Coastal States Organization
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Coastal States Organization firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coastal States Organization
- Legal name
- Coastal States Organization
- Website
- https://coastalstates.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coastal States Organization industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Coastal Policy Advocacy and Zone Management
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)
Keywords
Where Coastal States Organization is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Coastal States Organization business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Federal Coastal Zone Management Grants: CSO advocates for federal funding for coastal zone management programs ($81.5 million in FY2026), which is matched dollar-for-dollar by states. The organization also receives funding through grants from NOAA, EPA, FEMA, and other federal agencies for specific projects.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Coastal States Organization product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coastal States Organization (CSO) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that serves as the collective voice for 34 coastal states, commonwealths, and territories on federal legislative, administrative, and policy issues relating to coastal, Great Lakes, and ocean management. It delivers federal advocacy, peer-to-peer learning across state coastal programs, applied research, and on-the-ground projects such as the Great Lakes Nearshore Habitat Restoration Program and Digital Coast Connects. CSO also operates a sister 501(c)(3), the Coastal States Stewardship Foundation (CSSF), which provides fiscal sponsorship and grant management.
Product overview
Coastal States Organization (CSO) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that serves as the collective voice for the nation's coastal states, commonwealths, and territories on federal legislative, administrative, and policy issues relating to coastal, Great Lakes, and ocean management. CSO does not offer a commercial technology product but rather provides a portfolio of programs, projects, and resources including: the Great Lakes Nearshore Habitat Restoration Program offering engineering and design services for nature-based habitat restoration; the Digital Coast Connects initiative connecting communities with coastal data and tools; research reports and publications on coastal management topics; and professional development through work groups and monthly webinars. CSO's offerings are coordinated through partnerships with federal agencies (NOAA, USACE, FEMA), state coastal zone management programs, and nonprofit organizations to advance coastal resilience, habitat conservation, and sustainable coastal development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Great Lakes Nearshore Habitat Restoration Program Engineering and design services for coastal and nearshore habitat restoration in the Great Lakes region, providing 60-80% design plans and technical support to state coastal management programs for nature-based solutions. For state coastal management programs and federal partners in the Great Lakes.
- Digital Coast Connects A partner-led initiative bringing together local networks to address coastal issues through flood resilience projects, connecting coastal communities with the Digital Coast platform's data, tools, and resources. For coastal communities and state coastal program partners.
- Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Project Habitat restoration project focused on migratory shorebird conservation along the Atlantic Flyway, supporting wildlife habitat protection. For state coastal programs and conservation partners along the Atlantic coast.
- Coastal Zone Management Research Reports and Publications Science and policy research products including reports on living shorelines, coastal resilience, the Blue Economy, sediment management, and coastal floodplain planning developed for coastal management professionals. For coastal management professionals, state agencies, and policymakers.
- CSO Work Groups and Webinars State-led work groups and monthly webinars (beginning 2026) on important coastal topics enabling peer learning and national consensus on policy positions. Includes the Communications Work Group and Legal Council. For CSO member state delegates and coastal management professionals.
- Planning for Adaptive Floodplain Management Technical assistance and resources to support coastal communities in adaptive floodplain management planning and implementation. For coastal communities and state coastal program partners.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2,500 resilience projects completed by CZMPs between 2011-2021, working with over 3,000 communities
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Coastal States Organization
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Coastal States Organization technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Coastal States Organization partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered project, core, major and contractor.
- Delaware Coastal Management ProgramprojectDigital Coast Connects project partner working to sustain operations of the Delaware Resilience Hub for disaster preparedness.
- Wisconsin Coastal Management ProgramprojectDigital Coast Connects project partner working on East River Collaborative for resilient watershed planning.
- NOAA Office for Coastal ManagementcorePrimary federal partner for coastal zone management programs. CSO co-hosts Knauss, Digital Coast and Coastal Management Fellows with NOAA. Partnership delivers data, tools, and resources for coastal management through the Digital Coast web portal.
- FEMAcorePartnership for hazard mitigation, flood risk management, and coastal resilience. CSO develops resources on FEMA programs including Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Building Resilient Infrastructure & Communities (BRIC), and Flood Mitigation Assistance.
- U.S. Army Corps of EngineerscoreCollaboration on coastal resilience studies, sediment management, and water resources projects. Joint report on Sediment Placement Regulations developed with USACE Institute for Water Resources.
- American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA)coreCo-development of beach and inlet management policy, sediment placement regulations report, and joint advocacy for beach restoration.
- National Wildlife FederationmajorPartnership on environmental justice initiatives including projects supporting frontline communities in coastal resilience efforts.
- Association of State Floodplain ManagersmajorCollaboration on floodplain management standards, hazard mitigation, and community resilience initiatives.
- The Nature ConservancymajorDigital Coast Partnership member. Collaboration on Digital Coast Connects projects including East River Collaborative in Wisconsin.
- Great Lakes Restoration InitiativecoreFunding source and partner for Great Lakes habitat restoration projects. CSO manages engineering and design work for coastal and nearshore habitat restoration across eight Great Lakes states under GLRI Action Plan III, Focus Area IV.
- National Estuarine Research Reserve AssociationmajorNOS Roundtable partner for national coastal management coordination.
- Sea Grant AssociationmajorNOS Roundtable partner. Collaboration on coastal science and extension programs.
- Integrated Ocean Observing System Association (IOOS)majorNOS Roundtable partner for ocean observing and data coordination.
