What Save the Redwoods does

Save the Redwoods League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1918 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. Its mission is to protect and restore California's coast redwood and giant sequoia forests — both ecologically and culturally iconic ecosystems — through land acquisition, ecological restoration, scientific research, and public park programs. The League has permanently conserved approximately 220,000 acres of redwood forestland and has helped create or expand 76 redwood parks, typically by purchasing ecologically significant properties and subsequently transferring or co-stewarding them with the National Park Service, California State Parks, or Indigenous tribes. The organization co-leads Redwoods Rising, a 70,000-acre landscape-scale restoration initiative, and provides leadership within the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition, which covers 44 of 94 known giant sequoia groves.

Underlying technical and scientific assets include a GIS-based Conservation Planning Tool used to prioritize and design land-protection strategies, remote sensing analytics, acoustic monitoring stations deployed across restored landscapes, and the Redwood Genome Project — a research asset underpinning restoration science. The League has invested more than $12 million in redwood-specific research since 1997 and maintains Land Trust Alliance accreditation (since 2008), a Charity Navigator 4-star rating, and a CharityWatch A+ rating.

The business and revenue model is that of a mature nonprofit: it generates income from individual donors, foundation grants (including the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation), government funding (notably the California Wildlife Conservation Board and California's Proposition 4 climate bond), and long-tenure corporate partnerships (including Oracle at 25 years and the San Francisco 49ers since 2023). Capital deployment is dominated by land-protection transactions — recent examples include a $24 million acquisition of 1,517 acres at Monte Rio Redwoods in 2025 and a $4 million, 200-acre expansion of the Harold Richardson Redwoods Preserve in 2026. Public engagement is extended through educational programming and original media such as the "I'll Go If You Go" podcast, while advocacy has intensified around the Save Our Sequoias Act and opposition to specific EPA and Caltrans actions affecting sequoia habitat.

Name

Save the Redwoods

Legal name

Save the Redwoods League

Website

https://savetheredwoods.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Save the Redwoods League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1918 that protects and restores California's coast redwood and giant sequoia forests through land acquisition, scientific research, restoration, and public park programs, funded by individual donors, foundations, government, and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forest Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reforestation & Afforestation Services (Planting, Site Prep, Regeneration) (IMAMAAAE), Ecosystem Restoration & Rewilding Services (AFAMAMAE), Forest Carbon Projects & Ecosystem Services (Carbon Credits, Biodiversity) (IMAMAAAJ)

Keywords

• Redwood forest conservation
• Land protection programs
• Forest restoration services
• Conservation research programs
• Environmental nonprofit organization

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Membership: The organization generates revenue primarily through donations from individual supporters, including one-time gifts, monthly giving (SOCKS/ Evergreen Membership), annual memberships, and major gifts. Donors can give through the website, mail, phone, or stock transfers.
2. Major Gifts and Capital Campaigns: Targeted fundraising campaigns for specific land acquisitions and conservation projects, such as the $4 million campaign for Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve expansion and $24 million for Monte Rio Redwoods.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate partners provide financial support through philanthropic donations, event sponsorships, and employee engagement programs. Examples include Oracle (25 years of support) and San Francisco 49ers partnership since 2023.
4. Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: Legacy giving programs including IRA charitable rollovers (up to $111,000 per year for individuals 70½ or older), grove dedications, and bequests. Stocks and mutual fund donations also accepted.
5. Government Grants and Public Funding: Funding from government sources including California Wildlife Conservation Board, Prop 4 climate bond ($10 billion California bond passed in 2024), and agency partnerships for land management.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Save the Redwoods League is a nonprofit organization that protects, restores, and connects people to California's redwood forests through land acquisition, active forest restoration, public access programs, and scientific research. The League partners with Indigenous communities, government agencies, and conservation groups to expand protected redwood landscapes and accelerate post-fire recovery in giant sequoia groves. It also funds education, community engagement, and stewardship programs on the redwood lands it protects.

