Georgia Association of Conservation Districts

What Georgia Association of Conservation Districts does

Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) is a nonprofit membership association headquartered in Ringgold, Georgia, that serves as the unified coordinating body for all 40 of Georgia's Conservation Districts, encompassing 350 District Supervisors covering every county in the state. Founded in 1937 (with the website copyright dating to 2017 and affiliated with NACD since 1946), GACD provides organizational leadership, advocacy, training, and strategic direction to local conservation districts rather than selling a discrete commercial product. Its program portfolio spans education (Georgia Envirothon, Natural Resources Conservation Workshop at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, lesson plans aligned to Georgia Department of Education standards, the annual $1,000 scholarship, Stewardship Week, and NACD poster and photo contests), conservation operations (Feral Hog Control Services with trap rental, a feral swine removal program that has eliminated nearly 9,000 swine since 2017), urban green infrastructure (the Georgia Conservation Assistance Program funding cisterns, rain gardens, and dry wells in Cobb and Fulton Counties), and an online training platform built on ArcGIS StoryMaps for District Supervisors requiring a 70% passing score on quizzes.

GACD's business model is nonprofit membership and grant-funded. Revenue derives from membership dues paid by the 40 Conservation Districts (Georgia achieved 100% NACD District Participation), federal grants administered through USDA-NRCS partnerships and Cooperative Agreements, Friends of NACD district grants, and program-specific funding such as the $2.5 million federal earmark for the 2025 Lake Lanier Water Quality Initiative secured via Congressman Rich McCormick. Distribution is multi-channel: direct field outreach through District Supervisors across all Georgia counties, a self-serve online training platform, regional group meetings, an annual meeting and Hall of Fame Banquet in Jekyll Island, email newsletter, and a Facebook presence (@GACDConserve). GACD is governed by an elected Executive Committee led by President Brian Ponder (2025), with no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no equity ownership structure.

Name

Georgia Association of Conservation Districts

Legal name

Georgia Association of Conservation Districts

Website

https://gacd.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Georgia Association of Conservation Districts is a nonprofit membership association coordinating Georgia's 40 Conservation Districts and 350 District Supervisors, delivering conservation education, feral swine control, urban green infrastructure, and federal grant-funded programs to farmers, landowners, students, and homeowners statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ringgold

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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: GACD represents all 40 Conservation Districts in Georgia that encompass 350 District Supervisors representing every county in the state. Districts pay NACD membership dues, for which Georgia received a 100% District Participation award.
2. Grant Funding: GACD receives federal funding through partnerships with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and other government entities. Funding is used for conservation programs, technical and financial assistance to landowners, and green infrastructure installations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Georgia Association of Conservation Districts is a nonprofit membership association representing all 40 Conservation Districts across Georgia. It provides organizational leadership, strategic direction, conservation education programs, feral swine control services, scholarships, and the Georgia Conservation Assistance Program to support soil, water, wildlife, and forest conservation. GACD coordinates with USDA-NRCS, NACD, Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission, and UGA Extension to deliver conservation programs across every county in the state.

Product overview

The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) is a nonprofit association that provides organizational leadership and unified strategic direction to Georgia's 40 Conservation Districts. Rather than offering a technology product, GACD delivers conservation programs and services including educational initiatives (Georgia Envirothon, Natural Resources Conservation Workshop, Lesson Plans), conservation programs (Feral Hog Control Services, Georgia Conservation Assistance Program), annual awards (Conservationist of the Year, Hall of Fame, District of the Year, Supervisor of the Year), scholarship programs, and online training for district supervisors. These programs work together to protect, conserve, and enhance Georgia's natural resources from the mountains to the coast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Almost 9,000 feral swine removed from Georgia since 2017, saving landowners approximately $2.5 million in damages.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Georgia Water Planning and Policy CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2025GACD partners with the Georgia Water Planning and Policy Center at Albany State University to implement the Lake Lanier Water Quality Initiative. This multi-year project addresses on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns by working with producers to implement best management practices to reduce nutrient loading and improve water quality in Lake Lanier.
• National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGACD is the state affiliate of NACD and participates in national conservation programs, awards, grants, training, and initiatives including the Friends of NACD District Grants Program, Stewardship Week, and the Envirothon competition.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGACD works closely with USDA-NRCS on conservation programs including the Feral Swine Control Program, EQIP, and various conservation initiatives. NRCS provides technical and financial assistance through the partnership.
• Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission (GSWCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGACD partners with GSWCC on conservation education, the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop at ABAC, and district support programs including the Cooperative Agreement program.
• Trees AtlantacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTrees Atlanta partners with GACD and the Cobb and Fulton County Conservation Districts to install green infrastructure practices including cisterns, dry wells, and rain gardens for the Georgia Conservation Assistance Program (GCAP).
• Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerABAC hosts the annual Natural Resources Conservation Workshop (NRCW) for rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders, providing education on Georgia's wildlife, forestry, soil, and water resources.
• University of Georgia ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGACD partners with UGA Extension and UGA's various programs on conservation education, outreach, and technical assistance for landowners and communities across Georgia.
• Georgia Forestry CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGACD partners with the Georgia Forestry Commission on wildfire prevention, climate resilient land management, and conservation education programs.
• Cobb County Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Georgia Conservation Assistance Program (GCAP) to provide green infrastructure funding and stormwater management assistance to homeowners in Cobb County.
• Fulton County Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Georgia Conservation Assistance Program (GCAP) to provide green infrastructure funding and stormwater management assistance to homeowners in Fulton County.
• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTVA established the District of the Year award with GACD in 2001 to recognize the Conservation District in Georgia which best plans, implements, and reports a conservation program in a given year.
• Alabama Association of Conservation DistrictsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGACD and AACD partnered to support the 2025 Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year program, with participating states including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
• Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGACD partners with the Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D on conservation projects including trail development, educational workshops, and conservation initiatives in North Georgia.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GACDConserve
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gacdconserve

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Georgia Association of Conservation Districts