Alliance

What Alliance does

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1971 (originally as "The Citizens Program for the Chesapeake Bay") and headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. The organization operates four regional offices (Annapolis MD, Washington DC, Lancaster PA, Richmond VA) and a staff of over 60 team members, working across the 64,000-square-mile Chesapeake Bay watershed to reduce pollution, restore lands and waters, and engage the 18.1 million residents, 83,000 farms, and 100,000+ streams and rivers within the region. It is recognized as one of the oldest and most respected neutral, "honest broker" organizations in the watershed restoration ecosystem, and coordinates the Chesapeake Bay Program's Communications Team while participating in its Stakeholders' Advisory Committee.

The Alliance delivers its mission through four core programs — Agriculture, Forests, Green Infrastructure, and Stewardship & Engagement — supplemented by annual events (The Taste, Chesapeake Watershed Forum, Wild & Scenic Film Festival, HBCU/MSI Summit), volunteer programs (Project Clean Stream, Treelay, Riparian Rangers), and digital resource tools (Native Plant Center, Chesapeake Network, Stormwater Maintenance Resource Center). It is not a technology company; its "platform" is operational and field-based, built on direct technical assistance to farmers, riparian forest buffer installation, rain garden deployment, water quality monitoring, and community organizing. Major corporate and foundation partnerships include Hershey ($2M with EPA via Sustainable Dairy PA), Perdue ($1M NFWF grant for poultry farm conservation), the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation ($4.7M across 7 projects in 2023), Google (Northern Virginia water quality with MDVA Milk Producers), Giant Food, Smithfield, Altria, M&T Bank, and Penn State / Northeast SARE (a 2026 three-year, $250K workforce well-being research partnership).

The business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue mix: individual donations (one-time, monthly, memorial, major gifts at $5,000+), planned giving, workplace giving via the Combined Federal Campaign, donor-advised funds, securities transfers, corporate sponsorships and co-branded campaigns, federal and foundation grants, event ticket sales ($85-$95 for Taste events), and merchandise. There is no publicly disclosed revenue figure; named large grants alone exceeded $8M in 2023. The strategic plan covering 2023-2028 was developed with input from over 70 staff and board members, signaling an institutionalized growth agenda around supply-chain sustainability, equity-focused engagement, and watershed-scale coordination.

Name

Alliance

Legal name

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Inc.

Website

https://allianceforthebay.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1971, headquartered in Annapolis, MD, that restores the 64,000-square-mile Chesapeake Bay watershed through Agriculture, Forests, Green Infrastructure, and Stewardship programs, serving 18.1 million residents, 83,000 farms, and corporate/government partners via four regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Watershed conservation
• Agricultural best management
• Green infrastructure
• Volunteer stewardship
• Environmental nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Annapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals, including monthly giving programs, memorial gifts, tribute gifts, and major gifts ($5,000+ for Headwater Guardian donor society).
2. Planned Giving: Legacy gifts including bequests, beneficiary designations from retirement accounts, life insurance, and bank accounts.
3. Workplace Giving: Payroll deduction programs through Combined Federal Campaign (CFC# 54876), state employee campaigns in MD, VA, and PA, and employer matching gift programs.
4. Donor-Advised Funds: Accepts grants from donor-advised funds with Tax ID 54-1060924.
5. Securities Transfers: Accepts appreciated securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds) for full fair market value deduction.
6. Grants: Federal and foundation grants for conservation projects (e.g., $250,000 Northeast SARE grant, $4.7M+ from NFWF, $1M NFWF/Perdue grant, $2M EPA/Hershey funding).
7. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships, co-branded products, percent-of-sales campaigns, customer giving campaigns (round-up), and employee engagement events.
8. Event Revenue: Ticket sales for Taste events ($85-95), sponsorship packages, and fundraising at annual events.
9. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, and co-branded products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers watershed-scale conservation through four program areas: Agriculture (agricultural best management practices, soil health, and farmer technical assistance), Forests (riparian buffers, reforestation, woodland owner support), Green Infrastructure (rain gardens, permeable surfaces, living shorelines, stream and wetland restoration), and Stewardship & Engagement (volunteer programs, water quality monitoring, local government advisory). It complements these programs with annual fundraising events (The Taste, Chesapeake Watershed Forum, Wild & Scenic Film Festival), volunteer initiatives (Project Clean Stream, Treelay), and online resource tools (Native Plant Center, Chesapeake Network, Stormwater Maintenance Resource Center).

