Matter of Trust

What Matter of Trust does

Matter of Trust is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1998 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, that operates an environmental remediation and education platform built around repurposed natural fibers. Its core technology felts donated human hair, pet fur, wool, and cork into mats and booms that absorb oils, grease, hydrocarbons, and heavy metals from waterways and storm drains, and more recently has been adapted as agricultural mulch that reduces soil water evaporation by up to 71% over a 10-20 year lifespan. The Hair Matters / Clean Wave program coordinates a global network of hair salons, pet groomers, and satellite "hub partners" that collect and process waste fiber inputs at the Eco-Industrial Hub in San Francisco's SoMa district and a network of regional production nodes.

The organization serves four primary segments: hair salons and pet groomers (supply-side fiber donors), environmental organizations and government agencies (deployment of filtration systems in waterways, notably in Mexico City's Xochimilco district and at the Presidio Trust), schools and educational institutions (field trips, Eco-Academy curriculum, and Eco-Home tours), and agricultural/land management entities. Supporting sub-brands include Eco-Home, Eco-Hub, Eco-Academy, The WALOP research initiative, the Global Compost Project (fiscally sponsored), and The Hum Sum environmental social media platform.

Revenue is generated through a nonprofit mix: individual and corporate donations (Clif Bar, Wells Fargo, Adobe are named donors), foundation grants, government grants (San Francisco Department of the Environment), corporate sponsorships, program service fees (field trips, tours, space rental at Eco-Home/Eco-Hub), and direct product sales of hair mats via an online store. FY2015 gross receipts were approximately $484,613, with contributions representing over 90% of revenue; the organization is founder-led (Lisa Gautier, President) with a small compensated staff supplemented by volunteers and a structured intern/apprentice program.

Name

Matter of Trust

Legal name

Matter of Trust, Inc.

Website

https://matteroftrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Matter of Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects donated hair, fur, and wool from salons and groomers globally to produce felted mats used for oil-spill remediation, water filtration, and agricultural soil moisture retention, while running educational programs at its San Francisco Eco-Home and Eco-Hub facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629), Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Environmental nonprofit programs
• Hair mat remediation
• Oil spill cleanup
• Sustainability education
• Soil moisture retention

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Monetary donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Major donors listed include Clif Bar, Wells Fargo Bank, Adobe Systems, and various private foundations. Donations are the primary revenue stream for this 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2. Program Fees (Field Trips, Tours, Space Rental): Revenue generated from educational field trips, facility tours, space rentals for events, birthday parties, and educational programs at Eco-Home and Eco-Hub locations.
3. Hair Mat Sales: Sale of hair mats (felted fiber mats) for oil spill cleanup and soil remediation. These are sold through the organization's online store.
4. Government Grants: Government funding including support from San Francisco Department of the Environment. The organization maintains active registrations in California and Connecticut.
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from environmentally-conscious businesses that align with the organization's programs and mission to create sustainable green businesses and green-collar jobs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Matter of Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects donated hair, fur, wool, and cork fibers and felts them into mats that absorb petrochemicals from oil spills and assist with water filtration and soil remediation. The organization complements this core program with educational offerings such as field trips and tours at its Eco-Home and Eco-Hub facilities, the Hum Sum environmental social platform, the Eco-Academy youth and apprenticeship program, and the Global Compost Project.

Product overview

Matter of Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating as a collection of environmental programs rather than a unified software platform. The core offering is the Hair Matters / Clean Wave Program, which collects hair, fur, and wool fibers from salons and pet groomers to create felted mats for absorbing oil spills and soil remediation. Supporting programs include: Eco-Home and Urban Edible Garden (a model sustainable home showcase); Eco-Industrial Hubs (working model factories and exhibit halls in San Francisco); The Hum Sum (a social platform connecting surplus with needs); Eco-Academy (youth education and apprenticeships); The WALOP (environmental project research); and the Global Compost Project. Additional services include field trips, tours, exhibits, and direct sales of hair mats. The organization functions primarily through in-person programs, educational tours, and community engagement rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hair Matters: Global project where waste fibers are felted into mats that soak up petrochemicals and help with soil remediation.
• Eco-Hub
• Eco-Home
• Eco-Academy
• The WALOP
• The Hum Sum

Products and services

• Hair Matters / Clean Wave Program Global program collecting waste hair, fur, wool, and cork fibers from salons and pet groomers and felting them into mats that absorb petrochemicals from oil spills and assist with water filtration and soil remediation in waterways and agricultural applications.
• The Hum Sum (Humanity Adding Solutions)

Quantifiable outcome

• Hair-filled mesh nets absorb oils, grease, hydrocarbons, and heavy metals from water
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and minor.

• Matter of Trust LatamcoreOthers · 1 January 2025Regional expansion of Matter of Trust operations in Latin America, specifically focused on scaling human hair collection from salons in Mexico City's Xochimilco district for water filtration and soil remediation applications.
• Presidio TrustnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts hair mat trials in grassland restoration projects to test effectiveness of hair as mulch material for increasing seeding and transplanting success through soil moisture retention and seed protection.
• Sonoma Food RunnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiscal sponsorship recipient under Matter of Trust's nonprofit support programs.
• Heart of the City Farmers' MarketminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiscal sponsorship recipient for Food Security Education Project.
• Global Compost ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatter of Trust is fiscal sponsor for the Global Compost Project, an awareness campaign promoting large-scale green/brown waste recycling mobilization to create compost for grazed rangelands.
• Biomimicry InstitutenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference organization for biomimicry approaches; Matter of Trust's hair technology aligns with nature-inspired design principles.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/matteroftrust
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/matteroftrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/matteroftrust.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matter-of-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/matteroftrust
• TikTokvm.tiktok.com/ZTdUU3qBE
• Pinterestpinterest.es/matteroftrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Matter of Trust