ClearWater Conservancy

What ClearWater Conservancy does

ClearWater Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust founded in 1980 and headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania, that conserves, restores, and stewards natural resources across central Pennsylvania. The organization's portfolio spans three primary service lines: permanent land protection via conservation easements and direct acquisition (11,000+ acres conserved, anchored by recent easements such as the 245-acre Schraer property on Shriner Mountain and the 9.85-acre historic Colerain Forges site); water-resource stewardship, including the Riparian Conservation Program (26+ miles of streams restored, 200+ acres of streamside forest) and stormwater/erosion-control best-management practices such as silt socks, rock construction entrances, and horizontal directional drilling for under-stream utility installation; and community engagement through the Centred Outdoors program and the Rothrock Trail Alliance, the latter funding ~9.1 miles of new trail in Rothrock State Forest. Strategic execution is organized under the ClearWater Compass framework, prioritizing Connect, Protect, Restore, and Steward across named Large Landscape Initiatives (Slab Cabin Run, Scotia Barrens to Ridgelines, Barrens to Bald Eagle Wildlife Corridor).

The operating technology stack is domain-specialized rather than platform-led: GIS- and ecology-driven conservation planning, certified conservation easement drafting and stewardship, native riparian and habitat restoration practices, and — for the under-construction 10,392 sq ft Hamer Community Conservation Center — high-performance building envelope design (advanced insulation, air sealing, bird-friendly glazing, rooftop solar, geothermal HVAC, mass-timber structure) with building envelope commissioning by Envinity and engineering by Stahl Sheaffer Engineering and architecture by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson / Reese Hackman. No AI/ML or SaaS product surface is offered.

Revenue mechanics are those of a community-supported nonprofit: a mix of unrestricted individual donations and voting memberships ($10+ annually), annual event fundraising (Golf-Fest, Art & Chocolate, Annual Meeting, Watershed Cleanup Day, Centre Gives online giving event), restricted project grants from Pennsylvania agencies (DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program, PA DEP Growing Greener), federal funding (Appalachian Regional Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), and foundation capital (Hamer Foundation, Open Space Institute's Appalachian Landscapes Protection Fund backed by Doris Duke, Lyndhurst, and Richard King Mellon, plus West Penn Energy Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation). The current Campaign to Connect underwrites the Hamer Community Conservation Center build. The organization is nationally accredited through August 2028 and is governed by an independent Board of Directors led by President Donnan Stoicovy, with Elizabeth Crisfield as Executive Director.

Name

ClearWater Conservancy

Legal name

ClearWater Conservancy

Website

https://clearwaterconservancy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ClearWater Conservancy is a 501(c)(3), nationally accredited land trust founded in 1980 in State College, PA, that permanently conserves land, restores streams, and delivers environmental education across central Pennsylvania via conservation easements, the Centred Outdoors program, and the Rothrock Trail Alliance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Trust Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Remediation Services (562910)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAGAC

Land Trusts & Protected Areas

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYAFAMAMAH

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Forest Ecosystem Services

SECONDARYAFAMACAK

Riparian & Watershed Reforestation (Streambank Stabilization)

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Reforestation, Afforestation & Tree Planting Services

Keywords

• Land trust conservation
• Conservation easement services
• Watershed restoration programs
• Riparian buffer installation
• Environmental education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

State College

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership Contributions: Individual donors support efforts through tax-deductible contributions. Voting membership requires $10 or more per year. The organization conducts annual fundraising campaigns including Centre Gives online giving events.
2. Government Grants: State funding from Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Community Conservation Partnerships Program, Department of Environmental Protection Growing Greener program, and Appalachian Regional Commission for conservation and outdoor access projects.
3. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Open Space Institute's Appalachian Landscapes Protection Fund (with support from Doris Duke Foundation, Lyndhurst Foundation, Richard King Mellon Foundation, Riverview Foundation, Tucker Foundation, Lookout Foundation, Footprint Foundation), Hamer Foundation, and West Penn Energy Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ClearWater Conservancy is a nationally accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania. The organization protects and restores natural lands and water resources in central Pennsylvania through voluntary conservation easements, land acquisition, riparian buffer planting, stream restoration, and watershed stewardship, supported by grants and private donations.

Product overview

ClearWater Conservancy is a nationally accredited land trust and conservation organization offering a portfolio of interconnected conservation programs and services focused on central Pennsylvania. The organization's core offerings include land conservation through permanent easements and property acquisition, water resources stewardship via riparian buffer installation and stream restoration, and community engagement through the Centred Outdoors program. The Hamer Community Conservation Center (under construction) will serve as the permanent headquarters providing physical space for conservation programming and education. The ClearWater Compass strategic framework unifies the organization's work around four pillars: Connect, Protect, Restore, and Steward. Supporting programs include the Native Garden, Rothrock Trail Alliance, and various large landscape initiatives targeting specific ecosystems and wildlife corridors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centred Outdoors: A program of ClearWater Conservancy that invites people of every age, background, or fitness level to explore and enjoy outdoor recreation destinations throughout Centre and surrounding counties.
• Rothrock Trail Alliance

Products and services

• Land Conservation Program Voluntary conservation easements and fee-simple land acquisition to permanently protect natural and working lands in central Pennsylvania; serves private landowners and partners.