Product overview

Save the Redwoods League is a nonprofit conservation organization offering a portfolio of land protection, forest restoration, parks management, and community engagement programs across California's redwood range. The core offerings include land acquisition and permanent protection of old-growth forests, active forest restoration through thinning, prescribed burning, and replanting, and public access to 76 parks and preserves. Supporting programs include scientific research grants, K-12 education initiatives, volunteer opportunities, and membership/donation programs. Major initiatives include Redwoods Rising (large-scale restoration in Redwood National and State Parks), the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition, and the Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve, Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion, and Alder Creek properties. The organization also provides a podcast series (I'll Go If You Go) and various corporate partnership and legacy giving opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Redwoods Rising: Landscape-scale effort to restore areas damaged by historical logging in Redwood National and State Parks
• Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition
• Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve
• Alder Creek

Products and services

• Redwood Forest Land Protection Land acquisition and conservation program that purchases and protects redwood forests to create and expand redwood parks and preserves for permanent public stewardship.
• Forest Restoration Services Active restoration of redwood forests using techniques such as prescribed fire, cultural burning with Indigenous partners, post-fire salvage and replanting, and long-term forest recovery projects in giant sequoia groves.
• Parks and Community Engagement Public access, education programs, and community engagement initiatives on redwood parks, including field trips, educational grants, and youth programs that connect visitors and local communities to redwood forests.
• Conservation Science and Research Conservation research programs including the Redwood Genome Project, wildlife acoustic monitoring, remote sensing studies, and the GIS-based Conservation Planning Tool used to prioritize forest protection and restoration efforts.
• League Membership Program Individual supporter membership with tiered giving levels (including student/educator, individual, family, and leadership tiers) that funds redwood protection and provides members with benefits such as decals and a membership card.
• Donor Advised Fund Giving Charitable giving program that allows supporters to contribute appreciated stock, mutual funds, or via donor advised funds to fund redwood conservation, with guidance provided on tax-advantaged giving strategies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Protected more than 220,000 acres of redwood forests, restored 37,000 acres, and helped create or expand 76 redwood parks
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• Tribes and Indigenous CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe organization recognizes the living cultures and unique, enduring relationships that Indigenous communities have with redwood forests. Partnerships span the entire redwood range with Tribes including Kashia Band of Pomo Indians (Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve), Southern Pomo group of Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (Monte Rio), Tule River Indian, North Fork Mono, and Tübatulabal Tribes (Alder Creek). Tribal partners lead cultural burning programs and contribute Traditional Ecological Knowledge to conservation strategies.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partnership with federal agency for land protection and forest stewardship in Redwood National and State Parks. Co-leads Redwoods Rising initiative to restore 70,000 acres of formerly logged forestland.
• California State ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey public land agency partner for park creation, expansion, and management. Recipient of Monte Rio Redwoods transfer (1,517 acres) and Montgomery Woods expansion (453 acres). Partner for California State Parks Week.
• Scientific Research InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with leading researchers inform science-based restoration. UC Cooperative Extension, American Forests, Forest Resources Solutions and Technologies, and academic institutions conduct research on wildfire resilience, reforestation, and climate adaptation at redwood properties.
• Community-Based OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with nonprofits, schools, and community organizations connecting diverse communities with redwoods. Partners include those working with BIPOC communities, schools for field trip programs, and organizations removing barriers to outdoor access.
• Redwoods Rising PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape-scale collaboration with National Park Service and California State Parks to restore 70,000 acres of damaged forests in Redwood National and State Parks. Focuses on reconnecting isolated old-growth groves, creating wildlife corridors, and carbon storage.
• Giant Sequoia Lands CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance of sequoia land stewards working to protect vulnerable groves from climate change, catastrophic wildfire, and bark beetles. GSLC partners have conducted restoration in 44 of 94 sequoia groves since 2022. Led by Save the Redwoods, American Forests, National Park Service, CAL FIRE, and others.
• Sonoma County Regional ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecipient of Monte Rio Redwoods expansion transfer (1,517 acres) for ongoing stewardship and public access. Partnership quadrupled the size of Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park and Open Space Preserve from 515 to 2,032 acres.
• Sonoma Land TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal land trust partner in Sonoma County conservation efforts. Contributed to Monte Rio Redwoods expansion funding.
• Federated Indians of Graton RancheriamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal partner contributing to Monte Rio Redwoods expansion. Southern Pomo group has cultural ties to the land.
• Kashia Band of Pomo IndianscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal partner at Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve, located on ancestral Pomo land. Collaboration on prescribed burns, cultural burns, and public access planning honors the site's cultural significance.
• Tule River Indian TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal partner at Alder Creek leading cultural burning program to restore Indigenous fire practices and protect giant sequoias.
• North Fork Mono TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal partner at Alder Creek contributing to cultural burning and traditional stewardship practices.
• Tübatulabal TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal partner at Alder Creek participating in cultural burning program to restore fire resilience to sequoia forests.
• American ForestsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational forest conservation organization partnered on cone surveys, monitoring, and reforestation research at Alder Creek. Completed giant sequoia cone collection in 2025 for potential future restoration.
• UC Cooperative ExtensionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity research partnership conducting long-term study on giant sequoia seedling planting densities and restoration approaches following high-severity wildfire at Alder Creek.
• Green SpoonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSustainability-focused company partnering with Save the Redwoods as part of environmental commitment. CEO Kari Pedriana cited as believing business has responsibility to protect natural places.
• Jenner Headlands PreservemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdjacent conserved land creating connectivity with Monte Rio Redwoods expansion, supporting 22,000-acre wildlife corridor to the Pacific Ocean.
• Fort Ross State Historic ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdjacent public land contributing to connected conservation landscape in Sonoma County.
• Austin Creek State Recreation AreaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdjacent public land supporting connected conservation landscape in Sonoma County.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: The largest global environmental nonprofit, operating land protection, restoration, and science programs across the U.S. and internationally. Directly comparable to Save the Redwoods in land acquisition, conservation science, and donor fundraising mechanics, though at far greater scale and broader geographic scope.
• National Audubon Society: Major environmental nonprofit with habitat protection, advocacy, and science programs. Comparable in donor-driven revenue model, Land Trust-style reserves, and California-focused conservation programs including coastal forest work.
• Sierra Club: California-founded environmental organization with a strong membership/donor base, advocacy focus, and conservation campaigns. Comparable in advocacy posture, member fundraising, and California-centric environmental mission.
• Conservation International: Global environmental nonprofit focused on biodiversity, climate, and nature-based solutions with corporate partnership and science programs. Comparable in science-driven conservation, corporate ESG partnerships, and donation-based funding.

