Coastal Conservation League

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

Product category

Conservation Advocacy Services

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Environmental conservation advocacy
• Local food hub
• Land use planning
• Wildlife habitat protection
• Coastal resilience

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Southern Environmental Law CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-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 WaterkeepercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in federal lawsuit challenging Cainhoy development permits. Works together on water quality and coastal protection issues.
• South Carolina Wildlife FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in federal lawsuit challenging Cainhoy development permits for protection of endangered species including red-cockaded woodpecker.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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 TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHolds conservation easement on protected Chelsea property. Long-standing partner in land conservation efforts.
• Southern Alliance for Clean EnergymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in energy advocacy, including rate case interventions and clean energy policy work alongside CCL, Vote Solar, and Upstate Forever.
• Vote SolarmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in energy advocacy addressing utility rate cases and promoting solar energy in South Carolina.
• Upstate ForevermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in environmental advocacy working on land protection and energy policy across South Carolina.
• Duke Energy ProgressminorOthersEnvironmental 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 RuralcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrassroots community coalition that CCL has worked alongside since the early 2000s to protect Jasper County's rural lands from overdevelopment.
• Broad River Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandowner group partnering with CCL and Keep Chelsea Rural to preserve rural character of Jasper County.
• ACE Basin Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharles 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

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/CoastalConservationLeague
• Instagraminstagram.com/growfoodcarolina
• Xx.com/scccl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coastal-conservation-league

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Coastal Conservation League