The Livestock Conservancy

What The Livestock Conservancy does

The Livestock Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1977 and headquartered in Pittsboro, North Carolina, with a small staff of 11–50 and an operating footprint concentrated in the United States. Its mission is to protect America's endangered livestock and poultry breeds from extinction. The organization maintains the annual Conservation Priority List (CPL), a proprietary classification system that sorts more than 150 heritage breeds into Critical, Threatened, Watch, Recovering, and Graduated tiers based on U.S. registration data and global population estimates drawn from breed associations, hatchery surveys, and partnerships with the FAO DAD-IS database and international sister organizations (Rare Breeds Survival Trust, Rare Breeds Canada, Rare Breeds Australia). The first CPL was published in 1986; since 2014, 14 breeds have graduated off the list, and no breed monitored by the Conservancy has gone extinct since 1977.

The Conservancy's product surface is a portfolio of conservation programs rather than a unified software platform. Core offerings include the CPL itself, a Breeders & Products Directory and Heritage Breed Marketplace that match buyers and sellers of rare-breed stock, a Poultry Census research program tracking hatchery and breeder populations, a Microgrant Program awarding $25,000+ annually to conservation projects, the Shave 'Em to Save 'Em initiative linking fiber artists and heritage sheep breeders, the Cultivating Leadership Initiative training breed-organization leaders, and the Endangered Equine Alliance national equine-conservation coalition. Distribution is overwhelmingly digital: self-serve membership signup at livestockconservancy.org, e-commerce store, online classifieds, monthly e-mail newsletter, and active social channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify podcast), supplemented by annual events such as International Heritage Breeds Week and the Heritage Livestock Conference.

Revenue is generated through four streams: membership subscriptions (entry tier from $4/month, with Student, Sustaining, and one-time Life tiers), tax-deductible donations, tiered corporate sponsorships (Supporter through Steward), and online-store sales of publications such as An Introduction to Heritage Breeds and Managing Breeds for a Secure Future. The organization states it needs to raise approximately $700,000 annually to maintain its conservation work, though no audited financial figures are disclosed. Its stated stakeholder reach exceeds 1.9 million across farmers, homesteaders, historians, food enthusiasts, environmentalists, and conservationists, and the go-to-market model is community-led — driven by membership, donations, volunteer engagement, and event programming rather than paid acquisition.

Name

The Livestock Conservancy

Legal name

The Livestock Conservancy

Website

https://livestockconservancy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Livestock Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1977 in Pittsboro, North Carolina, that protects over 150 endangered American livestock and poultry breeds from extinction through its annual Conservation Priority List, breeder directory, microgrants, and education programs serving farmers, homesteaders, fiber artists, and breed associations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Livestock and Poultry Conservation

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Heritage breed conservation
• Livestock breed preservation
• Endangered poultry breeds
• Conservation priority list
• Heritage breed registry

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues & Subscriptions: Annual and monthly membership subscriptions providing access to resources, newsletters, breeder directories, and member benefits. Starting at $4 per month for basic membership.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from supporters. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships including Supporter, Silver, Bronze, Gold, Platinum, and Steward tiers with logo placement, website listing, newsletter inclusion, and annual report recognition.
4. Online Store Sales: Sale of publications, guides, breed resources, and merchandise including books like 'An Introduction to Heritage Breeds', 'Managing Breeds for a Secure Future', and breed-specific manuals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Livestock Conservancy operates a portfolio of heritage breed conservation programs including the annual Conservation Priority List (CPL) that categorizes endangered breeds by status, a Breeders & Products Directory and Marketplace/Classifieds connecting buyers with heritage breed breeders, a Microgrant Program funding conservation projects, a Poultry Census tracking population health, and an Online Store distributing educational publications and merchandise. Membership subscriptions, donations, and corporate sponsorships provide the funding that underpins these services to heritage breed farmers, homesteaders, and breed associations.

