Coastal Conservation League
Coastal Conservation League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 that protects South Carolina's coastal environment through advocacy, coalition litigation, and GrowFood Carolina, a wholesale-produce food hub serving 150+ farmers and restaurants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersCharleston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Coastal Conservation League firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coastal Conservation League
- Legal name
- South Carolina Coastal Conservation League
- Website
- https://coastalconservationleague.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Coastal Conservation League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 that protects South Carolina's coastal environment through advocacy, coalition litigation, and GrowFood Carolina, a wholesale-produce food hub serving 150+ farmers and restaurants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coastal Conservation League industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Conservation Advocacy Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)
Keywords
Where Coastal Conservation League is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charleston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Coastal Conservation League business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies heavily on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. They accept various donation types including one-time gifts, monthly recurring gifts, and major gifts through societies like the Live Oak Society, Coastal Gems, and Coastal Legacy Society.
- Membership Programs: The organization offers membership programs including Live Oak Society, Coastal Gems, and Coastal Legacy Society for planned giving, providing recurring revenue from committed donors.
- GrowFood Carolina Food Hub Sales: Revenue from aggregating and selling local produce to wholesale customers including restaurants, retailers, institutions, and directly to consumers through weekly produce boxes. The hub returned over $15.8 million to local farmers since 2011.
- Soil to Sustenance Program: Donor-funded program that purchases fresh produce to distribute to food-insecure families across coastal counties, combining charitable giving with food system support.
- Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Accepts planned gifts, bequests, donor advised funds, appreciated assets, IRA/retirement asset donations, and charitable trusts as part of legacy giving programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Weekly produce boxes sold on availability |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Coastal Conservation League product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Coastal Conservation League advocates to protect the natural environment of South Carolina's coastal plain through programs in Land Use Planning, Resilient Coastal Communities, Wildlife & Waterways, and Energy & Climate. It also operates GrowFood Carolina, South Carolina's first local food hub, which aggregates produce from 150+ local farmers and distributes to restaurants, retailers, institutions, and directly to consumers via weekly produce boxes. The organization has returned over $15.8 million to local farmers since 2011.
Product overview
Coastal Conservation League operates as a nonprofit conservation organization with its primary programs centered on environmental advocacy and a local food hub. The organization's core offerings include GrowFood Carolina, South Carolina's first local food hub launched in 2011, which provides farmers with sales, marketing, logistics, warehousing, and distribution services. Under the GrowFood umbrella, there are two consumer-facing products: GrowFood Produce Boxes (weekly in-season produce boxes for direct purchase) and Soil to Sustenance (donor-supported program delivering produce boxes to families in need). The organization's broader conservation work spans Land Use Planning, Resilient Coastal Communities, Wildlife & Waterways, and Energy & Climate programs, focused on protecting South Carolina's coastal environment through advocacy, policy engagement, and community organizing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GrowFood Carolina: South Carolina's first local food hub, launched in 2011, which provides local farmers with sales, marketing, logistics, warehousing, and distribution functions. The hub connects farm businesses to the local food movement and has returned over $15.8 million to local farmers since opening.
Products and services
- GrowFood Carolina
Quantifiable outcome
- $15.8 million returned to local farmers since 2011
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Coastal Conservation League
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Coastal Conservation League technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Coastal Conservation League partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Southern Environmental Law CentercoreLong-standing legal partnership on major conservation cases including Cainhoy Peninsula litigation, I-526 opposition, and various environmental lawsuits. SELC provides legal expertise and representation in coalition advocacy efforts.
- Charleston WaterkeepercoreCo-plaintiff in federal lawsuit challenging Cainhoy development permits. Works together on water quality and coastal protection issues.
- South Carolina Wildlife FederationcoreCo-plaintiff in federal lawsuit challenging Cainhoy development permits for protection of endangered species including red-cockaded woodpecker.
- The Nature ConservancycorePartnership resulted in permanent protection of 2,713-acre Chelsea property in Jasper County through Nature Conservancy's purchase with conservation easement held by Open Land Trust.
- Open Land TrustcoreHolds conservation easement on protected Chelsea property. Long-standing partner in land conservation efforts.
- Southern Alliance for Clean EnergymajorCoalition partner in energy advocacy, including rate case interventions and clean energy policy work alongside CCL, Vote Solar, and Upstate Forever.
- Vote SolarmajorCoalition partner in energy advocacy addressing utility rate cases and promoting solar energy in South Carolina.
- Upstate ForevermajorCoalition partner in environmental advocacy working on land protection and energy policy across South Carolina.
