Society For The Protection of New Hampshire Forests

What Society For The Protection of New Hampshire Forests does

The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (the Forest Society) is a 501c3 nonprofit land conservation organization founded in 1901 and headquartered at 54 Portsmouth St., Concord, NH. Its mandate is to permanently protect forests, farmland, and natural communities across New Hampshire, a function it executes by acquiring and stewarding land, holding conservation easements on private property, running forestry operations on working forests, and advocating on conservation policy at the state and federal levels. The organization manages a portfolio of 215,000+ acres across 200+ reservations with 400+ miles of trails, holds 800+ conservation easements, and has been continuously accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission since 2013 (renewed 2019).

The Forest Society's products and member-facing assets include the OuterSpatial-powered mobile app for offline trail navigation, the Forest Notes quarterly magazine, the Forest Leaves tree-and-shrub identification book bundled into gift memberships, and signature programs like the 5 Hikes Challenge, Monadnock Trails Week, Open Woods Day, and the Cottrell-Baldwin Environmental Lecture Series. Technology surface is limited to that consumer mobile app and a Square online merchandise storefront, with no proprietary AI/ML stack, no APIs, and no SDK language disclosed.

The revenue model is a typical diversified nonprofit mix: annual membership dues (individual $45, family $60, business tiered up to $5,000 Summit Society), unrestricted donations to the Annual Fund, restricted grants from foundations and government programs (VF Foundation, USDA NRCS, LCHIP, NH State Conservation Committee, Merrimack Conservation Partnership, Davis Conservation Foundation, NH Recreation Trails Program), merchandise sales, and in-kind contributions including gifts of securities and real property under the Assets to Acres program. The customer base spans 10,000+ individual members, corporate Business Members, landowners donating or selling easements, school and educational groups, 400+ volunteers contributing 6,000+ hours annually, and municipal/government partners such as the Towns of Hampton Falls and Goffstown that co-fund acquisitions.

Name

Society For The Protection of New Hampshire Forests

Legal name

Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests

Website

https://forestsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is a 125-year-old 501c3 nonprofit land conservation organization that permanently protects forests, farmland, and natural communities across New Hampshire through land acquisition, easements, and stewardship, serving 10,000+ members and the broader public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Timberland Leasing & Contract Administration (Hunting, Grazing, Recreation) (AFAMAKAD), Sustainable Forest Certification & Chain-of-Custody Services (FSC/PEFC/SFI) (IMAMAJAJ)

Keywords

• Land conservation
• Conservation easements
• Forest stewardship
• Membership programs
• Environmental education

Headquarters

HQ city

Concord

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees starting at $45 for individuals and $60 for families, with business memberships ranging from $250 to $5,000. Membership provides exclusive benefits including passes, magazine subscriptions, and event discounts.
2. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations to Annual Fund, land protection projects, stewardship funds, Land Action Fund, Policy Action Fund, and general operations. The organization is a registered 501c3 nonprofit with Tax ID 02-0222237.
3. Foundation and Government Grants: Grant funding from organizations including VF Foundation, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, NH Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), NH State Conservation Committee, Merrimack Conservation Partnership, and various private foundations for specific conservation projects.
4. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling 125th anniversary merchandise, apparel, and gifts. Also accepts gifts of stock and property (Assets to Acres program).
5. Stock and Property Gifts: Accepts gifts of securities and property including homes, undeveloped lots, and commercial properties as alternative giving options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Forest Society is a nonprofit conservation organization that permanently protects forests, farmland, and wildlife habitat across New Hampshire. It acquires land and holds conservation easements on private property, manages over 200 forest reservations with 400+ miles of public trails, and operates membership, education, and advocacy programs to support its land-protection mission.

