Verde
Verde is a 501(c)(3) environmental justice nonprofit in Portland, Oregon that delivers heat pump and community solar installations, urban habitat restoration, and policy advocacy to low-income residents and communities of color across the Cully neighborhood and statewide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Verde does
Verde is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon's Cully neighborhood. It operates at the intersection of environmental, racial, and economic justice, delivering a portfolio of programs that combine physical environmental infrastructure deployment with community organizing and policy advocacy. Core programmatic offerings include Verde Builds (a licensed general contracting arm that installs ducted and ductless heat pumps and supports community solar sites), the PDX Community Solar Program (subscribers receive 30-40% electric bill savings without rooftop panels), the Home Heating and Cooling Program (free heat pumps for households below 60% of State Median Income), the Urban Habitat Program (native gardens and rain gardens paired with youth workforce development), and Líderes Verdes (a paid, ~100-hour Spanish-language leadership cohort of ~13 adults per cycle). Advocacy work spans water, energy, transportation, air quality, and climate justice via coalitions including the Climate Justice Alliance and Coalition of Communities of Color, and the organization is launching Verde Action, a 501(c)(4), in 2025 to enable direct political advocacy.
The organization has no proprietary software or AI platform; its technical capabilities are operational — licensed HVAC and solar contracting expertise plus community organizing capacity. The underlying "technology stack" is service delivery: intake forms (Typeform, Smartsheet), a Squarespace-hosted website, and a licensed contractor workforce. Revenue mechanics combine earned income from Verde Builds project fees and program delivery contracts with grant and philanthropic funding from Portland Clean Energy Fund, Meyer Memorial Trust, the Collins Foundation, the EPA, Energy Trust of Oregon, and 40+ additional sources for Cully Park. Beneficiary pricing is either free (for income-qualified heat pump installations) or subscription-based (community solar with monthly bill credits); grants and donations underwrite both.
Verde also operates the Cully TIF District alongside Prosper Portland — a $350 million, 50-year tax increment financing district governed with a Community Leadership Committee to prevent displacement — and co-developed Cully Park (a 25-acre former landfill converted to community park via a $13M public-private partnership). Headcount is 11-50 employees. Distribution is direct: intake forms, referral networks, community partners, and bilingual outreach. Customer segments are income-qualified Portland residents, with secondary audiences including Pacific Power customers, Spanish-speaking adults, high school students, and small business owners in Cully.
Verde firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Verde
- Legal name
- Verde
- Website
- https://verdenw.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Verde is a 501(c)(3) environmental justice nonprofit in Portland, Oregon that delivers heat pump and community solar installations, urban habitat restoration, and policy advocacy to low-income residents and communities of color across the Cully neighborhood and statewide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Verde industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Justice Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Landscaping Services (56173)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH), Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG), Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site) (BPABALAK)
Keywords
Where Verde is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Verde business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Social Enterprise (Verde Builds): Verde operates as a licensed general contractor (Verde Builds) that generates revenue through implementing environmental infrastructure projects — heat pump installations, solar installations, and green infrastructure — for community members and partners. Revenue is earned through project fees, grants tied to installations, and program delivery contracts.
- Grants and Charitable Contributions: Verde receives funding from government grants (Portland Clean Energy Fund, EPA grants, Oregon state funding), foundations (Meyer Memorial Trust, Collins Foundation, and 40+ others for Cully Park), and individual donations. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Free heat pump installation for households below 60% of State Median Income or 80% of Area Median Income |
| Subscription | Monthly | Community Solar subscription — 30-40% bill savings |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Verde product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Verde is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental justice organization that delivers environmental infrastructure installations (heat pumps, community solar arrays, native plant and rain gardens) and leadership development programs to low-income households and communities of color in Portland. It operates a licensed general contracting arm (Verde Builds) alongside workforce training, advocacy, and community organizing programs that target energy burden, climate resilience, and displacement prevention in the Cully neighborhood and across Portland.
Product overview
Verde is a community-based environmental justice nonprofit organization (not a technology company) that offers a portfolio of environmental programs and services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include Verde Builds (licensed contracting for home heating/cooling and solar), the PDX Community Solar Program, Líderes Verdes (Spanish-language leadership development), the Urban Habitat Program (native gardens and rain gardens), Advocacy (policy work on water, energy, transportation, air quality), Club Aves (youth afterschool program), and CREW (commercial weatherization assistance). These programs work together to build environmental wealth for low-income and communities of color through practical infrastructure improvements, workforce development, community organizing, and policy advocacy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Verde Builds: Social enterprise providing environmental infrastructure projects including home heating and cooling upgrades and community solar installations
- Líderes Verdes
- Urban Habitat Program
- PDX Community Solar
- Home Heating and Cooling Program
- Club Aves
- Commercial Retrofits for Environmental Wealth (CREW)
Products and services
- Verde Builds Licensed general contracting social enterprise that implements environmental infrastructure projects including home heating and cooling upgrades, community solar installations, and green infrastructure solutions for income-qualified community members in Portland.
