Americas for Conservation + the Arts

What Americas for Conservation + the Arts does

Americas for Conservation + the Arts (AFC+A) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008 by Irene Vilar, headquartered at 430 W 9th Avenue in Denver, Colorado. The organization advances environmental and cultural justice for Latino and BIPOC communities through a portfolio of four flagship programs: EcoCultura Community (encompassing the 14th-edition Americas Latino Eco Festival, LUNA ultra races, EcoCultura Show events, wilderness hikes and forest bathing, mountain and gravel biking, literary workshops, and Colorado Passports), Promotores Verdes (an award-winning conservation corps covering community tree planting with a 5,000-tree goal and the U-CAN Green Ambassadors youth program), Creando Resultados (public and environmental health equity in partnership with CREA Results), and AFCA Creatives (Mandel Vilar Press publishing and the Artivist Market). AFC+A operates a regional headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with active programming in Mexico and Spain, and reports team members across all four geographies.

The underlying "platform" is programmatic rather than technological: AFC+A does not operate proprietary technology, instead building delivery around the Promotores community health worker model, event-based programming, publishing infrastructure, and a dense partnership network that includes the USDA, US Forest Service, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, City of Denver, Colorado Health Foundation, Hispanic Federation, Annenberg Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and 8+ Denver-area cultural institutions. Mandel Vilar Press is distributed nationally via Consortium Book Sales & Distribution (a division of Ingram Publisher Services). Notable outcome metrics cited in source material include 15,000+ ALEF lifetime attendees since 2012, 8,000 people annually connected to the outdoors, 5,000 trees targeted by 2023 in environmental-justice neighborhoods, 3,800+ K-12 students educated, and 50+ books published.

Revenue is generated through grants from federal and state agencies and foundations, individual donations, corporate sponsorships (with ALEF/LUNA tiers ranging from $1,000 Friend to $50,000 Title Sponsor), book sales through Mandel Vilar Press, and minimal program fees (e.g., LUNA races are free for youth under 18). Most programs are free or low-cost to ensure accessibility, and the organization explicitly prioritizes inclusion over revenue maximization, which makes its operating economics characteristic of a small grant-funded community nonprofit rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

Americas for Conservation + the Arts

Legal name

Americas for Conservation + the Arts

Website

https://americasforconservation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Americas for Conservation + the Arts (AFC+A) is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 that advances environmental and cultural justice for Latino and BIPOC communities through festivals, conservation programs, publishing, and public-health partnerships across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental and Cultural Justice Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Promotion & Public Health Education (Community Workshops) (EDAAAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Leadership, Oratory & Civic Speaking Programs (EDAMAOAH), DEI, Equity & Inclusion Training (EDABAIAF)

Keywords

• Environmental conservation programs
• Community health workers
• Cultural arts nonprofit
• Outdoor recreation equity
• Diversity publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grants and Foundation Funding: AFC+A receives grants from foundations and government agencies including GOCO, City of Denver, USDA, US Forest Service, Colorado Health Foundation, Hispanic Federation, Annenberg Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and others to support programming.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations from supporters, partners, and sponsors fund the organization's mission. Donations are solicited through the website and at events.
3. Book Sales (Mandel Vilar Press): Mandel Vilar Press publishes books advancing diversity in publishing. Books are distributed nationally through Consortium Book Sales & Distribution (Ingram Publisher Services) and available through major retailers including Amazon.
4. Program Revenue: Minimal program fees for events like LUNA ultra races. Youth under 18 participate free with adult registration. The organization encourages tax-deductible donations to support inclusive programming.
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support events like ALEF and LUNA. Partners include Whole Foods Market, Kaiser Permanente, and others. Sponsorship tiers range from $1,000 (Friend of LUNA) to $50,000 (Title Sponsor).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AFC+A is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates community-led programs at the intersection of environmental conservation, cultural arts, and public health. It delivers events (Americas Latino Eco Festival, LUNA races, EcoCultura shows), a conservation corps (Promotores Verdes), community tree planting, public lands and cultural passports, a diversity-focused publishing house (Mandel Vilar Press), an artivist marketplace, and disaster resilience programming (Puerto Rico Resilience Project including Guagua Solidaria). Programs are delivered primarily free or at minimal cost across the USA, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, supported by grants, donations, sponsorships, and book sales.

