SPLC

What SPLC does

Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership association that develops, promotes, and standardizes sustainable purchasing practices across corporate, government, educational, and non-profit buyers. Founded in 2014 and incorporated in Delaware with its principal place of business in Grandville, Michigan, SPLC serves hundreds of member organizations globally, including Autodesk, Mastercard, Bank of America, Citi, Nike, FedEx, HP, Harvard, the University of California system, and Canada Post. The organization operates a community-led go-to-market combining direct membership recruitment, events, training, and coaching. Revenue is generated through three primary streams: tiered annual organization-based membership dues (varying by sector and size), event and webinar registration fees, and training and coaching services such as Climate Foundations, Strategic Program Development Coaching, and Learning Hub subscriptions.

SPLC's product and platform portfolio is centered on community and content rather than core technology infrastructure. Core products include the SPLC Member Community (online collaboration platform), SPLC Learning Hub (video-on-demand courses), SPLC Navigator (assessment tool for sustainable procurement program maturity with road-mapping), Strategic Program Development Coaching, Climate Foundations training, the Supplier Directory and Marketplace, the Innovation Sandbox (vetted pilot opportunities between supplier and purchaser members), Peer Learning Circles, and Action Teams (sprint-style groups developing guidance on emerging topics). Vertical-focused initiatives include CHARME (healthcare/medtech emissions) and the Refrigerants Procurement Climate Collaborative. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors with Strategic Advisory and Technical Advisory Committees, and operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees led by CEO Sarah O'Brien, with Directors of Community, Marketing & Events, and Learning & Member Engagement.

SPLC's business model is that of a professional trade association: organization-based recurring membership dues form the core revenue base, with member-discounted event fees and paid training/coaching services as incremental streams. Membership tiers are differentiated by sector (Corporate, Government, Educational Institution, Non-Profit) and size/revenue/spend, and event pricing is publicly tiered at $400-$600 depending on member status and sector. Distribution is primarily direct via the website, email, and phone, supplemented by partnerships with aligned organizations such as AASHE. The model is self-sustaining, with no disclosed venture or private-equity backing.

Name

SPLC

Legal name

Sustainable Purchasing Council

Website

https://sustainablepurchasing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SPLC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership association that develops, promotes, and standardizes sustainable purchasing practices for hundreds of corporate, government, educational, and non-profit organizations through community programs, training, and assessment tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Procurement Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Policy Management, Training & Ethics/Whistleblowing (BPAEAPAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Compliance Technology, GRC Platforms & Controls Automation Advisory (BPAHAFAO)

Keywords

• Sustainable procurement guidance
• Procurement training programs
• Membership association services
• Supplier sustainability assessment
• Procurement community networks

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual organization-based membership dues that vary by sector (Corporate, Government, Educational Institution, Non-Profit), organization size, and annual revenue/budget/spend. Dues are set annually by SPLC's Board of Directors and provide access to standard membership benefits for one year.
2. Event Registration Fees: Fees charged for in-person events, Regional Connect conferences, webinars, and partner events. Member discounts are available on registration fees.
3. Training and Coaching Services: Revenue from Climate Foundations training, Strategic Program Development Coaching, Learning Hub subscriptions (five accounts included, additional seats available at discounted pricing), and a la carte service offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SPLC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization that provides sustainable procurement guidance, training, coaching, assessment tools, and community platforms to help organizations design and execute meaningful sustainable purchasing strategies. Members access a suite of programs including the SPLC Learning Hub, SPLC Navigator assessment tool, Strategic Program Development Coaching, Climate Foundations training, and an online Member Community. The organization also operates a Supplier Directory and Marketplace connecting purchaser members with vetted supplier members.

