What Trees for the Future does

Trees for the Future (TREES) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1989 and headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, with field operations across five Sub-Saharan African countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, and Mali). The organization's core offering is the Forest Garden Approach — a four-year, hands-on regenerative agroforestry training program that equips smallholder farming families (typically on less than 2 hectares) with seeds, tools, and phased training (Protection, Diversification, Optimization) to convert degraded land into diverse Forest Gardens containing 2,500-4,000 trees alongside food and resource crops. Complementary programs include the Lake Victoria Watershed Agroforestry Carbon Projects (generating VERRA VCS/CCB-verified carbon units via Catona Climate and Component Earth), the Plant it Forward peer-to-peer trainer program, Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) financial inclusion training, an online Forest Garden Training Center at training.trees.org, and biodiversity research in partnership with Makerere University and Uganda NARO.

Revenue derives from four streams: corporate sponsorships (300+ business partners, with Impact Planting tiers starting at $5,000/year and Project Sponsorship at $50,000/year for 2-4 years), individual donations across monthly giving (Canopy Collective), major gift recognition (The Harvest), and legacy giving (Perennial Society), foundation and government grants (including a $2.9M anonymous foundation grant in March 2026 for Tanzania expansion), and verified carbon credit sales. The go-to-market combines direct in-person field training by 180+ local training technicians with enterprise partnership sales, website donations, ambassador networks, and emerging crypto and NFT fundraising rails. TREES has cumulatively planted 419 million trees, trained 527,000+ people, and restored over 99,000 acres since 1989, and was recognized in February 2024 as a UN World Restoration Flagship — one of seven globally — under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Name

Trees for the Future

Legal name

Trees for the Future Inc.

Website

https://trees.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Trees for the Future is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 that trains smallholder farming families in Sub-Saharan Africa in a four-year regenerative agroforestry methodology called the Forest Garden Approach, serving farmers across five countries while funding operations through corporate sponsorships, individual donations, foundation grants, and verified carbon credits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Regenerative Agriculture Training

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Forestry and Logging (113), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (1132)

SIC

Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tree Planting & Establishment Services (Manual/Mechanized) (AFAMACAE), Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD), Post-Planting Maintenance (Weeding, Mulching, Fertilization, Irrigation) (AFAMACAG), Monitoring, Survival Surveys & Carbon/MRV Services (Remote Sensing, Field Audits) (AFAMACAO)

Keywords

• Regenerative agroforestry training
• Forest garden programs
• Smallholder farmer development
• Carbon sequestration projects
• Nonprofit agricultural training

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Revenue from businesses that sponsor tree planting through Impact Planting (minimum $5,000/year) or Project Sponsorship (minimum $50,000/year for 2-4 years). Companies commit to planting trees for products sold or services rendered.
2. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals supporting the mission. Options include monthly giving (Canopy Collective), large gifts ($1,000+/year through The Harvest), legacy giving, and cryptocurrency donations.
3. Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from foundations and government organizations for specific projects. Examples include $2.9M grant from anonymous US-based foundation for Tanzania expansion.
4. Carbon Credits: Revenue from verified carbon units (VCUs) generated through the Lake Victoria Watershed Agroforestry Carbon Projects using VERRA methodology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Trees for the Future is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers the Forest Garden Approach, a four-year hands-on regenerative agroforestry training program for smallholder farming families in Sub-Saharan Africa. The program equips farmers with seeds, tools, and training to transform degraded land into diverse Forest Gardens combining 2,500-4,000 trees with food and resource crops. Complementary offerings include carbon credit projects (Lake Victoria Watershed), corporate sponsorship programs, VSLA financial inclusion training, and peer-to-peer farmer training.

Product overview

Trees for the Future is a nonprofit organization offering a unified Forest Garden Training Program—a four-year agroforestry training methodology that equips farming families with tools, seeds, and knowledge to establish Forest Gardens on their own land. The core program is complemented by Lake Victoria Watershed Agroforestry Carbon Projects that generate carbon credits through farmer agroforestry implementation, corporate sponsorship and strategic partnership programs for institutional funding, and various individual giving programs (Canopy Collective monthly giving, The Harvest recognition, Perennial Society legacy giving). Additional offerings include the Plant it Forward program for scaling trainer networks, VSLA financial training, ambassador programs, NFT partnerships, and cryptocurrency donation options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forest Garden Training Program A four-year hands-on agroforestry training program equipping smallholder farming families with tools, seeds, and knowledge to establish Forest Gardens containing 2,500-4,000 trees plus dozens of food and resource crops on their own land. The program follows Protection, Diversification, and Optimization phases and is delivered by local staff technicians.
• Lake Victoria Watershed Agroforestry Carbon Projects Carbon offset projects implemented across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania that train smallholder farmers on less than 2 hectares to transform conventional agriculture land into diverse nature-based carbon sinks. The projects use VERRA's VCS with CCB standards and generate verified carbon units (VCUs) for sale on the voluntary carbon market.
• Corporate Sponsorships Corporate partnership programs allowing businesses to fund tree planting through Impact Planting (minimum $5,000/year, planting trees for products/services sold) or Project Sponsorship (minimum $50,000/year for 2-4 years to fund entire communities of 150-600 farming families). Over 300 corporate partners participate.
• Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) Training Financial inclusion training teaching farmers to establish, govern, and manage their own savings groups (VSLAs) of 15-30 members who save money together, lend at low interest rates, and share profits. Provides financial services access in communities without traditional banking.
• Plant it Forward Program Peer-to-peer training program where graduate Forest Garden farmers receive a stipend to train approximately 20 neighboring farmers over seven months in the Forest Garden Approach, creating an exponentially scaling trainer network and community ecosystem.
• Forest Garden Training Center Online platform (training.trees.org) providing remote agroforestry training to farmers and international development actors worldwide, making the Forest Garden Approach methodology available globally.