Product overview

AFC+A operates as a multi-program nonprofit organization — not a unified software platform — offering a portfolio of environmental and cultural justice programs. Its four flagship programs are: (1) Eco Cultura Community — encompassing the Americas Latino Eco Festival (ALEF), EcoCultura Show events, Latino Ultra Nature Adventure (LUNA), wilderness/forest bathing hikes, mountain/gravel biking, literary workshops, and cultural/public lands passports; (2) Promotores Verdes — an award-winning conservation corps covering community tree planting, community passports, and the U-CAN youth summer camp; (3) Creando Resultados — bridging public and environmental health inequities in partnership with CREA Results; and (4) AFCA Creatives — encompassing Mandel Vilar Press (the nonprofit publishing arm distributing through Consortium/Ingram) and the Artivist Market. AFC+A also operates the AFCA Academy (an educational platform under development) and the multi-year Puerto Rico Resilience Project including the Guagua Solidaria agricultural brigade program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Americas Latino Eco Festival (ALEF): The nation's premier event for diverse professionals working at the intersection of cultural and environmental justice, now in its 14th edition.
• LUNA (Latino Ultra Nature Adventure)
• Promotores Verdes
• Mandel Vilar Press
• Creando Resultados
• Eco Cultura Community
• Artivist Market

Products and services

• Eco Cultura Community Flagship program centered on the EcoCultura concept of cultural practices that result in improved environmental health, encompassing events, outdoor recreation, and arts programming for Latino and BIPOC communities.
• Promotores Verdes Award-winning conservation corps program that connects communities to public lands, educates on nature's health benefits, and fosters family engagement in conservation, including community tree planting, community passports, and the U-CAN Green Ambassadors youth component.
• Creando Resultados Program bridging equity gaps in public and environmental health, built on an eight-year collaboration with CREA Results, increasing community capacity to address public health and environmental injustices in Denver and Aurora.
• AFCA Creatives Program that bridges inequities in the publishing space, elevates underrepresented voices, and promotes cultural understanding and environmental stewardship, encompassing Mandel Vilar Press and the Artivist Market.
• Mandel Vilar Press Nonprofit publishing arm of AFC+A that publishes and translates underrepresented voices of the Americas, including works on environmental justice and culture, distributed nationally by Consortium Book Sales & Distribution (Ingram Publisher Services).
• Artivist Market Online platform and program showcasing art with messages of environmental and social justice, offering international artists a venue to sell their work and promote activist messages.
• Americas Latino Eco Festival (ALEF) The nation's premier event for diverse professionals at the intersection of cultural and environmental justice, featuring artists, scientists, advocates, and public policy leaders, with 15,000+ lifetime attendees since 2012.
• Latino Ultra Nature Adventure (LUNA) Equity-driven outdoor running and hiking event introducing Colorado's recreation opportunities to communities historically excluded from outdoor sports, with 5K, 7-mile, 15-mile, and 26-mile Marathon distances combined with forest bathing and nature immersion.
• Community Tree Planting Initiative Tree-planting initiative targeting environmental justice neighborhoods in Denver and Aurora, with a goal of 5,000 trees planted, tree keeper education, volunteer engagement, and a tree equity focus on neighborhoods with 40% less tree coverage than predominantly white areas.
• Community Passports Passport programs providing free access to Denver Metro museums, cultural institutions, and 12 Colorado state parks, including the #DiscoverMiTierra Cultural Passport (free family visits to 8+ museums) and #ColoradoLaBella Public Lands Passport (with rewards for visiting multiple parks).
• Mountain and Gravel Bike Program Cycling program combining mountain and gravel biking with forest bathing, serving youth and families from historically underserved communities with free or low-cost guided forest trail rides, loaner bikes, bilingual education, and bike mechanic training.
• AFCA Academy Online learning academy intended to house the AFC+A curriculum for training future environmental stewards through a blend of culture and conservation education.
• Puerto Rico Resilience Project (PRRP) Multi-year action plan (2017–2024) bringing together grassroots leaders, environmental organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies to advance cultural and ecological resilience in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, including the Guagua Solidaria brigades, murals, agroecology, and outdoor recreation development.
• Guagua Solidaria Solidarity brigade program (2017–2020) deploying mobile agricultural support to farms affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico, evolving from a mobile bus-based operation into Guagua Solidaria 2.0 with subcontracted professional staff for farm-specific needs.
• EcoCultura Show: Let Me Bug You Monthly event at the historic Bug Theater in Denver that merges music, dance, and film to explore and celebrate the powerful connection between conservation and the arts.
• Wilderness Hikes and Forest Bathing Wilderness hiking program centered on connecting participants to nature's awe, to each other, and to Vitamin N (Nature), with bilingual instruction and community engagement.
• Literary Workshops Collective designed to inspire literary journeys, offer guidance, share skills, and help participants envision a published book, facilitated by award-winning author and Guggenheim recipient Irene Vilar.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000+ attendees engaged since 2012
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Denver Botanic Gardens (One World One Water Center)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partner in River Sisters Partnership for Colorado River restoration and greenway development, including Cocopah Wetland Park botanical garden.
• Pronatura NoroestemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Mexican conservation partner for Colorado River Delta restoration and greenway development in River Sisters Partnership.
• City of DenvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey municipal partner supporting AFC+A programs including ALEF, tree planting initiatives, and community events. Provides funding through Office of Sustainability and other departments.
