates in the same Western-region, agency-partnered restoration model as GBI.

Emerging players

• Yellowstone Forever: Official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park supporting education, research, and stewardship. Comparable as a single-park-focused conservation nonprofit operating visitor services and stewardship programs; smaller and more geographically concentrated than GBI.

Others

• AmeriCorps / Corporation for National and Community Service: Federal funding agency providing the AmeriCorps cost-share that underwrites GBI's workforce. Not a competitor but a key enabler/funder that defines GBI's economic model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GBInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/GreatBasinInstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/gbinstitute/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Great Basin Institute