Children & Nature Network

What Children & Nature Network does

Children & Nature Network (C&NN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 and headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, by Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods" and originator of the trademarked term "Nature-Deficit Disorder." Its mission is to increase equitable access to nature for children by mobilizing practitioners, communities, and policymakers through research aggregation, capacity-building tools, and place-based programs.

C&NN's core products and platforms are built around a curated research and resource infrastructure: a Research Library of more than 1,500 peer-reviewed studies on nature and child development (grown from 60 in 2005), a Resource Hub of 1,000+ practitioner tools used by 186,639 people, an online practitioner community called the Trailhead (2,200+ active users, hosted on Hivebrite), and an annual Nature Everywhere Conference. Programmatic delivery centers on the Nature Everywhere Communities model — a municipal engagement framework co-developed with the National League of Cities and KABOOM! — which now spans 73 communities covering 52M+ residents, alongside newer initiatives including the Nature as Healer program with Casey Family Programs, the Nature-Smart Libraries program, and the Green Schoolyards for Healthy Communities initiative aimed at a 2050 national goal.

The business model is a nonprofit revenue mix anchored by foundation grants and contributions ($2.57M, 69.5% of FY2024 revenue), supplemented by program income ($926K, 25%) and other income ($203K, 5.5%), for total FY2024 revenue of $3.7M against $6.8M in total assets. Distribution is multi-channel — direct memberships (569 individuals/organizations across 24 countries), foundation partnerships with major funders including Pisces Foundation, PlayCore, JPB, Kresge, REI Foundation, W.K. Kellogg, Disney Conservation Fund, Turner, and the National Science Foundation, and ecosystem alliances with AZA (232 zoos/aquariums), IUCN, Aspen Institute, and NAAEE. C&NN also operates as a re-grantor, distributing $1.5M in 2024 with a stated 5:1 leverage ratio on grants over the past decade.

Name

Children & Nature Network

Legal name

Children & Nature Network

Website

https://childrenandnature.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Children & Nature Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that aggregates research on nature and child development, builds practitioner tools, and runs place-based programs through 73 Nature Everywhere Communities to increase equitable children's access to nature across 24 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education and Movement-Building Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

Keywords

• Children nature education
• Outdoor learning resources
• Nonprofit research library
• Youth environmental programs
• Movement building conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Contributions: Primary revenue stream. The organization receives major support from foundations including Pisces Foundation, PlayCore, JPB Foundation, Kresge Foundation, REI Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and others. In 2024, grants and contributions totaled $2,572,068.
2. Program Income: Revenue from conference registrations, membership fees, and program-related services. In 2024, program income was $925,568.
3. Membership Dues: Organizational and individual memberships providing benefits such as access to resources, peer networks, grant opportunities, conference discounts, and newsletters. Nearly 600 members support the organization.
4. Special Events: Revenue from the annual Nature Everywhere Conference and other events. In 2024, other income including special events was $203,186.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Children & Nature Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides research, programs, and resources to advance the children-and-nature movement. It operates a national resource hub, a research library, an online community, and conferences that connect educators, health professionals, conservation groups, and families around connecting children with the natural world.

Product overview

Children & Nature Network is a non-profit organization (not a technology company) offering a portfolio of research, community programs, and resource platforms rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include the Research Library (world's largest collection of peer-reviewed studies on nature benefits, 1,500+ studies), the Resource Hub (1,000+ tools and resources), and The Trailhead (online community on Hivebrite platform with 2,200+ active users). Major programs include Nature Everywhere Communities (73 communities), Green Schoolyards (national initiative toward 2050 goal), Natural Leaders Network (youth leadership), Family Nature Clubs, and the annual Nature Everywhere Conference. Supplementary offerings include the Vitamin N Challenge, Youth Outdoor Policy Playbook, Fresh Tracks Leadership Expeditions, and the recently launched Benefits of Nature Toolkit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Children & Nature Network Resource Hub Online platform aggregating articles, curricula, case studies, and tools for educators, health professionals, and families working to connect children with nature.
• Research Library Searchable collection of research studies, reports, and publications on the relationship between children, nature, and health, used by practitioners and researchers.
• Children & Nature Network Online Community Online community where educators, health professionals, and movement leaders connect, share resources, and collaborate on children-and-nature initiatives.
• Children & Nature Network Conferences and Events Periodic national and regional conferences and events that convene the children-and-nature movement for learning, networking, and movement building.
• Programs and Initiatives Cross-cutting programs and initiatives that advance the organization’s mission, including practitioner training, movement-building campaigns, and targeted initiatives in education and health.