- Duke Energy ProgressminorEnvironmental groups including CCL joined settlement with Duke Energy on rate increase application at SC Public Service Commission, requiring Duke to develop home weatherization programs and consider protecting customers from data center costs.
- Keep Chelsea RuralcoreGrassroots community coalition that CCL has worked alongside since the early 2000s to protect Jasper County's rural lands from overdevelopment.
- Broad River Task ForcecoreLandowner group partnering with CCL and Keep Chelsea Rural to preserve rural character of Jasper County.
- ACE Basin Task ForcecoreCharles Lane serves as Chairman since 1989. One of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the East Coast under protection.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Coastal Conservation League competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vote Solar: National solar and clean energy advocacy nonprofit that is a coalition partner with the League on utility rate cases and solar policy in South Carolina. Directly comparable on energy advocacy mission and approach.
- Southern Environmental Law Center: Regional environmental nonprofit and law firm covering the Southeast, long-standing legal partner of Coastal Conservation League on major litigation including the I-526 opposition and Cainhoy Peninsula cases. Directly comparable in mission (coastal/environmental protection), geography (Southeast US), and advocacy approach.
- South Carolina Wildlife Federation: Statewide wildlife and habitat conservation nonprofit in South Carolina and co-plaintiff alongside the League on the federal Cainhoy development lawsuit for protection of endangered species including the red-cockaded woodpecker. Direct advocacy peer with overlapping SC focus.
- Southern Alliance for Clean Energy: Southeast-focused clean energy and climate advocacy nonprofit that partners with the League on utility rate case interventions and clean energy policy in South Carolina. Direct peer on the Energy & Climate program.
- Red Tomato: Regional food hub nonprofit operating in the Northeast that aggregates and distributes produce from local farmers to wholesale customers. Closest analog to GrowFood Carolina's food hub business model and mission of supporting small/mid-sized farms.
- Charleston Waterkeeper: Charleston-based water quality advocacy nonprofit and co-plaintiff alongside the League in federal litigation on the Cainhoy development. Direct peer on South Carolina coastal water protection and waterway advocacy.
- Upstate Forever: South Carolina-focused land conservation and energy advocacy nonprofit that is a coalition partner with the League on energy rate cases and land protection. Operates in a complementary SC region (upstate) with similar advocacy and policy engagement approach.
- Farm Fresh Rhode Island: Nonprofit local food hub aggregating Rhode Island and New England farm produce for distribution to restaurants, retailers, and institutions. Direct comparable to GrowFood Carolina on the food hub operating model and farm-support mission.
- Open Land Trust: South Carolina land trust that holds conservation easements (including on the Chelsea property) in partnership with the League and The Nature Conservancy. Direct comparable on land conservation and permanent easement work in the SC coastal plain.
Broad incumbents
- The Nature Conservancy: Large global conservation nonprofit with active land acquisition work in South Carolina, including the 2,713-acre Chelsea property purchase conducted in partnership with the League. Overlapping mission and direct collaboration make it a clear incumbent peer in coastal land conservation.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Coastal Conservation League social profiles
Digital presenceCoastal Conservation League financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coastal Conservation League leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Coastal Conservation League funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coastal Conservation League 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 Coastal Conservation League
What does Coastal Conservation League do?
The Coastal Conservation League advocates to protect the natural environment of South Carolina's coastal plain through programs in Land Use Planning, Resilient Coastal Communities, Wildlife & Waterways, and Energy & Climate. It also operates GrowFood Carolina, South Carolina's first local food hub, which aggregates produce from 150+ local farmers and distributes to restaurants, retailers, institutions, and directly to consumers via weekly produce boxes. The organization has returned over $15.8 million to local farmers since 2011.
Is Coastal Conservation League a public or private company?
Coastal Conservation League is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Coastal Conservation League founded?
Coastal Conservation League was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Coastal Conservation League based?
Coastal Conservation League is headquartered in Charleston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Coastal Conservation League make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are membership Programs, growFood Carolina Food Hub Sales, soil to Sustenance Program and planned Giving and Estate Gifts.
Who are Coastal Conservation League's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vote Solar, Southern Environmental Law Center, South Carolina Wildlife Federation, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Red Tomato, Charleston Waterkeeper, Upstate Forever, Farm Fresh Rhode Island and Open Land Trust. The Nature Conservancy is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Coastal Conservation League have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coastal Conservation League.
What industry is Coastal Conservation League in?
Coastal Conservation League's product category is Conservation Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAE, Marine & Freshwater Conservation, with a secondary code of BPADALAI, Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management.