Product overview

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is a regional nonprofit organization (founded 1971) that offers a portfolio of conservation programs and engagement tools rather than a unified technology product. Its core programs include Agriculture, Forests, Green Infrastructure, and Stewardship & Engagement, which work with farmers, landowners, communities, and local governments to restore lands and waters of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Supporting offerings include volunteer programs (Project Clean Stream, Treelay, Riparian Rangers), annual events (The Taste, Chesapeake Watershed Forum, Wild & Scenic Film Festival), and digital resource tools (Native Plant Center, Chesapeake Network, Stormwater Maintenance Resource Center). The organization does not offer a technology product platform or software-as-a-service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agriculture Program Provides resources and technical assistance to approximately 83,000 farms in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, implementing agricultural best management practices to restore local waterways and protect water quality.
• Forests Program Improves forest health, creates new forests and tree canopy, supports private woodland owners, and educates the public about benefits provided by woodlands and trees in the watershed.
• Green Infrastructure Program Reduces stormwater runoff through conservation landscaping practices, rain gardens, rain barrels, permeable surfaces, living shorelines, and wetland and stream restoration projects that improve water quality throughout the watershed.
• Stewardship & Engagement Program Engages communities, companies, and conservationists through forums, conferences, events, volunteer opportunities, water quality monitoring, local government initiatives, and capacity building to foster commitment to restoring local lands and waters.
• The Taste: Celebrate the Chesapeake Annual fundraising event series celebrating the Chesapeake Bay watershed with live music, locally-inspired food, and awards recognizing watershed champions across Pennsylvania, Virginia, DC, and Maryland.
• Chesapeake Watershed Forum Annual forum bringing together watershed stakeholders for education, networking, and collaboration on Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.
• Wild & Scenic Film Festival Annual film festival showcasing environmental and conservation-themed films to inspire watershed stewardship and appreciation.
• Project Clean Stream Watershed-wide volunteer initiative engaging community members in stream cleanups and water quality improvement activities across Pennsylvania, Maryland, DC, and Virginia.
• Treelay Back-to-back tree planting relay-style event spanning multiple sites across the Chesapeake Bay watershed, with volunteers planting continuously for one full day to get thousands of trees in the ground.
• HBCU/MSI Chesapeake Bay Summit Summit connecting Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions with Chesapeake Bay conservation opportunities and partnerships.
• Native Plant Center Online resource helping community members identify and select native plants for their properties, with search filters by region, plant type, sun exposure, soil texture, and moisture.
• Chesapeake Network Online community platform connecting watershed stakeholders with volunteer opportunities, events, and resources for environmental conservation.
• Forests for the Bay Network providing resources and coordination for forest conservation and tree planting efforts throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
• Stormwater Maintenance Resource Center Technical resources for property owners on designing, installing, and maintaining green infrastructure practices such as bioretention, rain gardens, and permeable pavements.
• The Confluence Newsletter Monthly newsletter providing updates on Alliance projects, events, volunteer opportunities, and Chesapeake Bay watershed conservation news.
• Branded Merchandise Store Online store selling Alliance-branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, and co-branded products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 380+ guests and $140,000+ raised at 2024 Taste events
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

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

• Penn State College of Agricultural SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026Three-year research partnership to study how conservation agriculture practices affect dairy farm workers and farm families. Alliance received $250,000 grant from Northeast SARE for this project to develop a Conservation Agriculture Workforce Well-Being Assessment Tool.
• Perdue FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarth Day partner for tree plantings and park cleanups; received $1M NFWF grant for full-farm conservation on poultry operations in PA.
• Land O'LakescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Sustainable Dairy PA initiative with Alliance and Hershey since 2021 for dairy farm conservation.
• GooglemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Alliance and Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association for Northern Virginia water quality improvement project.
• Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association (MDVA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Google and Alliance for Northern Virginia water quality improvement.
• Luck EcosystemsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstalled rain gardens, protected streams, and utilized RainScape biofiltration products for stormwater management. Luck Stone also supports as Taste sponsor.
• Loysville Youth Development Center (LYDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkforce development program partnership in central Pennsylvania since 2024.
• Chesapeake Bay ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership; Alliance coordinates CBP Communications Team and participates in Stakeholders' Advisory Committee.
• Hershey CompanymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTaste event sponsor; supports sustainable chocolate and agricultural conservation efforts.
• AltriamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTaste event sponsor supporting Chesapeake Bay conservation.
• Smithfield FoodsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTaste event sponsor; CEO Tennille Checkovich serves on Alliance Board.
• M&T BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTaste event sponsor and financial supporter of Alliance.
• Turkey Hill DairymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership with dairy farms; co-sponsor of 10k Scoops Challenge.
• Virginia Department of ForestrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Riparian Forests for Landowners Program providing free riparian forest buffer installation and one year maintenance.
• EarthShareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlliance participates in Combined Federal Campaign through EarthShare for workplace giving.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: The largest and most prominent nonprofit dedicated exclusively to restoring the Chesapeake Bay, with education, advocacy, and on-the-water programs across the same watershed — the most direct comparable for the Alliance's mission and donor base.
• American Rivers: National river conservation nonprofit combining watershed protection, policy advocacy, and on-the-ground restoration — analogous nonprofit model in mission alignment and multi-stakeholder convening role.
• River Network: National nonprofit that supports a network of local river and watershed groups through capacity building, training, and convening — closely mirrors the Alliance's Stewardship & Engagement programmatic backbone.
• Trout Unlimited: National coldwater conservation nonprofit with strong regional chapters focused on stream restoration, riparian habitat, and farm-friendly land practices — directly comparable programmatic and funding profile.
• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit that bridges conservation, finance, and government partnerships to protect working lands — comparable model combining corporate/government funding and on-the-ground land/water projects.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (Maryland/DC/Virginia chapters): Global conservation nonprofit with active Chesapeake-focused land protection and restoration programs; competes for similar corporate sustainability dollars and federal grants but operates at much larger scale.
• National Wildlife Federation: Large national habitat and wildlife conservation nonprofit with Mid-Atlantic regional programming; comparable mission, donor pool overlap, and competes for similar NFWF and corporate funding.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land conservation and creating public access to natural spaces — comparable in scale, federal funding strategy, and serving overlapping state/local government clients.

Others

• EarthShare: Federation handling workplace giving campaigns for environmental nonprofits; Alliance already participates via CFC, making this a partner/peer in fundraising infrastructure rather than direct programmatic competition.

Emerging players

• Waterkeeper Alliance: Grassroots water-quality advocacy network focused on local watershed enforcement — overlaps with Alliance's water-quality monitoring and citizen-science capability, though more advocacy-led.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/allianceforbay
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/AllianceforthebayOrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Allianceforthebay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/319532
• Instagraminstagram.com/allianceforthebay

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

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 Alliance