Direct peers

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land conservation and creating parks for public access, with a strong California presence. Directly comparable in land acquisition-and-transfer model, park creation metrics, and capital campaign fundraising approach.
• American Forests: National conservation nonprofit focused on forest restoration and reforestation, and a co-lead of the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition with Save the Redwoods. Directly comparable in forest restoration programs, research partnerships, and tree-planting scale.
• Sonoma Land Trust: Regional California land trust that co-funded the Monte Rio Redwoods expansion with Save the Redwoods. Directly comparable in land protection, donor-driven acquisitions, and Sonoma County operational footprint.

Others

• Land Trust Alliance: National membership association that accredits and supports local land trusts, including Save the Redwoods' accredited status since 2008. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler and standards body rather than a direct competitor; peer relationship more enabling than competing.
• Earthjustice: Public-interest environmental law organization active in California that aligns with Save the Redwoods on federal climate and ESA advocacy (e.g., EPA endangerment finding opposition). Comparable in advocacy posture and California environmental policy focus, though operating model is legal rather than land-based.

Regional players

• Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST): Regional Bay Area land trust protecting open space and redwood forests on the San Francisco Peninsula. Comparable in coast redwood protection, donor-funded acquisitions, and California-focused land conservation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/savetheredwoods
• Facebookfacebook.com/savetheredwoodsleague
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/save-the-redwoods-league

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Save the Redwoods