Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals

What Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals does

The Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (SORP) is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1983 and headquartered in Evergreen, Colorado, serving as the nation's only association exclusively focused on nature-based outdoor recreation. Its members are outdoor recreation planners, managers, and policymakers across federal, state, and local land management agencies (e.g., NPS, USFS, BLM, Arizona State Parks, Oregon Parks), nonprofits (e.g., Superior Hiking Trail Association, Greening Youth Foundation), universities (e.g., University of Vermont, Penn State, Michigan State), and private-sector firms (e.g., Hipcamp, CRO Planning + Design). SORP delivers its mission through a portfolio of interconnected services: an annual individual and organizational membership (tiers from $30 student to $7,500+ large organization), the National Outdoor Recreation Conference (NORC), the Outdoor Recreation Professional Competency Framework (ORPCF) co-developed with the U.S. Forest Service and the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands, Visitor Use Management (VUM) training, an Inclusive Spaces Audit Workshop, a six-month Mentorship Program launched October 2025, a member-only resource library with 1,000+ curated items and the only centralized digital repository of all 50 state SCORPs, and the Planning the Wild podcast co-produced with U.S. Forest Service Region 6.

The underlying technology stack is standard association SaaS rather than proprietary: Neon CRM powers membership, event registration, and donations; Vimeo hosts webinar and training recordings; Whova supports NORC attendee engagement; and Bonfire powers the merchandise storefront. SORP distributes services through direct digital channels (recpro.org, Zoom-based VUM training, multi-platform podcast distribution) and the annual in-person NORC, drawing 400-600+ professionals across recent cycles. Revenue is generated primarily through membership dues (recurring subscription), conference and event registration, paid training programs, donations to a Rose Community Foundation endowment, and merchandise. SORP is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and operated by a three-person staff (Executive Director, Membership & Communications Manager, Training Specialist) led by Rachel Franchina, with Candace Gallagher of American Trails serving as conference coordinator.

Name

Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals

Legal name

Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals

Website

https://recpro.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1983 serving outdoor recreation planners, land managers, and policymakers across federal, state, local, nonprofit, academic, and private sectors through membership, training, the annual NORC conference, and the only centralized 50-state SCORP library.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Evergreen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SORP generates primary revenue through annual membership fees across multiple tiers: individual memberships (Professional $99/year, Student $30/year, Retiree $40/year) and organizational memberships ranging from $350/year for 5-person professional teams to custom pricing starting at $7,500/year for large organizations with 51+ members.
2. Conference and Event Registration: The National Outdoor Recreation Conference (NORC) generates revenue through attendee registration fees. Members receive discounts ($100 or more) on registration. The 2024 NORC had over 600 attendees.
3. Training Programs: Visitor Use Management (VUM) Foundations Training is offered at $350 for SORP members and $500 for non-members. Customized VUM training is available for teams or regions on a fee basis.
4. Donations and Endowment Contributions: As a nonprofit organization, SORP relies on donations to support scholarships, mentorship, and programs. An endowment has been established at the Rose Community Foundation for long-term sustainability.
5. Gear and Merchandise Sales: SORP operates a Bonfire storefront selling merchandise (t-shirts, hats, jackets) to support the organization. Being a verified nonprofit, proceeds support SORP's mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SORP is a nonprofit professional membership association serving outdoor recreation professionals since 1983. It sells tiered annual memberships (individual and organizational) that grant access to curated resource libraries, discussion forums, webinars, training discounts, and the annual National Outdoor Recreation Conference (NORC). The organization also delivers specialized paid training programs including Visitor Use Management Training and the Inclusive Spaces Audit Workshop.

Product overview

The Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (SORP) is a professional membership association offering a platform of interconnected services rather than a single software product. The core offering is SORP Membership ($99-$7,500/year tiers), which provides access to webinars, resource libraries, discussion forums, job boards, gear discounts, and training discounts. This membership underpins access to SORP's major programs: the annual National Outdoor Recreation Conference (NORC) bringing together 400+ outdoor recreation professionals; the Outdoor Recreation Professional Competency Framework providing research-based professional standards; and specialized training programs including Visitor Use Management Training ($350-$500) and Inclusive Spaces Audit Workshops. Additional services include a Mentorship Program, Planning the Wild Podcast (produced with U.S. Forest Service), SCORP Resources and Toolbox (covering all 50 state SCORP plans), and quarterly webinar series. SORP generates revenue through memberships, event fees, and merchandise sales via Bonfire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SORP Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ years of continuous service to the outdoor recreation profession since 1983
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered regional, core, major, strategic and minor.