- Home Heating and Cooling Program Program that helps income-qualified Portland residents upgrade heating and cooling systems at low or no cost by installing ducted and ductless heat pumps to improve energy efficiency, lower utility bills, and create healthier homes. Households below 60% of State Median Income qualify for free installation.
- PDX Community Solar Program Community solar subscription program building large solar installations within Portland that allow renters and homeowners to opt into clean, affordable solar energy and save 30-40% on electric bills without needing rooftop panels. Subscribers must be Pacific Power customers with income at or below 80% of State Median Income. Includes the Goodling Community Solar Annex (1 MW, ~150 households) and Empowering PDX project (780 households).
- Líderes Verdes Annual paid leadership development program for Spanish-speaking adults that builds capacity for environmental organizing and advocacy. Offers approximately 100 hours of paid training covering community organizing, housing, transportation, climate justice, water justice, and civic engagement over an 8-week period with approximately 13 participants per cohort.
- Urban Habitat Program Program that partners with local residents, youth, and community organizations to design, install, and maintain native plant and rain gardens in North, Northeast, and East Portland. Pairs environmental restoration with workforce development and education for high school students and young adult interns.
- Advocacy Program Environmental justice advocacy program grounded in community-developed policy solutions. Works on water justice, transportation, energy, and air quality through coalition building, community capacity building, and legislative advocacy at local, state, and national levels.
- Cully TIF District Tax Increment Financing district initiative alongside community partners, creating a $350 million fund to prevent displacement for current and future Cully neighborhood residents. A community-led Community Leadership Committee provides oversight of five-year Action Plans.
- Club Aves Afterschool program connecting low-income youth and youth of color with culturally specific opportunities to explore and learn in nature.
- Commercial Retrofits for Environmental Wealth (CREW) Program providing small business owners in Cully with technical assistance and resources to weatherize their buildings for climate resilience, delivered through the Verde Builds licensed contracting enterprise.
- Portland Cooling / Heat Response Program Heat response program formed in 2022 in response to fatal 2021 heat events, funded by Portland Clean Energy Fund. Aims to install 15,000 portable air conditioning units in homes of vulnerable Portlanders over five years.
- Yard Tree Giveaway Annual fall program providing up to three free trees per Portland household to grow the urban tree canopy. Trees include native evergreens, heat-tolerant varieties, and medium-sized trees for smaller yards.
- Keep Cool Cully Heat resource guide developed specifically for the Cully neighborhood providing tips, information, and services to help residents stay safe during extreme summer heat. Available in English, Spanish, Somali, and Vietnamese.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500+ home heating and cooling upgrades completed; 180 households enrolled in community solar; 90% minority/women-owned contractor utilization
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Verde
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Verde technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Verde partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, secondary and minor.
- Portland Parks & RecreationcoreVerde and Portland Parks formed a public-private partnership to develop Cully Park — transforming a former 25-acre landfill into a community park in Portland's Cully neighborhood. Verde served as project developer and general contractor, while Portland Parks provided the land and partnership approval. Together they raised over $13 million to build the park.
- Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF)coreBEF is a partner in Verde's second community solar project (Empowering PDX), working alongside Verde and other nonprofits to develop solar installations that serve approximately 780 households.
- Port of PortlandmajorThe Goodling Community Solar Annex is built on Port of Portland property. The Port's Airport Futures Program was also an early funder of Cully Park.
- Coalition of Communities of ColorcoreVerde participates in coalition with the Coalition of Communities of Color for environmental justice advocacy and policy work in Oregon.
- Climate Justice AlliancecoreVerde is a member of the Climate Justice Alliance, a national coalition of environmental justice organizations working on climate solutions led by frontline communities.
- Oregon Water FuturescoreVerde participates in the Oregon Water Futures coalition, advocating for water justice and equitable water infrastructure in Oregon.
- Oregon WalkssecondaryVerde partners with Oregon Walks on transportation justice advocacy and pedestrian safety initiatives.
- Just CrossingsecondaryVerde partners with Just Crossing on pedestrian safety and crossing infrastructure advocacy in Portland.
- Friends of TreessecondaryVerde partners with Friends of Trees on tree walks and tree planting activities, particularly within the Líderes Verdes program.
- Latino NetworkcoreVerde collaborates with the Latino Network for leadership training and community development, particularly within the Líderes Verdes program. The two organizations share重叠 missions around Latinx community empowerment.