- National Marine Sanctuary FoundationmajorNOS Roundtable partner for marine sanctuary and coastal management coordination.
- Digital Coast Partnership OrganizationscorePartnership includes American Planning Association, Association of State Floodplain Managers, National Association of Counties, National Estuarine Research Reserve Association, National States Geographic Information Council, The Nature Conservancy, Urban Land Institute, and NOAA Office for Coastal Management.
- LimnoTechcontractorLead contractor for Great Lakes habitat restoration engineering and design projects. Facilitated regional workshops for project prioritization.
- SEH (Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc)contractorEngineering contractor for Great Lakes habitat restoration projects including fish habitat reconnection and wetland rehabilitation.
- SmithGroupcontractorEngineering design contractor for Great Lakes restoration projects including Peshtigo River streambank stabilization.
- Environmental Consulting & Technologies, Inc.contractorLead contractor for Great Lakes Nature-Based Solutions engineering and design projects.
- Climate Resilience ConsultingcontractorContractor for Great Lakes habitat restoration engineering and design projects.
- The Nature Conservancy WisconsinprojectFacilitator of East River Collaborative for resilient watershed planning in Wisconsin's East River watershed.
- Wisconsin Sea GrantprojectPartner providing advisory support for East River Collaborative and watershed resilience projects.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Coastal States Organization competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- National Wildlife Federation: A major national environmental advocacy organization with which CSO partners on environmental justice and coastal resilience initiatives. NWF is far larger in scale and broader in scope (terrestrial + coastal), but overlaps directly with CSO on coastal policy and climate adaptation advocacy.
- National Association of Counties: A national membership organization for county governments that is a Digital Coast Partnership member alongside CSO. NACo works on coastal resilience policy from the local-government perspective, comparable in stakeholder-convening role but far broader in jurisdiction.
- The Nature Conservancy: A global conservation organization that is a Digital Coast Partnership member and collaborates with CSO on nature-based coastal solutions and resilience projects. TNC is a far larger, broader conservation player with overlapping coastal habitat and resilience priorities.
- NOAA Office for Coastal Management: The primary federal partner for coastal zone management programs and CSO's co-host of Knauss, Digital Coast, and Coastal Management Fellows. While a federal agency rather than a peer nonprofit, OCM is the closest functional comparator in coastal policy administration and program delivery.
Direct peers
- National Estuarine Research Reserve Association: A national membership association for estuarine research reserves that, like CSO, operates at the intersection of coastal science, state-federal coordination, and policy advocacy under NOAA's coastal management framework. CSO explicitly lists NERRA as an NOS Roundtable partner for national coastal management coordination.
- Great Lakes Commission: A binational government agency representing the eight Great Lakes states that works on Great Lakes policy, funding, and habitat restoration — directly comparable to CSO's role across its coastal-state membership and a natural regional counterpart.
- National Marine Sanctuary Foundation: A nonprofit that supports the National Marine Sanctuary system and is an NOS Roundtable partner coordinating with CSO on marine sanctuary and coastal management policy. Directly comparable as a coastal/marine advocacy nonprofit working with NOAA and federal partners.
- Association of State Floodplain Managers: A national membership organization for state floodplain managers that partners with CSO on floodplain management standards, hazard mitigation, and community resilience. ASFPM addresses the inland flood policy arena that complements CSO's coastal focus.
- American Shore & Beach Preservation Association: A national nonprofit focused on shoreline and beach preservation that co-develops beach and inlet management policy and jointly advocates for coastal restoration funding with CSO. ASBPA and CSO share a member base, federal advocacy focus, and overlapping coastal resilience agenda.
- Sea Grant Association: A member-based association of Sea Grant programs that collaborates on coastal science and extension programming with CSO through the NOS Roundtable. Comparable in mission (coastal science-to-policy translation) and stakeholder model (state-based coastal programs).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Coastal States Organization social profiles
Digital presenceCoastal States Organization financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coastal States Organization leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Coastal States Organization subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Coastal States Organization funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coastal States Organization 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 States Organization
What does Coastal States Organization do?
Coastal States Organization (CSO) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that serves as the collective voice for 34 coastal states, commonwealths, and territories on federal legislative, administrative, and policy issues relating to coastal, Great Lakes, and ocean management. It delivers federal advocacy, peer-to-peer learning across state coastal programs, applied research, and on-the-ground projects such as the Great Lakes Nearshore Habitat Restoration Program and Digital Coast Connects. CSO also operates a sister 501(c)(3), the Coastal States Stewardship Foundation (CSSF), which provides fiscal sponsorship and grant management.
Is Coastal States Organization a public or private company?
Coastal States Organization is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Coastal States Organization founded?
Coastal States Organization was founded in 1970. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Coastal States Organization based?
Coastal States Organization is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Coastal States Organization make money?
One revenue line is on record: federal Coastal Zone Management Grants.
Who are Coastal States Organization's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are National Wildlife Federation, National Association of Counties, The Nature Conservancy and NOAA Office for Coastal Management. Direct peers are National Estuarine Research Reserve Association, Great Lakes Commission, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Association of State Floodplain Managers, American Shore & Beach Preservation Association and Sea Grant Association.
Does Coastal States Organization have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coastal States Organization.
What industry is Coastal States Organization in?
Coastal States Organization's product category is Coastal Policy Advocacy and Zone Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAMAI, Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines), with a secondary code of BPADALAI, Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management. Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 8600.