What Green Foothills does

Green Foothills Foundation (legal name), operating as Green Foothills, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental advocacy organization founded in May 1962 and headquartered at 3921 E Bayshore Rd, Palo Alto, California. The organization protects natural resources, forests, wildlife habitat, and farmland across San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Benito Counties through policy advocacy, community organizing, ballot measure campaigns, and leadership development. Its core programmatic offerings are (1) direct advocacy on land-use decisions and local ordinances, (2) the Líderes Rising Program (launched 2026) — a mentorship and training initiative for emerging environmental justice advocates delivered in partnership with Nuestra Casa and funded primarily by the Sand Hill Foundation — and (3) community engagement via the 12,000+ subscriber Green Footnotes newsletter, the Community Ambassadors volunteer program, and the annual Nature's Inspiration fundraiser. Technology is limited to standard nonprofit SaaS: WordPress, EveryAction/FastAction, Stripe/PayPal, and Google Analytics; there is no proprietary technology or AI/ML capability.

The organization is funded through a diversified mix of one-time and recurring individual donations (monthly tiers $5–$200), corporate sponsorships for Nature's Inspiration ($2,500+ levels), foundation grants (notably Sand Hill, Packard, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation), donor-advised funds (Fidelity, Schwab), planned giving through the Mary Davey Legacy Society and Lennie Roberts Advocacy Fund, employer matching gifts, IRA qualified charitable distributions, stock donations, and vehicle donations via CARS. Operations are run by approximately 10–11 staff plus a contract CFO and accounting contractor, with strategic oversight from a 15-member Board of Directors and a 12+ member Advisory Board. The organization reports over 60 years of continuous operation, 200,000+ acres permanently protected through advocacy, 1,000+ land-use issues reviewed, 62 ballot measures successfully supported or opposed, and recognition including Charity Navigator 4-star rating and Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency (2026).

Name

Green Foothills

Legal name

Green Foothills Foundation

Website

https://greenfoothills.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Green Foothills is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit founded in 1962 that protects natural resources, forests, and farmland across San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Benito Counties through policy advocacy, community organizing, and the Líderes Rising environmental-justice leadership program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy & Land Conservation

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Environmental advocacy services
• Open space preservation
• Land use policy
• Conservation nonprofit
• Community leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. Donation options include preset amounts ($25-$1,000+), monthly recurring giving ($5-$200/month), and tribute/dedication gifts. The organization processes donations via credit card, PayPal, and bank account.
2. Annual Fundraising Event (Nature's Inspiration): The organization's premier annual celebration and fundraiser held at MOHI Ranch near Morgan Hill. Proceeds cover a significant portion of the annual operating budget. Ticket sales ($175 regular/$75 discounted) and corporate sponsorships at multiple tiers generate revenue.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for Nature's Inspiration event at various tiers ($2,500+ for company outings eligibility). Also includes employer matching gift programs where companies double employee donations.
4. Donor-Advised Funds: Accepts grants from donor-advised funds held at Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable/Dafgiving360, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
5. Monthly Giving Program: Recurring monthly donations provide stable, predictable revenue for operations. Monthly giving tiers: $5, $15, $25, $50, $100, $200.
6. Legacy Giving (Mary Davey Legacy Society): Planned giving through bequests, wills, and estate plans. Members have included Green Foothills in their legacy planning to ensure continued environmental protection.
7. Lennie Roberts Advocacy Fund: A restricted endowment fund honoring Lennie Roberts' 50+ year legacy. Accepts contributions in cash, stock, pledges, or bequests. Investment returns support the advocacy program in perpetuity.
8. Stock and Securities Donations: Accepts appreciated stocks and mutual funds as charitable donations, potentially allowing donors to deduct full market value while avoiding capital gains.
9. Employer Matching Gifts: Companies match employee donations, doubling individual contributions. The organization maintains relationships with employers offering matching gift programs.
10. IRA Charitable Rollovers (QCDs): Accepts qualified charitable distributions from IRAs for donors aged 70½ or older, which are excluded from gross income and count toward RMDs.
11. Vehicle Donations: Partners with CARS (Charity Auto Resources for a Sustainable Future) to accept vehicle donations. Donors receive tax deductions; organization benefits from proceeds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Green Foothills is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit that protects natural resources, open space, wildlife habitat, and farmland in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Benito Counties through policy advocacy, community leadership development, and grassroots mobilization. The organization engages in land-use policy work, operates the Líderes Rising mentorship program for emerging environmental justice advocates in partnership with Nuestra Casa, and runs community engagement programs including the annual Nature's Inspiration fundraiser event, the Community Ambassadors volunteer program, and guided Company Outings for corporate sponsors.