Quantifiable outcome

• 350 million trees planted since 1989, 419 million as of 2026
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

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

• Catona ClimatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Climate finance partner for the Lake Victoria Watershed Agroforestry Project in Homa Bay, Kenya. Partnership supports over 15,000 local smallholder farmers. Catona Climate delivers high-quality carbon solutions and helps transform climate pledges into measurable action through TREES projects.
• Eminence Organic Skin Care Inc.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partner that plants a tree for every retail product purchased through their partnership with TREES. Has funded over 7,073,261 trees. Products are free of parabens, animal by-products, and harmful chemicals.
• VERRAcoreTechnology or IntegrationCarbon verification partner using VERRA's VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) with CCB (Climate, Community & Biodiversity) standards for Lake Victoria Watershed Agroforestry Carbon Projects.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNEP leads the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration alongside FAO. TREES is recognized as a UN World Restoration Flagship, making it eligible for UN technical and financial support.
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO co-leads the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration with UNEP. Partner in World Restoration Flagship recognition.
• Makerere University Kampala (MUK)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAcademic partnership for biodiversity research in Uganda. Dr. Samuel Ojele from MUK collaborated with TREES on biodiversity assessments in Busoga and Buganda.
• African Union (Great Green Wall)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTREES projects in Senegal and Mali are part of the African Union's Great Green Wall initiative, which aims to be the largest natural structure on the planet when completed.
• Uganda National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNARO approached TREES farmer Grace to set up demonstration plots on her farm for trialing new crop varieties, recognizing her Forest Garden as a model example.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• One Tree Planted: 501(c)(3) nonprofit that plants trees globally through corporate partnerships, individual donations, and ecosystem restoration projects. Most directly comparable peer — similar donation-driven model, similar sponsor tiers, and similar forest restoration mission.
• Eden Reforestation Projects: Nonprofit focused on reforestation through employment of local communities in planting and nursery work across Haiti, Madagascar, Nepal, Indonesia, and other developing countries. Comparable mission, donor-supported model, and emphasis on community-led restoration.
• Plant With Purpose: Nonprofit that partners with farming communities in developing countries to reverse deforestation and poverty through agroforestry, savings groups, and sustainable agriculture. Closely aligned methodology (tree planting + VSLA-style financial inclusion) and similar beneficiary profile.
• Green Belt Movement: Kenya-based environmental NGO founded by Wangari Maathai, focused on community-based tree planting, women's empowerment, and environmental conservation across East Africa. Directly comparable as an African agroforestry NGO with strong brand recognition.
• Sustainable Harvest International: Nonprofit working with smallholder farmers in Central America and the Caribbean to implement regenerative agroforestry, restore land, and improve livelihoods. Closely analogous in training methodology, smallholder focus, and donor-supported operating model.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits, with reforestation and sustainable agriculture programs across dozens of countries. Comparable as an environmental NGO with corporate partnerships and ecosystem restoration funding, but operates at much broader scale and scope.
• Conservation International: Major environmental NGO working on forest conservation, sustainable agriculture, and climate solutions globally. Comparable in corporate partnership development, carbon project work, and ecosystem restoration mission, though vastly broader portfolio.
• World Resources Institute: Global research organization that works at the intersection of environment and development, including land restoration, food systems, and climate. Comparable in mission and donor base, though focused more on policy and research than direct field implementation.
• Rainforest Alliance: International NGO focused on sustainable agriculture, forestry, and supply chain certification. Comparable in corporate partnership model (brand-aligned sustainability programs), farmer training in sustainable practices, and revenue from certification/ESG-linked services.

Emerging players

• World Agroforestry (ICRAF): CGIAR research center focused on agroforestry science and policy in developing countries. Directly comparable technical domain — agroforestry methodology and smallholder farmer systems — though operates as research/knowledge institution rather than direct implementer.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Treesftf

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Trees for the Future