- Dignity VillageminorDignity Village is listed as a partner/organization in Verde's community solar ecosystem, with the organization appearing in the community solar program's partner roster.
- Leaders Become LegendsminorLeaders Become Legends is a workforce development project that installed solar panels for the Goodling Community Solar Annex, creating pathways to green technology jobs.
- Twende SolarminorTwende Solar is a partner in Verde's community solar ecosystem.
- Imagine EnergyminorImagine Energy is a partner in Verde's community solar ecosystem.
- Reynolds Multnomah Youth CooperativesecondaryHigh school students from Reynolds Multnomah Youth Cooperative participate in the Urban Habitat Program, gaining hands-on experience in landscape installation and environmental stewardship.
- Energy Trust of OregonminorEnergy Trust of Oregon provides funding (e.g., ~$1,800 Standard deduction) that Verde leverages to offer reduced-cost heat pump installations to qualifying homeowners.
- Prosper PortlandcoreProsper Portland (the city's development agency) administers the Cully TIF District alongside Verde and the community-led Cully TIF Community Leadership Committee (CLC), with up to $350 million in anticipated investment over 50 years to prevent displacement.
- Living Cully CoalitioncoreVerde helped found and leads the Living Cully coalition — a decade-long effort to build community power, drive investment, and prevent displacement in the Cully neighborhood. Living Cully staff provide 1:1 support to Cully community members.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Verde competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Groundwork USA: National network of local environmental justice nonprofits that combine green infrastructure, youth workforce development, and community organizing in underserved neighborhoods. Most directly comparable to Verde's Urban Habitat, Verde Builds, and community-led model.
- OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon: Portland-based environmental justice nonprofit organizing low-income residents and communities of color on climate, transit, and housing. Directly comparable mission, geography, and constituency to Verde.
- Coalition of Communities of Color: Oregon coalition advancing racial justice through policy advocacy and community-driven research with the same frontline communities of color that Verde serves. Active Verde coalition partner and a peer in policy strategy.
- Urban Tilth: Richmond, CA-based environmental justice nonprofit operating urban agriculture, habitat restoration, and green workforce programs for low-income residents and youth. Highly comparable operating model to Verde's Urban Habitat and youth programs.
- Rising Sun Center for Opportunity: Bay Area nonprofit focused on green building workforce development, home energy upgrades, and career pathways for underrepresented youth and adults. Closely matches Verde Builds' licensed-contractor + green-jobs hybrid model.
- Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ): Inland Empire-based environmental health and justice nonprofit combining community organizing, policy advocacy, and green infrastructure. Comparable intersection of grassroots organizing and infrastructure delivery.
- Climate Solutions: Pacific Northwest climate policy and clean-energy advocacy organization working on equitable transition and community-led climate solutions. Comparable advocacy-and-policy footprint to Verde's Advocacy Program.
Emerging players
- BlocPower: Climate tech company that finances and installs heat pumps, solar, and building retrofits in low-income urban buildings. Comparable heat-pump retrofit product, but Verde serves a similar customer segment via a nonprofit rather than a venture-backed model.
Regional players
- Friends of Trees: Portland/Tacoma-based nonprofit planting trees and restoring urban green spaces with community volunteers. Comparable Urban Habitat and Yard Tree Giveaway programming, and a current Verde partner.
Broad incumbents
- Energy Trust of Oregon: Oregon statewide energy-efficiency program administrator funding heat pumps, weatherization, and solar across the state. Verde is both a recipient and operational peer in delivering energy retrofits to income-qualified households.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Verde social profiles
Digital presenceVerde compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Verde financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Verde leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Verde funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Verde M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Verde
What does Verde do?
Verde is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental justice organization that delivers environmental infrastructure installations (heat pumps, community solar arrays, native plant and rain gardens) and leadership development programs to low-income households and communities of color in Portland. It operates a licensed general contracting arm (Verde Builds) alongside workforce training, advocacy, and community organizing programs that target energy burden, climate resilience, and displacement prevention in the Cully neighborhood and across Portland.
Is Verde a public or private company?
Verde is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Verde founded?
Verde was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Verde based?
Verde is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Verde make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Social Enterprise (Verde Builds) is the primary driver. The others are grants and Charitable Contributions.
Who are Verde's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Groundwork USA, OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, Coalition of Communities of Color, Urban Tilth, Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ) and Climate Solutions. BlocPower is listed as an emerging player. Friends of Trees is listed as a regional player. Energy Trust of Oregon is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Verde have an API?
No public API is recorded for Verde.
What industry is Verde in?
Verde's product category is Environmental Justice Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAL, Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAH, Environmental Education & Outreach. Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 8600.