Product overview

Green Foothills is an environmental nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) focused on protecting local nature and farmland in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Benito Counties through advocacy, education, and grassroots action. The organization operates three primary programmatic offerings: (1) Advocacy – policy work to protect wildlife habitat, farmland, and open space; (2) Líderes Rising Program – a mentorship initiative for emerging environmental justice advocates that replaced the former Leadership Program in 2026; and (3) Community engagement through newsletters (Green Footnotes), volunteer programs (Community Ambassadors), and the annual Nature's Inspiration fundraiser event. The Lennie Roberts Advocacy Fund provides dedicated long-term funding for advocacy work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ acres permanently protected through advocacy
• +4 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

Integration19 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Nuestra CasacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative partners in Líderes Rising program, which mentors emerging advocates from underrepresented communities in East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City. Combines Nuestra Casa's 20+ years of community organizing with Green Foothills' 60+ years of land-use and environmental advocacy expertise.
• Santa Clara Valley Open Space AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency dedicated to protecting open space and farmland. Green Foothills supported Measure D to provide ~$17 million/year in funding. Partner in land protection and conservation efforts across Santa Clara County.
• Peninsula Open Space TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLand trust partner in regional conservation efforts. Relies on Open Space Authority for long-term stewardship of acquired lands. Collaborates on protecting critical landscapes including Coyote Valley.
• Midpeninsula Regional Open Space DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic agency created with Green Foothills advocacy (Measure R, 1972). Green Foothills helped expand boundaries from initial Santa Clara foothills to include southern San Mateo County (1976) and coastside (2004).
• Amah Mutsun Tribal BandstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous tribal partner engaged in restoration efforts and traditional stewardship practices. Part of Green Foothills' commitment to partnering with local Indigenous tribes.
• Muwekma Ohlone TribestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous tribal partner, with representative Julie Dominguez serving on Green Foothills Advisory Board. Co-Chair of MOPF Community Education.
• MOHI RanchminorOthersVenue partner for Nature's Inspiration annual celebration. MOHI Ranch is a vineyard and small farm near Morgan Hill that hosts the organization's premier fundraiser.
• Silicon Valley Youth Climate ActionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for Intergenerational Climate Roundtable collaboration, bringing together youth, community members, and local leaders for climate discussions.
• San Mateo County Office of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Intergenerational Climate Roundtable event, collaborating on environmental education initiatives for the county.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Earthjustice: National environmental law organization that litigates on behalf of conservation and public health causes. Comparable to Green Foothills in mission outcomes (e.g., the 2026 federal lawsuit opposing the Gilroy ICE facility) but operates through legal advocacy rather than legislative/grassroots advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club: One of the oldest and largest U.S. environmental advocacy organizations, with comparable grassroots mobilization (volunteers, action alerts, local chapters), policy advocacy, and conservation outcomes. Green Foothills is functionally a single-issue, single-region analogue of Sierra Club's local chapter model.
• The Nature Conservancy: Largest global environmental nonprofit with land protection, conservation science, and policy advocacy. Operates in the same broad space as Green Foothills but at vastly greater scale, with direct land ownership/management rather than advocacy-only outcomes.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land conservation and creating parks/open space for communities. Operates the same playbook of permanent land protection and community-based conservation as Green Foothills, but at national scale and with direct land acquisition rather than purely advocacy-driven outcomes.

Direct peers

• Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST): Bay Area regional land trust operating across San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Mateo coastside counties. Directly comparable to Green Foothills in geography and mission (permanent land protection), but POST acquires and stewards land directly while Green Foothills achieves outcomes through policy advocacy. They are listed as active partners.
• Save Mount Diablo: Long-standing Bay Area land conservation nonprofit combining land acquisition with advocacy and education. Same combination of grassroots mobilization, policy advocacy, and conservation outcomes as Green Foothills, but focused on a single mountain rather than a multi-county service area.
• Sempervirens Fund: California coastal redwoods land conservation nonprofit using land acquisition, advocacy, and stewardship. Comparable in combining grassroots donor mobilization with permanent land protection outcomes in a defined California geography, similar to Green Foothills' Peninsula/South Bay focus.

Regional players

• Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District: Public agency Green Foothills helped create (Measure R, 1972) that now permanently protects over 65,000 acres of open space across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Operates as a public-sector counterpart to Green Foothills' advocacy — same geography and outcomes, but funded by taxes and staffed as a government agency.
• Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority: Independent open space district protecting 30,000+ acres in Santa Clara Valley; Green Foothills endorsed and supported passage of Measure D which provides ~$17M/year in funding. Public-sector peer with same geographic mission and outcomes as Green Foothills.

Emerging players

• Nuestra Casa: Community organizing nonprofit serving East Palo Alto and surrounding Mid-Peninsula communities. Direct strategic partner of Green Foothills on the Lídires Rising program; comparable in grassroots community organizing approach but focused on economic and social justice rather than land conservation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRUB7Ha46p5_3lcolf_oHsg
• Facebookfacebook.com/greenfoothills
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greenfoothills
• Instagraminstagram.com/greenfoothills
• TikToktiktok.com/@greenfoothills
• Xx.com/GreenFoothills

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Green Foothills