Product overview

The Forest Society operates as a conservation organization offering land conservation services, outdoor recreation programs, and membership benefits. Its core products include the Forest Society Mobile App (powered by OuterSpatial for offline trail navigation), Forest Notes quarterly magazine, Forest Leaves identification guide, and the 5 Hikes Challenge program. The organization also provides land conservation and easement stewardship services, managing over 200 properties, 215,000+ acres, 400+ miles of trails, and 800+ conservation easements across New Hampshire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land Conservation Services Conservation of forests, farmland, and wildlife habitat across New Hampshire through permanent land acquisition, conservation easement stewardship, forestry and land management, and policy advocacy.
• Membership Program Annual membership program providing supporters with magazine subscriptions, event discounts, free passes, and engagement opportunities; tiered from Individual ($45) to Summit Society ($5,000).
• Forest Society Mobile App Free mobile application powered by OuterSpatial providing offline trail maps, navigation, and visitor information for Forest Society reservations across New Hampshire.
• Forest Notes Magazine Award-winning quarterly magazine covering land conservation, advocacy, recreation, forestry, and stories of people and place in New Hampshire; included with membership.
• Forest Leaves Book A 255-page identification guide for trees and shrubs of Northern New England, distributed as part of gift memberships.
• 5 Hikes Challenge Annual signature engagement program that encourages participants to complete five hikes across 30+ Forest Society-conserved forests throughout New Hampshire.
• Forest Society Online Store Online retail store selling 125th anniversary merchandise, apparel, and gifts, operated as a fundraising channel for the Forest Society.
• Conservation Easement Stewardship Ongoing stewardship and monitoring of more than 800 conservation easements held on private lands across New Hampshire to ensure permanent protection of natural and agricultural resources.
• Environmental Education Programs Conservation education programs delivered through schools, field trips, guided hikes, and outreach materials such as the Nature's View column and Something Wild radio feature.
• Monadnock Trails Week Annual five-day volunteer trail maintenance event on Mount Monadnock, run in partnership with NH State Parks to support public trail stewardship.
• Cottrell-Baldwin Environmental Lecture Series Free four-part public lecture series covering New Hampshire's forest history, health, and future, held at the Henry I. Baldwin Environmental Center in partnership with NH Division of Forests and Lands.

Quantifiable outcome

• 215,000+ acres permanently protected
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Land Trust AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2013Accreditation body that reviewed Forest Society policies and programs to award land trust accreditation; renewed in 2019.
• Town of Hampton FallscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommitted $375,000 toward purchase of conservation easement for Clay Brook Forest; partnered to protect 32-acre property and create 400-acre conservation corridor along Taylor River.
• Town of GoffstowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered in Sugar Bush Farm conservation; supports town's master plan goal of preserving agricultural land.
• NHPR (New Hampshire Public Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of 'Something Wild' radio show and podcast; joint collaboration for natural history and conservation content.
• NH AuduboncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of 'Something Wild' collaboration with Forest Society and NHPR; partners on wildlife and conservation education.
• New Hampshire Division of Forests and LandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Cottrell-Baldwin Environmental Lecture Series covering NH's forest history, health, and future.
• NH State ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partner for Monadnock Trails Week, the 5-day trail maintenance and volunteer event for Mount Monadnock.
• NH Tree Farm ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on tree farm certification and recognition programs.
• Conservation Partners (Statewide)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnerships with The Nature Conservancy, NH Association of Conservation Commissions, NH Audubon, NH Land Trust Coalition, NH Timberland Owners Association, Southeast Land Trust, and Statewide Program of Action to Conserve our Environment for statewide Open Space Study.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Appalachian Mountain Club: Membership-based outdoor recreation and conservation organization in the Northeast that maintains trails, manages reservations, runs events (including Monadnock Trails Week with SPNHF), and produces publications like AMC Outdoors. Closely comparable audience and operational model.
• NH Audubon: New Hampshire-focused nonprofit that co-produces the Something Wild podcast with SPNHF and NHPR. Directly comparable membership/conservation model with strong overlap in audience, donor base, and New Hampshire geography.

Others

• American Forest Foundation: National nonprofit supporting family forest owners through the American Tree Farm System and stewardship programs. Adjacent peer in sustainable forestry, working with SPNHF staff on NH Tree Farm certification.

Broad incumbents

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land and water conservation, including conservation easements and public access. Comparable in core easements/land protection strategy, but operates at a broader geographic scale with broader programmatic scope.
• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit that acquires and conserves working lands, forests, and easements. Comparable conservation finance and easement strategy though with a broader national portfolio and stronger emphasis on working forests.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation nonprofit that acquires and manages conservation land and easements. Directly comparable in core mission and easement-holding model, but operates at vastly larger national scale rather than focusing on a single state.

Emerging players

• NH Association of Conservation Commissions: Statewide umbrella organization supporting municipal conservation commissions. SPNHF is a listed statewide conservation partner; comparable mission around natural resource protection in NH but focused on commission support rather than direct land ownership.
• Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire: Smaller regional NH land trust listed as a SPNHF conservation partner. Comparable easement-holding model at smaller regional scale focused on southeastern NH, often collaborating with SPNHF on larger transactions.

Regional players

• Vermont Land Trust: Statewide land trust focused on farmland and forest conservation, holding 600+ easements in Vermont. Highly comparable mission, scale, and operating geography as a neighboring state land trust.
• Trustees of Reservations (Massachusetts): Massachusetts-based land conservation nonprofit that preserves properties and provides public access, education, and recreation. Comparable New England regional land trust model with property management and membership-driven funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ForestSociety
• Instagraminstagram.com/forestsociety
• Xx.com/Forest_Society

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Society For The Protection of New Hampshire Forests