Product overview

The Livestock Conservancy operates as a nonprofit conservation organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include the Conservation Priority List (CPL) as the foundational classification system for heritage breeds, supplemented by the Breeders & Products Directory and Heritage Breed Marketplace for breeder connectivity. Additional programs include the Microgrant Program for conservation funding, Poultry Census for population tracking, Shave 'Em to Save 'Em for fiber market development, and the Cultivating Leadership Initiative for breed organization capacity building. The Online Store distributes educational publications and guides. All programs collectively support the organization's mission of protecting America's endangered livestock and poultry breeds from extinction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conservation Priority List (CPL) Annual published list categorizing heritage livestock and poultry breeds by conservation status — Critical, Threatened, Watch, Recovering, and Graduated — based on U.S. registration data and global population estimates.
• Breeders & Products Directory Searchable online directory connecting prospective buyers with heritage breed breeders and related products across livestock and poultry species.
• Heritage Breed Marketplace/Classifieds Online classified listing service for heritage breed animals, livestock, and related products from third-party sellers, accessible to the public.
• Online Store E-commerce storefront selling books, manuals, guides, and merchandise on heritage breed conservation, breeding, and husbandry.
• Microgrant Program Financial microgrant program awarding funds to breeders and breed organizations working on heritage breed conservation projects.
• Poultry Census Comprehensive census program tracking poultry breed populations annually through hatcheries, major breeders, and member surveys.
• Shave 'Em to Save 'Em (SE2SE) Initiative Program connecting fiber artists, wool producers, and crafters with heritage sheep breeders to support conservation through sustainable fiber markets.
• Membership Program Tiered membership subscriptions (Basic at $4/month, Student, Sustaining, and Life) providing members access to newsletters, breeder directory listings, and exclusive conservation benefits.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 breeds have graduated off the Conservation Priority List since 2014, including Wyandotte chicken (2016), Highland cattle (2019), Hereford pigs (2024). No breed has gone extinct since 1977.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Breed Associations and RegistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnerships with breed associations and registries for collecting registration data used in the Conservation Priority List. Includes American Milking Shorthorn Society, Standard Jack and Jennet Registry (now American Mammoth Jackstock Registry), American Poultry Association, breed clubs, and the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities (SPPA).
• International Conservation OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Rare Breeds Survival Trust (UK), Rare Breeds Canada, Rare Breeds Australia, and FAO DAD-IS (Food and Agriculture Organization Domestic Animal Diversity database) for global population tracking and breed status assessment.
• Endangered Equine AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational initiative for equine conservation launched to address declining horse populations, coordinating efforts across rare equine breed preservation.
• Shave 'Em to Save 'Em Initiative PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with fiber artists, wool producers, and crafters to promote heritage sheep breeds and their fiber products. Includes artist catalog and fiber challenge programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rare Breeds Survival Trust: UK-based heritage breed conservation charity founded by Joe Henson (father of The Livestock Conservancy's first paid employee). Operates a parallel Watchlist, breed monitoring, and membership-driven conservation model in the UK — the closest functional analogue.
• Rare Breeds Canada: Canadian sister organization focused on heritage livestock and poultry breed conservation; shares population data and Watchlist methodology with The Livestock Conservancy and FAO DAD-IS.
• Rare Breeds Australia: Australian non-profit dedicated to preserving rare and endangered livestock breeds; operates an equivalent breed monitoring and registration framework in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities: Poultry-focused heritage breed preservation organization and listed partner of The Livestock Conservancy; directly collaborates on Poultry Census and rare poultry breed registration.
• American Poultry Association: Official U.S. poultry breed registration body and partner of The Livestock Conservancy; provides registration data feeding the Conservation Priority List for poultry categories.

Broad incumbents

• Slow Food USA: U.S. arm of the global Slow Food movement, which actively champions heritage breeds through its Ark of Taste program. Shares target audience (heritage farmers, artisan foodies) and conservation-oriented mission.
• The Nature Conservancy: Largest U.S. environmental nonprofit with a much broader biodiversity and habitat mandate; relevant as a scale reference for nonprofit conservation funding, sponsorships, and corporate partnerships in adjacent cause areas.
• Heifer International: International nonprofit focused on livestock-based poverty alleviation; shares livestock genetics and smallholder farming mission with a much larger global footprint and budget.
• American Farmland Trust: U.S. nonprofit focused on farmland preservation and sustainable agriculture; overlaps with The Livestock Conservancy on heritage breed farmers as a stakeholder group and ESG-aligned corporate sponsors.
• Ducks Unlimited: Large U.S. wildlife habitat and waterfowl conservation nonprofit; comparable in member-supported nonprofit structure and conservation sponsorship model, though focused on wildfowl rather than domesticated breeds.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LConservancy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/TheLivestockConservancy
• Facebookfacebook.com/livestockconservancy
• Instagraminstagram.com/livestockconservancy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Livestock Conservancy