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Colerain Center for Education, Preservation and the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 December 2023501(c)(3) nonprofit (formed 2019) that owns the Colerain Forges historic property; partnered on conservation easement to preserve historic and environmental attributes of the site.
• Bohlin Cywinski JacksoncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm (founded 1965) with five studios across the country designed the Hamer Community Conservation Center. Allen Kachel serves as Senior Associate on the project, focusing on designing places that inspire connection and wonder.
• Alexander Building Construction Co.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPart of Butz Family of Companies, providing construction management services for the Hamer Community Conservation Center with commitment to safety, quality, and value.
• Reese HackmanmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson on the Hamer Community Conservation Center design.
• Envinity, Inc.majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides building envelope commissioning services for the Hamer Community Conservation Center project, verifying systems are properly detailed, coordinated, and constructed.
• Stahl Sheaffer EngineeringmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering firm providing project management and environmental design for the Hamer Community Conservation Center, including horizontal directional drilling for sanitary sewer installation under Spring Creek.
• Rockenbeck and Umberger FamiliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer property owners who sold 8.78-acre property along Spring Creek to ClearWater, committed to ensuring the scenic, ecologically significant property is permanently conserved.
• Centre County Farmland TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Schraer Family conservation project; their preserved farm is adjacent to the Schraer property in Penns Valley.
• University Area Joint Authority (UAJA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Spring Creek restoration efforts since 2004, involved in planting trees and shrubs along the creek.
• Spring Creek Chapter of Trout UnlimitedmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting stream restoration and watershed protection efforts on Spring Creek.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner in Spring Creek restoration and watershed protection initiatives.
• Western Pennsylvania ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Colerain Forges restoration project, supporting restoration work on Warriors Mark Run.
• Rothrock Trail AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClearWater program receiving $374,900 DCNR grant for development of Rothrock State Forest trails in Jackson Township, Huntingdon County, including construction of approximately 9.1 miles of trail.
• Happy Valley Adventure BureauminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal tourism organization supporting the Hamer Community Conservation Center project.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Western Pennsylvania Conservancy: Regional land trust and conservation organization based in Pennsylvania that operates land protection, watershed restoration, and community gardens programs. Already a documented partner on ClearWater's Colerain Forges stream restoration, making it a directly comparable peer in mission, geography, and program mix.
• Lancaster Conservancy: Accredited Pennsylvania land trust protecting natural lands and waterways in Lancaster and York counties through conservation easements, land acquisition, and stewardship. Highly comparable to ClearWater in service offering, organizational structure, and reliance on state conservation grant programs.
• Brandywine Conservancy: Accredited land trust operating in southeastern Pennsylvania with conservation easement, land stewardship, and watershed protection programs. Comparable in scale, accreditation status, and the combination of land protection and water resource stewardship central to ClearWater's work.
• Natural Lands: Regional accredited land trust serving Pennsylvania and New Jersey with conservation easements, preserves, and community conservation programs. Comparable in nonprofit land trust model, easement portfolio management, and emphasis on permanent land protection.
• Centre County Farmland Trust: Local land trust focused on preserving farmland in Centre County through agricultural conservation easements. Direct partner with ClearWater on the Schraer Family project, and operates the same easement-based model on a narrower agricultural focus in the same geography.
• Trout Unlimited: National nonprofit dedicated to conserving coldwater fisheries and their watersheds through stream restoration and habitat protection. Already partnered with ClearWater on Spring Creek and Warriors Mark Run restoration, making it directly comparable on riparian and stream-side program delivery.
• Appalachian Mountain Club: Member-supported nonprofit that protects and manages outdoor recreation lands and trails in the northeastern U.S., including Pennsylvania. Comparable to ClearWater through its combination of land stewardship and outdoor recreation programming, analogous to ClearWater's Centred Outdoors program.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (Pennsylvania): Global conservation organization with a major Pennsylvania chapter focused on land and water protection at scale. Operates a broader portfolio across multiple states and geographies than ClearWater, but overlaps directly on easement work, riparian restoration, and large landscape initiatives; board member Andy Warner previously led conservation work at TNC.

Regional players

• Pennsylvania Environmental Council: Statewide nonprofit working on land conservation, watershed protection, and environmental policy across Pennsylvania. Comparable in focus area and constituency but operates at a policy/coordination level rather than as a direct on-the-ground land trust, providing a relevant regional complement to ClearWater's work.

Others

• Open Space Institute: National conservation funder that finances land protection transactions and operates its own protected areas, including through the Appalachian Landscapes Protection Fund that has directly funded ClearWater easements. Relevant as both an investor and a peer-style conservation entity operating in the same geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ClearWaterConservancy
• Instagraminstagram.com/clearwaterconservancy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 ClearWater Conservancy