Openlands
Openlands is a Chicago-based nonprofit land trust, founded in 1963, that protects natural and open spaces across northeastern Illinois through land acquisition, conservation easements, urban forestry workforce programs, public mapping tools, and grant administration for communities and government agencies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Openlands does
Openlands is a 501(c)(3) metropolitan conservation organization and Land Trust Alliance accredited land trust founded in 1963 and headquartered at 25 East Washington Street, Chicago. It serves northeastern Illinois and adjacent regions, with operating geographies spanning Illinois, the Illinois-Wisconsin border, and select Indiana areas. Its core programmatic surface covers land acquisition and preservation (including over 70,000 acres protected and 15,000+ acres restored), conservation easements for private landowners, technical assistance to government entities (municipalities, conservation districts, Illinois DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), urban forestry workforce development through the TreeKeepers certification course (2,200+ graduates since 1991) and the U.S. Department of Labor-approved Arborist Registered Apprenticeship (3-year program with 94% post-completion retention), and grant administration through the ComEd Green Region Grant (over $2.5M to nearly 300 projects since 2013) and TreePlanters Grants. Supporting assets include the Get Outside Map (400+ parks and preserves), the Paddle Illinois Water Trails system (10 waterways), and Regional Trails documentation.
Underlying technology is primarily non-AI interactive mapping and content infrastructure (Get Outside Map, Paddle Illinois, Regional Trails) rather than a unified software platform; the technology stack is differentiated more by content scope and curation (regional coverage of natural assets, waterways, and trails) than by proprietary algorithms. No public API, SDK, or AI features are disclosed; geospatial work is supported by an in-house GIS Analyst.
The revenue model is diversified nonprofit funding: individual donations (recurring monthly $5 / annual $60 plus planned giving via the Green Legacy Society), corporate giving and event sponsorships (Annual Luncheon, Team Openlands charity runners with a $2,100 minimum fundraising commitment), foundation and government grants (ComEd Green Region Grant as flagship), paid tuition for TreeKeepers English certification ($150 with scholarships available; Spanish course currently free), apprenticeship wages paid by Openlands in Year 1 and by partner employers in Years 2-3, and event/program revenue. Customer segments include local communities and residents, government entities, non-profits and schools, private property owners seeking conservation easements, and outdoor enthusiasts. GTM motion is community-led and event-driven, relying on volunteer recruitment, certification cohorts, advocacy campaigns (16,000+ messages to officials since 2017), and direct grant application portals.
Openlands firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Openlands
- Legal name
- Openlands
- Website
- https://openlands.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Openlands is a Chicago-based nonprofit land trust, founded in 1963, that protects natural and open spaces across northeastern Illinois through land acquisition, conservation easements, urban forestry workforce programs, public mapping tools, and grant administration for communities and government agencies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Openlands industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)
- SIC
- Forestry (800), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Timberland Conservation & Easement Management (AFAMAKAI), Recreation, Ecotourism & Access Rights (Hunting, Fishing, Camping) (AFAMAMAD)
Keywords
Where Openlands is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Openlands business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Openlands generates revenue through individual donations including monthly donor programs, one-time gifts, and legacy/planned giving through the Green Legacy Society. The organization encourages $60/year or $5/month commitments.
- Corporate Giving and Sponsorships: Corporate partners support Openlands through direct giving, employee matching programs, and event sponsorships including the Annual Luncheon.
- Grant Programs: Openlands administers grant programs including the ComEd Green Region Grant which has awarded over $2.5 million to nearly 300 conservation projects. The organization also receives foundation and government grants.
- Event Fundraising: Charity running programs including Team Openlands for the Chicago Marathon require minimum fundraising commitments of $2,100 per runner.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | TreeKeepers English Certification Course |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | TreeKeepers Spanish Certification Course |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Arborist Registered Apprenticeship Wages |
| Other | Multi-year contract | ComEd Green Region Grant |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | Charity Marathon Fundraising Minimum |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Openlands product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Openlands is a nonprofit land conservation organization that protects natural and open spaces in northeastern Illinois through land acquisition, conservation easements, urban forestry training (TreeKeepers Certification and Arborist Registered Apprenticeship), grant administration (ComEd Green Region Grant, TreePlanters Grant), policy advocacy, and public outdoor recreation tools such as the Get Outside Map and water trail guides. Revenue is generated primarily through individual and corporate donations, foundation and government grants, sponsorships, course tuition, and event-based fundraising.
Product overview
Openlands operates as a conservation organization offering a portfolio of interconnected environmental programs rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include the TreeKeepers Certification Course and Arborist Registered Apprenticeship for urban forestry workforce development, the Get Outside Map and Regional Trails for outdoor recreation access, the ComEd Green Region Grant and TreePlanters Grant for community tree planting and conservation funding, Lands in Harmony for property-owner conservation guidance, and Conservation Easements for permanent land protection. These programs are complemented by advocacy campaigns, technical assistance for government entities, and special initiatives like the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge and Chicago Lakefront Protection projects. The organization serves communities across northeastern Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana through direct programming, grants, and partnerships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TreeKeepers®: A community of tree ambassadors that care for the urban forest in Chicagoland through certification courses and volunteer programs.
- Arborist Registered Apprenticeship
- TreePlanters Grants
- Lands in Harmony®
- ComEd Green Region Grant
Products and services
- Get Outside Map Interactive online mapping tool that enables Chicago-region residents and visitors to discover and plan visits to 400+ parks, preserves, and natural areas, with filtering by county, activity type, and accessibility features.
- Paddle Northeastern Illinois Interactive online guide to the Northeastern Illinois water trails system encompassing 10 waterways (including the Chicago, Des Plaines, and DuPage Rivers), with route information for kayaking and canoeing at all skill levels.
- Regional Trails Online collection of regional trail systems across northeastern Illinois, including the Grand Illinois Trail (nearly 500 miles), Illinois Prairie Path, American Discovery Trail, and Wolf Lake Trails, with maps and trip-planning information.
- TreeKeepers Certification Course Month-long paid certification program ($150 tuition for the English course) that trains community volunteers in urban forestry, tree biology, planting, pruning, and advocacy, producing certified TreeKeepers who care for, protect, and plant trees in the Chicago region.
- Arborist Registered Apprenticeship 3-year U.S. Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship program (2021-IL-81294) providing paid on-the-job training and classroom instruction in arboriculture and urban forestry, with wages progressing from $19/hour (Year 1) to $23-$24/hour (Year 3).
Quantifiable outcome
- Protected over 71,000 acres of land for public parks, wildlife refuges, greenways, and urban farms
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Openlands
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Openlands technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Openlands partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- ComEd (An Exelon Company)flagshipComEd and Openlands partner on the Green Region Grant Program, created in 2013 to support open space projects in Northern Illinois. The program has awarded over $2.5 million to nearly 300 conservation projects. Grants of up to $10,000 are awarded annually for planning, acquisition, and improvements to local parks, natural areas, and recreation resources.
- U.S. Department of LaborcoreThe Arborist Registered Apprenticeship (2021-IL-81294) is a 3-year, Department of Labor-approved program providing an accessible career pathway for aspiring tree professionals. Openlands screens, interviews, hires, and trains apprentices with on-the-job training and related instruction.
- Davey TreecoreSecondary employer partner for the Arborist Registered Apprenticeship program. Apprentices transfer to Davey Tree after completing Year 1 with Openlands to continue on-the-job training and refine skills.
- SavATreecoreSecondary employer partner for the Arborist Registered Apprenticeship program providing continued training and employment for arborist apprentices in Years 2 and 3.
- The Morton ArboretumcoreSecondary employer partner for the Arborist Registered Apprenticeship program, providing industry expertise and curriculum development input.
- Chicago Park DistrictcoreSecondary employer partner for the Arborist Registered Apprenticeship program and collaborator on urban forestry initiatives.
- CantignyminorSecondary employer partner for the Arborist Registered Apprenticeship program.
- ETCminorSecondary employer partner for the Arborist Registered Apprenticeship program.
- KTSminorSecondary employer partner for the Arborist Registered Apprenticeship program.