Quantifiable outcome

• $3 return for every $1 invested in green schoolyards
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• National League of CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Long-standing partnership with National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education & Families for the Cities Connecting Children to Nature initiative (now Nature Everywhere Communities). Provides training, technical assistance, and peer learning for municipal leaders. This partnership has engaged 18+ cities and is considered a flagship initiative.
• KABOOM!coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in the Nature Everywhere Communities initiative to build local programs, policies, and infrastructure advancing equitable, sustainable access to nature.
• Aspen Institute Center for Native American YouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Fresh Tracks initiative using the healing power of nature as a platform for youth leadership development, cross-cultural sharing, and youth power building.
• Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering webinars, technical assistance, and grants to a network of 232 zoos and aquariums supporting Family Nature Clubs and nature play initiatives.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerC&NN served as lead author of report for the #NatureForAll campaign. Co-authored 'Home to Us All: How Connecting with Nature Helps Us Care for Ourselves and the Earth.' Recommendations shared at UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
• Casey Family ProgramsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeepened partnership launching CFP Leadership Cohort - 20 leaders from field offices to shape 'Nature as Healer' initiative for nature-based therapeutic practices with children and families.
• 8 80 CitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Wintermission project supporting three northern U.S. cities with community engagement for winter outdoor activities.
• North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration connecting NAAEE's EEPro environmental education resources with C&NN's research library, providing broader knowledge base for both networks.
• Science of Nature-Based Learning Collaborative Research NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with University of Minnesota, University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana, and NAAEE to advance research agenda and publish collaborative work in key journals.
• Great Lakes Stewardship InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch Michigan Children & Nature Coalition increasing access to nature-based programming across Michigan schools and communities.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE): National professional association for environmental educators that, like C&NN, curates research, convenes practitioners, and certifies educators. C&NN has a formal content-sharing partnership with NAAEE, underscoring their overlap in EE research and capacity-building.
• Green Schoolyards America: Nonprofit specifically advancing the green schoolyards movement in the U.S., directly overlapping with C&NN's Green Schoolyards for Healthy Communities initiative and serving a similar K-12 and municipal audience.

Broad incumbents

• National Wildlife Federation: One of the largest U.S. conservation nonprofits with deep education, Great American Outdoors, and certified wildlife habitat programs that overlap with C&NN's family and school-based nature work, but at vastly greater scale.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global environmental nonprofit with growing nature-and-health and urban greening programs, including schoolyard and community-based initiatives that directly intersect with C&NN's municipal and equity-focused work.
• Sierra Club: Major environmental advocacy organization with family-oriented outdoor programs (e.g., Outdoors for All, Inner City Outings) that overlap with C&NN's equity-focused access-to-nature mission but at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on creating parks and protecting land for people, including urban schoolyard and playground initiatives that mirror C&NN's green schoolyards and Nature Everywhere Communities agendas.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Global conservation organization with education and youth programs (e.g., WWF Wild Classroom) that overlap thematically with C&NN's research library, school programs, and family engagement work at a much larger international scale.

Emerging players

• Natural Learning Initiative (NC State University): Research and design initiative that creates and disseminates evidence-based guidance on outdoor learning environments, with a narrower but technically deep overlap with C&NN's early-childhood and schoolyard work.
• National Park Trust: Nonprofit focused on protecting parks and connecting kids to nature through schoolyard and youth programs, with comparable Kids to Parks Day and grantmaking activity to C&NN's school and youth initiatives.

Others

• Island Press: Nonprofit publisher specializing in environmental and sustainability books, including Richard Louv titles, providing adjacent content-distribution and thought-leadership infrastructure relevant to C&NN's research and advocacy mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCz7J1T4yZU8E5y0Z3tL8P9w
• Facebookfacebook.com/childrenandnature
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/children-&-nature-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/children_naturenetwork
• Xx.com/ChildrenNature

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Children & Nature Network