Student Conservation Association

What Student Conservation Association does

Student Conservation Association (SCA), founded in 1957 by Liz Putnam at Vassar College, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, that operates as the largest provider of hands-on environmental conservation programs for youth and young adults in the United States. Its core offering is paid and stipended conservation service — including Urban Green, National Crews, Conservation Corps, Individual Placements, Field Leaders, the SCA Wildland Fire Academy, and specialty programs such as the Traditional Trades Advancement Internship Program and the Indigenous Youth Endowment Fund — delivered through cooperative agreements with federal land management agencies (National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), state natural resource agencies, and corporate/community host sites across all 50 states and U.S. territories. Since inception SCA has placed more than 100,000 service members and in 2025 logged 988,638 hours of conservation service across 312 sites, covering 96,861 acres of land and wetlands improved and 1,856 miles of trail built or improved.

SCA's revenue model is a diversified nonprofit funding stack rather than a commercial product sale. It draws on individual donations (including the Trail Builders monthly giving program and the Conservation Circle for donors giving $1,000+ annually), planned giving through the Liz Putnam Legacy Society, foundation grants (JPB Foundation, Helen Gurley Brown Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Comic Relief US, Bay Area Council Foundation), corporate sponsorships (bp America, UPS Foundation, L.L.Bean, KeyBank, Amazon, Southwest Airlines, Con Edison, Arbor Day Foundation), and interagency agreements with federal and state government partners. Programs are free to participants, with stipends, travel reimbursement, academic credit, or AmeriCorps Education Awards provided. GTM is community-led (recruitment via the Join The Crew platform and direct website application) layered onto channel partnerships with government agencies that serve as host sites. The technology footprint is light — ADP for recruiting and workforce management, a public website with application portal, and standard content/newsletter channels — and SCA holds no disclosed patents or proprietary software assets.

The organization is led by President & CEO Lidia Soto-Harmon and COO Dr. Usha Chaudhary, with a 25+ member Board of Directors chaired by D. Lena Hickman-Miott (as of April 2025) that includes former senior officials from the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, alongside corporate and tech executives. SCA has earned a Presidential Citizens Medal (2010), Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating, and operates regional offices in Oakland, Chicago, Anchorage, Seattle, and Pittsburgh. It is an original AmeriCorps partner and accredited member of The Corps Network.

Name

Student Conservation Association

Legal name

Student Conservation Association

Website

https://thesca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Student Conservation Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1957 and the largest U.S. provider of hands-on environmental conservation service programs for youth and young adults, placing paid crews and interns with federal and state agencies across all 50 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education & Community Programs (Junior Ranger, Citizen Science, School Programs) (THAAAGAK), Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH), Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation) (EDAMABAD)

Keywords

• Youth conservation programs
• Conservation corps services
• Environmental workforce development
• Public lands stewardship
• Green job training

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: SCA receives donations from individual donors, monthly giving programs (Trail Builders), major gifts, stock donations, and employer-matched gifts. The Conservation Circle recognizes donors giving $1,000+ annually.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsors like bp America, L.L.Bean, UPS Foundation, KeyBank, Amazon, and others provide funding and support for SCA conservation programs, particularly Urban Green expansion initiatives.
3. Foundation Grants: SCA receives grants from foundations including JPB Foundation, Helen Gurley Brown Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Comic Relief US ($315,000 grant), and others.
4. Government Agency Partnerships: SCA has national cooperative agreements with virtually every federal agency and active relationships with state natural and cultural resource offices. These partnerships fund conservation projects through interagency agreements.
5. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: The Liz Putnam Legacy Society recognizes donors who have provided for SCA through estate plans or planned gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Student Conservation Association provides hands-on environmental conservation programs for youth and young adults, including paid green jobs, internships, seasonal corps positions, and year-long fellowships. Programs are delivered at public lands across all 50 U.S. states and territories in partnership with federal agencies (National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service), state natural resource offices, and corporate/foundation funders, with participants completing trail building, habitat restoration, wildland fire fuels reduction, and historic preservation projects.

