Community Ecology Institute

What Community Ecology Institute does

Community Ecology Institute (CEI) is a Maryland-based nonprofit organization founded in 2016 that delivers nature-based education and community engagement programs from two physical farm locations: Freetown Farm in Columbia, MD (its primary hub) and Green Farmacy Garden in Fulton, MD. CEI operates four recurring programs — Families in Nature (family outdoor engagement), Roots and Wings (youth nature education including a Summer Camp), Green SEEDS Internship (environmental sustainability internships), and Nourishing Gardens (community garden programming) — along with a community garden, a Make + Repair space, and rentable facilities. The organization serves families and youth in the Mid-Atlantic region, with a stated focus on addressing nature deficit and reconnecting urban and suburban communities with ecological practice.

CEI's offering is a portfolio of in-person educational programs rather than a unified software or technology platform. The organization supplements programming with downloadable content resources, including a 2025-published Climate Action Toolkit and a Food by Freetown cookbook, and uses a newsletter, blog, and annual Harvest Gala for community engagement and fundraising. Core technology is not disclosed; no app, API, or proprietary digital platform is offered. Reach is regional and tied directly to physical attendance at the farm sites.

The business model is nonprofit: CEI is registered as a 501(c)-style entity (EIN 81-0954815) and is listed on Charity Navigator. Revenue mechanics combine individual donations, program and camp fees, facility rentals, and foundation grants, with the only documented 2025 funding inflow being a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Howard County. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the headcount band of 1–10 employees places CEI firmly in the small-community-nonprofit category, with no venture, private equity, or parent-company ownership indicated.

Name

Community Ecology Institute

Legal name

Community Ecology Institute

Website

https://communityecologyinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Ecology Institute is a Maryland-based nonprofit that runs nature-based education programs — including Families in Nature, Roots and Wings summer camp, and a community garden — for families and youth at its Freetown Farm and Green Farmacy Garden locations in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental & Community Education Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Environmental education programs
• Nature-based youth programs
• Community garden services
• Family outdoor engagement
• Sustainability summer camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Community Ecology Institute (CEI) is a Maryland-based nonprofit that delivers nature-based educational programs and community engagement activities for families and youth. Its offerings are rooted at two physical sites — Freetown Farm in Columbia and Green Farmacy Garden in Fulton — and include the Families in Nature program, Roots and Wings (with Summer Camp), the Green SEEDS Internship, and the Nourishing Gardens community garden program, supplemented by downloadable educational resources.

Product overview

Community Ecology Institute operates as a non-profit organization offering environmental education programs and community engagement services. The organization provides a portfolio of nature-based programs including Families in Nature, Roots and Wings (with Summer Camp), Green SEEDS Internship, and Nourishing Gardens. Programs are rooted at two physical locations: Freetown Farm in Columbia and Green Farmacy Garden in Fulton, which serve as hubs for community activities. The organization also offers downloadable resources including a Climate Action Toolkit and a Freetown Farm cookbook. The overall offering is a collection of educational programs and community resources rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Families in Nature: Family-focused nature connection program
• Roots and Wings
• Green SEEDS Internship
• Nourishing Gardens

Products and services

• Families in Nature Family-focused nature engagement program that connects families with outdoor experiences and environmental education activities at CEI's farm sites in Maryland.
• Roots and Wings Summer Camp Nature-based summer camp component of the Roots and Wings youth program offering immersive outdoor learning experiences for children at Freetown Farm and Green Farmacy Garden.
• Green SEEDS Internship Internship program providing hands-on experience in environmental sustainability and community ecology for youth and young adults at CEI's farm locations.
• Nourishing Gardens Community garden program teaching sustainable gardening practices and food cultivation in community settings at Freetown Farm.
• Freetown Farm Venue Rentals Rental of CEI's primary farm location in Columbia, MD, for community events and gatherings.
• Green Farmacy Garden Venue Rentals Rental of CEI's garden facility in Fulton, MD, for community events and gatherings.
• Annual Harvest Gala Annual community fundraising and engagement gala supporting CEI's nonprofit mission and programs.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Charity NavigatorminorOthersListed on Charity Navigator platform which provides charity evaluation and transparency services. EIN 810954815 referenced.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pickering Creek Audubon Center: A Maryland-based nonprofit nature center offering hands-on environmental education, summer camps, and community programs on a working farm property — directly comparable to CEI's Freetown Farm model in mission, scale, and geography.
• Robinson Nature Center: A Howard County nature center offering environmental education programs, exhibits, and family programming in the same county as CEI — a close geographic and programmatic comparable.
• Alice Ferguson Foundation: A Maryland nonprofit offering environmental education, school programs, and community events at a working farm and natural area — directly comparable in operating model to Freetown Farm.
• Irvine Nature Center: A regional nonprofit environmental education center in Maryland operating nature-based programs for families, schools, and youth on a dedicated natural site — overlapping CEI's Families in Nature and Roots and Wings programming.
• Adkins Arboretum: A Maryland nonprofit arboretum providing nature education, gardens, and community programs on a preserved natural site — comparable to CEI's Green Farmacy Garden in mission and operating model.
• Cylburn Arboretum: A Baltimore-based nonprofit arboretum with gardens, trails, and educational programming — comparable to CEI's community garden and nature-education approach on a similar scale.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: A global, large-scale conservation nonprofit that engages in community-facing environmental education and land stewardship — vastly larger than CEI but operates in the same mission category.
• Sierra Club Foundation: A large national environmental nonprofit supporting conservation, education, and community engagement — much larger scale and broader portfolio but overlapping environmental-education mission category.
• Audubon Naturalist Society: A larger Mid-Atlantic conservation and environmental education nonprofit offering nature programs, classes, and advocacy — broader portfolio and longer history but overlapping community education mission.

Regional players

• Brookside Gardens: A public Maryland garden with educational programming and community events — overlapping CEI's garden-based programming but operated by Montgomery County rather than as a private nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cei_111
• Facebookfacebook.com/communityecologyinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-ecology-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Community Ecology Institute