• Duluth Area Outdoor AllianceregionalGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 May 2026Local partner for NORC 2026 hosted in Duluth, Minnesota. Hosted the Tuesday evening networking event at Great Lakes Aquarium and served as a key local liaison for the conference.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2024The 2024 NORC was held in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, bringing federal land management expertise to the conference program and strengthening SORP's relationship with federal agencies.
• Aramark DestinationsmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 May 2024Title sponsor of NORC 2024 in South Lake Tahoe. Aramark Destinations provides recreation management services and was a key financial supporter of the record-breaking 600+ attendee conference.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe U.S. Forest Service is a lead partner in SORP's Outdoor Recreation Professional Competency Framework development and co-producer of the Planning the Wild podcast. The partnership leverages federal land management expertise to advance professional standards across the outdoor recreation field.
• Eppley Center for Parks and Public LandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with SORP and the U.S. Forest Service to develop the Outdoor Recreation Professional Competency Framework through a modified Delphi research method involving 656 invited professionals from across the field.
• Interagency Visitor Use Management Council (IVUMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSORP collaborates with the IVUMC (comprising BLM, NPS, USFS, NOAA, USFWS, and USACOE) to support visitor use management training and tools. The 2016 VUM Framework published by IVUMC serves as the foundation for SORP's training programs.
• Rose Community FoundationstrategicOthersSORP established a permanent endowment at the Rose Community Foundation to provide long-term financial sustainability. The endowment principal is invested and only earnings support SORP's mission, ensuring the organization continues serving outdoor recreation professionals for generations.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNPS partners with SORP on SCORP planning resources and LWCF administration. The SORP SCORP Toolbox was developed in partnership with NPS, and SORP maintains the only centralized digital library of all 50 state SCORPs.
• National Scenic Byways FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSORP partnered with the NSBF to create a VUM Fact Sheet tailored for the scenic byways community, providing guidance on adapting visitor use management approaches for byway planning.
• Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcesregionalGTM or Marketing PartnerState agency partner for NORC 2026 in Duluth, Minnesota. Contributed to conference support and regional outdoor recreation expertise.
• American TrailsregionalGTM or Marketing PartnerCandace Gallagher from American Trails serves as SORP's conference coordinator for NORC events, managing logistics and coordination for the annual conference.
• U.S. Forest Service Region 6coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of the Planning the Wild podcast with SORP, providing practical strategies, expert interviews, and field-based insights for outdoor recreation planning on national forest lands in the Pacific Northwest.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• American Hiking Society: American Hiking Society is a national nonprofit focused on hiking trails, volunteer engagement, and advocacy. It overlaps SORP's trail-planning member base and competes for nonprofit organizational memberships from hiking-focused agencies and trail coalitions.
• Outdoor Industry Association: OIA is the trade association for the outdoor recreation industry, convening brands, retailers, and partners around advocacy, research, and the annual Outdoor Retailer adjacency. While more industry-facing than SORP's public-sector focus, OIA competes for the same professional demographic and convenes similar advocacy coalitions in Washington.
• American Trails: American Trails is a nonprofit focused on trails and greenways advocacy, training, and networking — closely overlapping SORP's trail planning and management content. The organizations already collaborate (American Trails' Candace Gallagher coordinates SORP's NORC), and they compete for the same agency planners and trail-focused members.
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a national nonprofit advocating for trail development and active transportation. Its planning, policy, and advocacy programming competes with SORP for the same urban and regional trail planner audience and draws on overlapping federal partnerships.
• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA): NRPA is the largest U.S. professional association for park and recreation professionals, directly overlapping SORP's member base of municipal, county, and state recreation practitioners. Both organizations deliver annual conferences, certification, advocacy, and resource libraries for the same professional segments, making NRPA the closest direct comparable in scale and mission.
• National Association of State Park Directors: NASPD is the professional association for state park directors, representing the same state-agency buyers that constitute SORP's higher-value organizational membership tier. Both organizations serve state park leadership on planning, funding, and workforce issues, creating overlap at the executive and planner levels.
• Leave No Trace: Leave No Trace is a nonprofit delivering outdoor ethics education, training, and certification for outdoor recreation professionals and the public. It overlaps SORP's training revenue (VUM-style workshops) and member base (guides, agency staff, educators), and represents a competing venue for stewardship-focused professional development.

Broad incumbents

• Appalachian Mountain Club: AMC is a large, established Northeast-based outdoor recreation and conservation nonprofit delivering education, lodging, and trail programming. While AMC's footprint is geographically concentrated, its mature education and volunteer programming provides a comparable operating model for SORP's training and resource library products.
• American Alpine Club: The American Alpine Club is a long-established membership-based outdoor recreation organization offering education, volunteer opportunities, and conservation programming. While its focus is narrower (climbing/mountaineering), it represents an incumbent model for membership-driven outdoor recreation nonprofits with which SORP's membership experience competes.

Regional players

• The Mountaineers: The Mountaineers is a Pacific Northwest-based outdoor recreation and education nonprofit offering courses, trips, and publications. It operates in SORP's overlapping geography (USFS Region 6 is co-producer of Planning the Wild) but is regionally focused rather than national, making it a partial peer rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sorp_recpro
• Facebookfacebook.com/SORP2
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-of-outdoor-recreation-professionals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals