Community Friends

What Community Friends does

Community Friends is an Oregon Public Benefit Corporation (nonprofit), founded in 2005 in Portland, Oregon, in response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Originally a parent-and-children-led relief effort for rural Sri Lankan villages, the organization has evolved into a portfolio of seven interconnected climate-and-community programs: the Carbon Game (a school-based climate education curriculum launched in April 2011 that uses NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies carbon concentration data to teach children about household CO2 footprints, conservation, and mitigation); Carbon Offsets (voluntary financial instruments funding reforestation and the Carbon Game); Climate Change Education (delivered via scholarships); Investing in Women (micro-enterprise training and capital for women in rural Sri Lanka, including chili and rice flour collectives at $400 per grinding machine); Land Stewardship (a 40-acre reforestation and organic-conversion project in the Knuckles Mountain Range that has planted 10,000 trees, plus a second sustainable agriculture project near Dambulla); Renewable Energy (a World Bank–supported micro-hydro installation in the cloud-forest village of Waitalawa and Portland-area school solar installations); and Community Investing (capital access for community banks, credit unions, and nonprofit loan funds). Operations reach schools, students, and families in the USA, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Ghana, and Zimbabwe, with 2,000+ students participating in the Carbon Game across four countries.

The organization's revenue model is donation- and grant-driven rather than commercial. Almost all operating services — legal, accounting, website design, office space, equipment, and on-the-ground program management — are donated by volunteers, allowing the Carbon Game to be offered free to schools. Direct-to-consumer inflows come through PayPal donations and voluntary carbon offset purchases (with some buyers purchasing 10x the calculated amount for tax-deductible gifts). In October 2024 the organization filed an SEC Form D Rule 506(b) exempt securities offering for up to $3,000,000, with $200,000 already sold, signaling the first formal external capital raise in its history. The leadership team is volunteer-based: Board Chair and founding director Seevali Ratnakara (Master's, Central Queensland University) developed the women's micro-enterprise and Carbon Game-in-Sri-Lanka programs; Indigo Tiewes (Master's in Sustainability, Bainbridge Graduate Institute) co-designed the Carbon Game and leads corporate responsibility for Helen of Troy's Hydro Flask and OXO divisions; and Portland State University faculty member Jeanne Enders uses the organization as an MBA case study. Documented impact metrics include a 51% reduction in household carbon footprint and 63% decrease in car miles among Carbon Game participants, a 25% increase in school attendance following hot-lunch programs (with 50,000+ meals served), and 10,000 trees planted on the 40-acre Sri Lankan reforestation site.

Name

Community Friends

Legal name

Community Friends

Website

https://communityfriends.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Friends is an Oregon-based nonprofit that helps people create sustainable livelihoods through climate education (Carbon Game), carbon offsets, land restoration, renewable energy, and micro-enterprise investment, serving schools, women, farmers, and remote communities in the USA, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Ghana, and Zimbabwe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Environmental Education and Community Development

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Climate education programs
• Carbon offset sales
• Reforestation services
• Renewable energy projects
• Microfinance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exempt Securities Offering: Community Friends is raising capital through a SEC Form D exempt securities offering under Rule 506(b). The offering has a total target of $3,000,000 with $200,000 already sold, expected to last more than one year.
2. Donations and Carbon Offset Purchases: The organization operates as a nonprofit relying on donations. Carbon offsets are sold to fund economic development reforestation projects and the Carbon Game program. The organization has a PayPal donation mechanism.
3. Carbon Offset Sales: Carbon offsets are sold for families, friends, and workplaces. Offsets support reforestation projects and the Carbon Game education program. Offsets are easy to calculate and purchase, with some buyers purchasing double or ten times the amount. Carbon offsets provide tax deductions for purchasers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Community Friends is a non-profit organization that helps people create sustainable livelihoods through a portfolio of climate education, carbon offset, land restoration, renewable energy, and micro-enterprise programs. It sells carbon offsets to fund reforestation and the Carbon Game school-based climate education curriculum, and operates on-the-ground programs in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and the United States.