Product overview

SPLC (Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council) is a global membership organization offering a comprehensive platform of interconnected programs and services for sustainable procurement professionals. The core offering consists of the SPLC Learning Hub (video-on-demand courses), SPLC Member Community (online collaboration platform), SPLC Navigator (assessment tool), and Strategic Program Development Coaching. Additional services include the Supplier Directory and Marketplace, Innovation Sandbox, Peer Learning Circles, Action Teams, Leadership Awards, and CHARME publications for healthcare. SPLC also provides free resources including the Model Sustainable Purchasing Policy and Principles for Leadership. The organization connects members to sustainable procurement expertise through training, peer networks, guidance documents, case studies, webinars, and regional events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SPLC Learning Hub A library of video-on-demand courses designed to help individuals and organizations adopt sustainable procurement practices that drive positive environmental, social, and economic outcomes.
• SPLC Member Community An online community platform designed as the go-to hub for connecting with peers, sharing expertise, and discovering solutions to advance sustainability goals in sustainable procurement.
• SPLC Navigator A platform to assess and improve the maturity and effectiveness of sustainable procurement programs, and road-map next steps to increase program impact.
• Strategic Program Development Coaching Supports procurement and sustainability professionals to develop new or enhance existing sustainable purchasing programs through team-based coaching engagements.
• Climate Foundations Training program providing foundational climate knowledge for procurement professionals.
• Supplier Directory and Marketplace A showcase of all SPLC members categorized as suppliers, allowing purchasers to capitalize on exclusive offerings.
• Regional Connect Events Intimate, place-based gatherings for sustainable procurement professionals to connect, share strategies, and engage in focused peer exchange.
• CHARME (Collaborative for Healthcare Action to Reduce MedTech Emissions) An initiative providing publications, toolkits, and playbooks for health sector leaders to strengthen healthcare supply chains through sustainable procurement.

Named customers33 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Ed)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 October 2026SPLC is a Promo Partner for the AASHE Conference & Expo—the premier gathering for sustainability in higher education. SPLC members receive a $75 discount using code 75SPLC.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• SCS Global Services: SCS Global Services provides third-party certification and auditing for sustainability claims, comparable to SPLC's role in vetting supplier members and curating credible sustainability guidance. Both serve organizations seeking validated sustainable procurement inputs.

Direct peers

• GreenBiz Group: GreenBiz is a media, events, and professional community for sustainable business. It competes directly with SPLC's content, webinars, and Regional Connect events, and is positioned as a partner event in SPLC's ecosystem.
• Institute for Supply Management (ISM): ISM is a professional association for supply chain and procurement professionals — the same buyer persona SPLC serves. ISM is also a current SPLC member, validating that both organizations target the same procurement audience though with different specializations (ISM broader, SPLC sustainability-focused).
• Sedex: Sedex is a supplier sustainability data platform serving procurement teams, directly comparable to SPLC's Supplier Directory and Navigator offerings. Both help organizations assess supplier sustainability performance at scale.
• EcoVadis: EcoVadis is a sustainability ratings and supplier assessment platform that directly overlaps with SPLC's Navigator assessment tool and Supplier Directory. Both serve procurement teams seeking to evaluate and engage suppliers on sustainability performance, and EcoVadis is even listed as an SPLC member, indicating direct overlap in member offerings.
• AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education): AASHE is a higher-education sustainability association with similar membership-based structure, learning resources, and conference. SPLC partnership with AASHE signals a complementary rather than competitive position, but they both serve higher ed sustainability professionals.
• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): CDP operates a global disclosure system for environmental reporting used by thousands of procurement organizations. CDP overlaps with SPLC's scope of helping corporations measure and act on supply chain emissions, particularly Scope 3 reporting.

Broad incumbents

• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): BSR is a longstanding sustainability advisory and member network that serves many of the same large corporate buyers as SPLC. While BSR is more consulting-oriented, its sustainability advisory and supply chain services compete for the same corporate ESG budgets that fund SPLC coaching engagements.
• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC): USGBC is a membership-based sustainability organization offering certification programs (LEED) and convening members. It is structurally similar to SPLC as a membership council focused on sustainability in a specific domain, demonstrating a comparable scale model.
• GRI (Global Reporting Initiative): GRI is the global standards body for sustainability reporting, used by many of the same large organizations that are SPLC members. While GRI focuses on disclosure standards rather than procurement specifically, its framework directly informs SPLC's Guidance content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SPLCouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainable-purchasing-leadership-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/splc_official
• Xx.com/SPLCouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 SPLC