Coastal States Organization

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

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

• Coastal zone management
• Coastal policy advocacy
• Federal legislative affairs
• Habitat restoration programs
• Coastal resilience research

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered project, core, major and contractor.

• Delaware Coastal Management ProgramprojectStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Digital Coast Connects project partner working to sustain operations of the Delaware Resilience Hub for disaster preparedness.
• Wisconsin Coastal Management ProgramprojectStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Digital Coast Connects project partner working on East River Collaborative for resilient watershed planning.
• NOAA Office for Coastal ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary 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.
• FEMAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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 EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development of beach and inlet management policy, sediment placement regulations report, and joint advocacy for beach restoration.
• National Wildlife FederationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on environmental justice initiatives including projects supporting frontline communities in coastal resilience efforts.
• Association of State Floodplain ManagersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on floodplain management standards, hazard mitigation, and community resilience initiatives.
• The Nature ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital Coast Partnership member. Collaboration on Digital Coast Connects projects including East River Collaborative in Wisconsin.
• Great Lakes Restoration InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding 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 AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOS Roundtable partner for national coastal management coordination.
• Sea Grant AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOS Roundtable partner. Collaboration on coastal science and extension programs.
• Integrated Ocean Observing System Association (IOOS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOS Roundtable partner for ocean observing and data coordination.
• National Marine Sanctuary FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOS Roundtable partner for marine sanctuary and coastal management coordination.
• Digital Coast Partnership OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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.
• LimnoTechcontractorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead contractor for Great Lakes habitat restoration engineering and design projects. Facilitated regional workshops for project prioritization.
• SEH (Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc)contractorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering contractor for Great Lakes habitat restoration projects including fish habitat reconnection and wetland rehabilitation.
• SmithGroupcontractorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering design contractor for Great Lakes restoration projects including Peshtigo River streambank stabilization.
• Environmental Consulting & Technologies, Inc.contractorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead contractor for Great Lakes Nature-Based Solutions engineering and design projects.
• Climate Resilience ConsultingcontractorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for Great Lakes habitat restoration engineering and design projects.
• The Nature Conservancy WisconsinprojectStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitator of East River Collaborative for resilient watershed planning in Wisconsin's East River watershed.
• Wisconsin Sea GrantprojectStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing advisory support for East River Collaborative and watershed resilience projects.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coastalstatesorganization

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Coastal States Organization