Product overview

Community Friends is a nonprofit organization — an Oregon Public Benefit Corporation — founded in 2005 in response to tsunami relief efforts, operating on a 'human scale' to form meaningful relationships and develop transformative programs with deep impact. Its portfolio consists of seven interconnected programs: the Carbon Game (a climate education curriculum for schoolchildren launched in 2011), Carbon Offsets (financial instruments funding reforestation and the Carbon Game), Climate Change Education (delivered via scholarships and the Carbon Game), Investing in Women (micro-enterprise and economic empowerment for women and girls), Land Stewardship (reforestation and sustainable agriculture in Sri Lanka), Renewable Energy (micro-hydro and solar installations), and Community Investing (capital access for underserved communities). These programs are mutually reinforcing — carbon offset purchases fund education and reforestation; land stewardship generates offsets; renewable energy reduces fossil fuel dependence; and investing in women creates sustainable livelihoods that support environmental goals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carbon Game An engaging climate education program for schoolchildren that teaches students about carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and household carbon emissions. Students count household car miles, air miles, natural gas, and electricity usage to calculate their carbon footprint in pounds of CO2, then pledge to educate others and set mitigation goals through carbon offsets. Offered free of charge to schools in the USA, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Ghana, and Zimbabwe.
• Carbon Offsets

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 2,000 students educated across four countries
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local University Agroforestry Department (Sri Lanka)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with local university agroforestry department to design the 40-acre land restoration project. The partnership designed a reforestation program and transition to organic farming.
• Columbia Land Trust, North Coast Land Conservancy, McKenzie River TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Friends follows the work of land trusts in the US Pacific Northwest, including these three organizations focused on preserving green spaces, watersheds, and habitat.
• Portland-area SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounders partnered with schools in the Portland area on solar energy projects, helping finance installation of solar panels on school roofs and providing renewable energy education to students.
• Eco-School NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Eco-School Network for Carbon Game program implementation. Executive Director Amy Higgs provided endorsement and collaboration for the program at Bethany Elementary School.
• Sadaham Mithuru SamuluwacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner40-year partnership with Sri Lankan community service non-profit organization. Association began in 1980 through joint program at University of Puget Sound, USA and University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
• Educate Lanka FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeevali Ratnakara serves as program manager with Educate Lanka Foundation working with underprivileged students in Sri Lanka, indicating a collaborative relationship in education programs.
• NASA Goddard Institute for Space StudiescoreTechnology or IntegrationCarbon Game program uses data from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies for students to understand carbon concentrations in the atmosphere.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cool Effect: Nonprofit carbon-offset marketplace selling high-quality offsets to individuals and businesses. Most directly comparable to Community Friends' carbon-offset program, with overlapping donation mechanics and tax-deductible giving model.
• Climate Reality Project: Global climate-education and advocacy nonprofit focused on training volunteers and educating the public about climate change. Most directly comparable to Community Friends' Carbon Game program given the shared emphasis on distributed climate literacy.
• Heifer International: International nonprofit focused on ending hunger and poverty through livestock, training, and capital for rural smallholders, with strong emphasis on women-led enterprise. Highly comparable to Community Friends' Investing-in-Women micro-enterprise model and rural Sri Lankan focus.
• Terrapass: Carbon-offset provider offering offsets to households and businesses, with proceeds funding forestry and renewable-energy projects. Comparable to Community Friends' offset offering and the link between offsets and on-the-ground environmental projects.
• 350.org: Grassroots climate movement that mobilizes volunteers and community networks globally on climate solutions. Comparable to Community Friends in mission (climate advocacy + education), volunteer-led structure, and international footprint.
• Winrock International: International development nonprofit working on climate, agriculture, and rural livelihoods across multiple countries. Comparable to Community Friends on the intersection of land restoration, clean energy, and rural economic empowerment.

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Global environmental nonprofit focused on protecting nature, forests, and biodiversity, including through community partnerships. Comparable to Community Friends' land-stewardship and reforestation work, but at a much larger scale and with broader geographic mandate.
• Mercy Corps: Large international humanitarian and development organization active in climate-affected communities. Comparable in mission space (international community development, disaster response origins) but operates at vastly greater scale and breadth.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the largest environmental nonprofits, focused on land and water conservation via land trusts and partnerships. Comparable to Community Friends on the land-trust and reforestation mechanism, though operating at vastly larger scale and resources.

Emerging players

• Project Drawdown: Climate-solutions research and education organization that reviews and ranks the most effective climate interventions. Comparable to Community Friends on climate-education focus and ranking/promoting practical mitigation actions, though with a research-led rather than program-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Community Friends