- Winkler Tree & Lawn CareminorSecondary employer partner for the Arborist Registered Apprenticeship program.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreFederal agency partner for open space preservation and conservation efforts including Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.
- Illinois Department of Natural ResourcescoreState agency partner receiving technical assistance from Openlands for open space preservation and conservation planning.
- Forest Preserves of Cook CountycoreLong-standing partner supporting TreeKeepers program and collaborating on regional forestry and conservation initiatives.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Openlands competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Scenic America: National nonprofit focused on land conservation, scenic byways, and community livability. Comparable as a nonprofit conservation and advocacy organization with mixed funding model (grants, donations, corporate sponsors); smaller than Openlands in staff and reach.
- The Morton Arboretum: Regional tree science and conservation institution in the Chicago area, partner in Openlands' Arborist Registered Apprenticeship. Directly comparable in urban forestry focus, tree planting, and arboriculture training; an existing Openlands partner and overlapping employer of apprentices.
- American Forests: National conservation organization focused on urban and rural forests, tree canopy, and forest equity. Closely comparable in urban forestry mission and workforce development (Tree Equity Score); competes for the same corporate and foundation grant dollars.
Broad incumbents
- The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit land trust working on park creation, land conservation, and community access. Highly comparable mission (conservation easements, urban parks, voter-approved funding) with much larger national footprint; Openlands operates as the regional counterpart for the Chicago metro.
- The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit focused on conservation land acquisition, working forests, and conservation finance. Directly comparable in mission and in providing technical assistance and interim financing for open space transactions, which is a core Openlands service to government entities.
- The Nature Conservancy (Illinois Chapter): Global conservation organization with a strong Illinois presence focused on land and water protection. Operates in the same conservation easements and land acquisition space as Openlands but at a much larger scale, with overlapping state-level partnerships (IDNR, USFWS).
Emerging players
- Trust for Land Restoration: Smaller regional restoration-focused nonprofit. Comparable as a community conservation organization, though narrower in scope (restoration focus) and operating at a smaller scale than Openlands.
Regional players
- Forest Preserves of Cook County: Government entity managing 70,000+ acres of public preserves in Cook County. A long-standing partner of Openlands on the TreeKeepers program and regional conservation; comparable in protected acreage but operates as a public agency rather than a nonprofit, and serves a more limited geographic remit.
- Conservation Foundation of the Midwest: Regional land trust and conservation nonprofit serving the Chicago region and northeastern Illinois. Most direct mission and geography overlap with Openlands, though smaller in scope and operating without Openlands' apprenticeship and grant administration scale.
Others
- Land Trust Alliance: National membership organization that represents and accredits land trusts including Openlands. Not a direct competitor but the sector body whose accreditation standards Openlands meets; useful for benchmarking governance and credibility.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Openlands social profiles
Digital presenceOpenlands compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Openlands financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Openlands leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Openlands funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Openlands M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments13 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Openlands
What does Openlands do?
Openlands is a nonprofit land conservation organization that protects natural and open spaces in northeastern Illinois through land acquisition, conservation easements, urban forestry training (TreeKeepers Certification and Arborist Registered Apprenticeship), grant administration (ComEd Green Region Grant, TreePlanters Grant), policy advocacy, and public outdoor recreation tools such as the Get Outside Map and water trail guides. Revenue is generated primarily through individual and corporate donations, foundation and government grants, sponsorships, course tuition, and event-based fundraising.
Is Openlands a public or private company?
Openlands is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Openlands founded?
Openlands was founded in 1963. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Openlands based?
Openlands is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Openlands make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Giving and Sponsorships, grant Programs and event Fundraising.
Who are Openlands's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Scenic America, The Morton Arboretum and American Forests. Broad incumbents are The Trust for Public Land, The Conservation Fund and The Nature Conservancy (Illinois Chapter). Trust for Land Restoration is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Forest Preserves of Cook County and Conservation Foundation of the Midwest. Land Trust Alliance is listed as an others.
Does Openlands have an API?
No public API is recorded for Openlands.
What industry is Openlands in?
Openlands's product category is Environmental Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAMAMAH, Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAC, Land Trusts & Protected Areas. Its NAICS code is 71219 and its SIC code is 800.