Western Organization of Resource Councils

Name

Western Organization of Resource Councils

Legal name

Western Organization of Resource Councils

Website

https://worc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Billings

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

Core offering

WORC is a regional network of grassroots community organizations that coordinates advocacy campaigns, leadership development training, and policy research on issues affecting rural Western communities, including extractive industries (coal, oil and gas, hardrock mining/uranium), agriculture, and clean energy transition. The organization operates through 37 local chapters and 8 affiliated member organizations across 8 Western states, providing organizing resources, publications, and direct member engagement to amplify rural voices in state and federal policy decisions.

Product overview

WORC is a regional network of grassroots community organizations, not a technology product company. It does not offer software products or technology services. The organization provides advocacy campaigns, grassroots organizing programs, leadership development training (Principles of Community Organizing, Campaign Trail), publications (Western Organizing Review), and policy advocacy related to environmental and rural community issues including coal, oil and gas, agriculture, food, and hardrock mining/uranium. WORC's offerings consist of organizational membership, organizing resources, publications, and advocacy campaigns rather than technology products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Principles of Community Organizing Training A leadership development training program that teaches community organizing principles and skills to rural residents, farmers, ranchers, and grassroots members across WORC's network. Targeted at emerging community leaders and member organizations in Western states.
• The Campaign Trail Training Series A summer training series that prepares rural community members to run for local and state office and to govern effectively once elected. Targeted at rural Western residents seeking elected leadership roles.
• Western Organizing Review A flagship publication featuring success stories, policy analysis, and organizer profiles from WORC's network. Targeted at members, donors, policymakers, and the general public interested in rural Western advocacy.
• Policy Research and Reports Research reports and policy analysis on energy, mining, and agricultural issues including state oil and gas bonding policy comparisons, coal mine reclamation jobs, and unplugged oil/gas well reclamation policy recommendations. Targeted at policymakers, advocates, and member organizations.
• Grassroots Advocacy Campaign Coordination Coordinated multi-state advocacy campaigns on issues including clean renewable energy, oil and gas reform, coal transition, agriculture and food policy, and hardrock mining/uranium. Targeted at rural communities, family farmers and ranchers, and member organizations in the Western United States.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Western Mining Action NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWORC co-sponsors the Western Mining Action Network, a forum for mining reform organizations in Canada and the United States to share information and coordinate efforts. Nearly 100 culturally and geographically diverse organizations participate in the network.
• Dakota Resource CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization of WORC network focusing on grassroots environment and social justice in North Dakota
• Dakota Rural ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization of WORC network focusing on grassroots environment and social justice in South Dakota
• Idaho Organization of Resource CouncilscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization of WORC network focusing on grassroots environment and social justice in Idaho
• Northern Plains Resource CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization of WORC network focusing on grassroots environment and social justice in Montana
• Oregon Rural ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization of WORC network focusing on grassroots environment and social justice in Oregon
• Powder River Basin Resource CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization of WORC network focusing on grassroots environment and social justice in Wyoming
• Western Colorado Alliance for Community ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization of WORC network focusing on grassroots environment and social justice in Colorado
• Nebraska Organizing ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization of WORC network focusing on grassroots organizing in Nebraska
• North Dakota Native VotecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate organization of WORC network focused on Native American voter engagement in North Dakota
• RE-AMPsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRE-AMP is an organization with the goal of equitably eliminating greenhouse gas emissions in the Midwest by 2050. WORC collaborates through RE-AMP on environmental justice initiatives including air quality monitoring.
• Ecology Center of DetroitsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization partnered with WORC on interstate collaboration for air quality monitoring projects in North Dakota's Bakken region
• Colorado State UniversitysupportingTechnology or IntegrationPartnered with WORC and Dakota Resource Council to provide technical analysis of air quality monitoring data collected from air monitors on Fort Berthold Reservation
• Farm ActionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in advocating for Packers and Stockyards Act rulemakings and fair agricultural markets. WORC joined 61 allied organizations in December 2023 letter to President Biden.
• EarthjusticesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental law organization that has collaborated with WORC on litigation to close coal ash rule loopholes and protect frontline communities

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Center for Rural Affairs: A Nebraska-based nonprofit similarly focused on rural community organizing, family farms/ranches, and opposition to corporate concentration in agriculture. Highly comparable to WORC in mission, base (rural Midwest/Great Plains farmers and ranchers), and advocacy tactics.
• Earthworks: National nonprofit focused specifically on the impacts of extractive industries (mining, oil and gas) on communities — the same issue nexus that defines WORC's hardest-rock mining and coal/oil/gas portfolio. Operates as a specialist advocacy peer for the same affected rural communities.
• Northern Plains Resource Council: A Montana member organization of the WORC network that operates with significant autonomy. Functions as both an internal affiliate and a fully comparable grassroots organizing peer, given its independent campaigns on coal mining and land-use policy in Montana.
• Powder River Basin Resource Council: Wyoming-based WORC affiliate and a direct peer in grassroots organizing on coal mining, oil and gas, and rural community issues. Has its own staff and campaigns comparable to WORC's central model.
• Western Watersheds Project: Idaho-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring Western watersheds and public lands, frequently litigating against livestock grazing and extractive industry impacts. Direct peer to WORC in geographic focus (Western U.S.) and issue area (public lands, ranching communities, extractive industry opposition).
• Dakota Resource Council: North Dakota-based WORC affiliate with independent grassroots campaigns on coal, oil and gas, and farmland preservation. Operates at the same scale and with the same member-driven model as a direct comparable organization within the WORC network.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club: Largest U.S. grassroots environmental organization. Operates an 'Our Wild America' rural/just-transition program directly overlapping WORC's energy-and-rural work; engages in the same federal policy fights (BLM rules, mining) but with a national rather than regional scope.
• Natural Resources Defense Council: Major national environmental advocacy organization active in the same energy, oil and gas, and agricultural policy arenas. Functions as a broader-incumbent peer whose litigation and federal advocacy overlap directly with WORC's, though at vastly greater scale.
• Friends of the Earth: National environmental advocacy group with active campaigns on agricultural policy (factory farming, food systems) and energy/climate — overlapping WORC's agriculture reform and clean energy transition portfolios, though operating nationally rather than regionally.

Emerging players

• RE-AMP: Midwest-focused climate advocacy network funder-coordinator working toward eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. WORC is a member via its air-quality and climate-justice work; RE-AMP is a thematic peer (multi-state coalition model) emerging in the adjacent Midwest geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/worcaction
• Facebookfacebook.com/worcaction
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/western-organization-of-resource-councils

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Western Organization of Resource Councils