Product overview

The Student Conservation Association operates a portfolio of youth conservation programs designed to engage young people in environmental stewardship. The core offerings include the Urban Green Program (hyper-local urban conservation work in major cities), Field Leaders (leadership development for experienced outdoor professionals), National Crews (summer programs for high school students), Individual Placements (adult conservation internships), and Conservation Corps (team-based regional corps programs). Specialty programs include the Wildland Fire Academy (fuels reduction training with the U.S. Forest Service), Traditional Trades Advancement Program (historic preservation trades), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers partnership, and Superior & Chippewa National Forests Program. The Indigenous Youth Endowment Fund supports Native youth engagement. Together, these programs provide pathways from introductory conservation work to advanced professional careers, with offerings ranging from single-day service projects to year-long professional internships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urban Green Program Paid workforce development opportunities for youth and young adults providing single-day service projects, seasonal work, and year-long internships or fellowships in major metropolitan cities across the United States.
• Field Leaders Program Program for experienced outdoor professionals (age 21+) who supervise and train crew members working on conservation projects, serving as supervisors, trainers, mentors, project managers, and program administrators.
• National Crews Summer conservation crews for high school students (ages 15-19) who complete essential service projects at national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges, working on trail building and restoration projects.
• Individual Placements Conservation internships for adults (age 18+) providing hands-on experience in various conservation fields, working directly with experienced professionals.
• Conservation Corps Team-based conservation programs including multiple regional corps programs (Adirondack, Alaska, Gulf, Historic Preservation, Hudson Valley, Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York State Parks, Pennsylvania Outdoor, Western Conservation) for youth and young adults.
• SCA Wildland Fire Academy Intense fuels reduction training program in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service designed to introduce participants to fire and fuels reduction careers, providing training, certifications, and hands-on experience.
• Traditional Trades Advancement Internship Program National Park Service internship program for aspiring preservation tradespeople focused on historic building preservation and restoration trades.
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Program Program protecting waterways, lakes, and campgrounds through wildlife surveys and water safety initiatives in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• Superior & Chippewa National Forests Program Hands-on wilderness and developed recreation programs for young adults in Minnesota's forests, lakes, and wetlands.
• Indigenous Youth Endowment Fund Endowment program engaging Indigenous youth with essential skills, experiences, and values for personal and professional growth in conservation careers, fostering partnerships with tribal communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of participants are better able to work with people with different views and backgrounds
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered corporate, major partner, core government and regional.

• L.L.BeancorporateGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Partnered with UPS Foundation to support Atlanta conservation crew expansion for Black youth
• bp AmericacorporateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalumet Tree Conservation Corps in Chicago plants and cares for 500 trees in Grand Calumet watershed communities, maintaining 3,000+ trees planted since 2017
• Southwest AirlinescorporateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting SCA conservation programs
• Arbor Day Foundationmajor partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering on tree planting events including Hayward, CA event and FIFA World Cup 2026 host city tree planting projects across all 16 host cities
• AmazoncorporateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with SCA and Arbor Day Foundation for tree planting events and community giveaways
• U.S. Forest Servicecore governmentChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAwarded $12 million over five years for Wildland Fire Academy Program. Partners on fuels reduction, wildfire prevention, and conservation projects nationwide
• AmeriCorpscore governmentChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSCA is original AmeriCorps partner and accredited member of The Corps Network. SCA Alaska Corps is an AmeriCorps program
• National Park Servicecore governmentChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary federal partner for conservation projects at national parks across the country
• FIFAmajor partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIFA supporting community tree-planting projects across all 16 FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities in North America through SCA and Arbor Day Foundation partnership
• Preserve MontanaregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched Preserve Montana Trades Corps, an eight-week pilot program for historic preservation trades
• West Atlanta Watershed AllianceregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost site for SCA's inaugural EmpowerHer Summit celebrating first Black Women's Conservation Crew

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Groundwork USA: Network of local trusts focused on urban environmental restoration and youth engagement. Direct overlap with SCA's Urban Green program in cities like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and the Bay Area; comparable mission, smaller footprint.

Direct peers

• AmeriCorps: Federal agency that funds national service programs including SCA Alaska Corps. Direct upstream partner and comparable youth service-model operator; SCA is an original AmeriCorps partner and accredited member of The Corps Network.
• The Corps Network: National membership organization of conservation and service corps. SCA is an accredited member; The Corps Network operates as both peer and partner, coordinating federal advocacy and shared service-program standards across member corps.
• Outward Bound USA: Outdoor education nonprofit placing youth in expedition-based wilderness programs. Comparable experiential learning model for young adults with similar safety/risk profile, federal partnerships, and scholarship-based program delivery.
• National Parks Conservation Association: Independent nonprofit advocate for national parks. Shares federal agency relationships and parks-focused mission; overlapping board connections (NPCA alumni on SCA's partnerships team) and competitive for conservation funding.
• Earthwatch Institute: Nonprofit that engages volunteers in environmental and conservation field research. Directly comparable model of placing volunteers (often youth) on conservation projects, with similar federal and foundation funding sources.
• National Park Trust: Nonprofit focused on youth engagement with national parks and conservation. Directly comparable youth-to-parks mission model, smaller scale than SCA, similar donor and partner base.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits with broad conservation mission. SCA Board Treasurer Steve Howell previously served as CFAO at TNC; competes for the same foundation and corporate sustainability dollars.
• National Wildlife Federation: Large conservation advocacy and education organization. SCA Board member Cindy Lewin is former SVP at NWF; both compete for foundation funding and corporate partnerships in youth-focused environmental programming.

Regional players

• Appalachian Mountain Club: Outdoor recreation and conservation organization focused on the Northeast U.S. Comparable member-driven, volunteer-stewardship model; intersects SCA's footprint in New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts corps programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StudentConservationAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/groups/161207
• Xx.com/the_sca

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Student Conservation Association