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment: Environmental JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for environmental justice initiatives addressing health disparities in Latino communities.
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Promotores Verdes programs, rural development initiatives, and agricultural recovery projects in Puerto Rico.
• United States Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner5-year participating agreement supporting conservation education, grassroots community engagement, youth programs, and career pathway development in conservation.
• National Wildlife FederationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner supporting wildlife habitat and environmental education programs.
• The Nature ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor conservation organization partner for environmental programs and Puerto Rico Resilience Project.
• Colorado Parks WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for ColoradoLaBella Public Lands Passport providing access to 12 state parks for diverse communities.
• Denver Arts & VenuescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity agency partner for arts programming and cultural events including ALEF.
• Colorado Health FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth foundation partner supporting public health and environmental health intersection programs.
• GOCO (Great Outdoors Colorado)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor funder and partner for outdoor recreation and conservation programming.
• CREA ResultscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise partner co-founding Promotores de Salud-Community Health Workers program in 2014. Eight-year collaboration on public health outreach.
• Denver Art MuseummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Passports (#DiscoverMiTierra) providing free family visits to cultural institutions.
• Denver Botanic GardensmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Passports providing free visits to gardens and educational programming.
• Denver ZoomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Passports providing free family visits.
• Butterfly PavilionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Passports providing free visits to invertebrate conservation center.
• Children's Museum DenvermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Passports providing free family visits.
• Museo de las AmericasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Passports providing free visits to Latino cultural museum.
• Denver Museum of Nature & SciencemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Passports providing free family visits.
• Museum of Contemporary Arts DenvermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Passports providing free visits to MCA.
• The Bug TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric venue hosting monthly EcoCultura: Let Me Bug You events at 3654 Navajo St, Denver.
• Raices BrewingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue hosting monthly Let Us Grow Raices series events at 2060 W Colfax Ave, Denver.
• Bicycle TrailsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator for mountain and gravel bike program providing trail access.
• Mountain MamasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for women-focused outdoor programming and bike events.
• Latinos Outdoors ColoradominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Latino outdoor recreation events and LUNA warm-up activities.
• The Greenway FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for youth rock climbing and urban waterway outdoor programming.
• KUVO (Jazz88)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRadio partner for Peace Forest tree planting events and community engagement.
• Human Potential Running SeriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRace timing and management partner for LUNA ultra running events.
• Latinos Run DenverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for LUNA training runs and Latino running community engagement.
• Consortium Book Sales & Distribution (Ingram Publisher Services)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational book distributor ensuring Mandel Vilar Press publications reach broad audience through major retailers.
• The Conservation FundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner for Puerto Rico Resilience Project initiatives.
• Para La NaturalezamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPuerto Rico partner for conservation and nature education programs.
• UPR (University of Puerto Rico)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for outdoor recreation industry study, Promotores training, and research initiatives.
• UMET (Universidad Metropolitana)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting research, data collection, and white paper development.
• Woodsy Owl Conservation CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth conservation program under US Forest Service partnership, building next generation of diverse conservation stewards.
• City of San Luis Rio ColoradomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister city partner in Mexico for River Sisters Partnership advancing Colorado River restoration.
• Denver WatermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater utility partner in River Sisters Partnership for Colorado River stewardship.
• Wildlands Restoration VolunteersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer partner for tree planting and restoration events.
• Green LatinosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLatino environmental advocacy organization partner.
• Arbor Day FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTree planting and urban forestry partner.
• Sierra ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental advocacy partner.
• Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental advocacy partner.
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental advocacy partner.
• History ColoradominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState historical society partner for cultural programming.
• National Park FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational parks partner for public lands access initiatives.
• Commission for Environmental CooperationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrilateral environmental cooperation partner across North America.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Outdoor Afro: Nonprofit celebrating and inspiring Black connections to nature through community-led outdoor experiences. Closely analogous mission and operating model to AFC+A's Promotores Verdes and BIPOC-focused festival programming, though serving a different racial demographic.
• GreenLatinos: Latino-led national coalition advocating for environmental justice and conservation policy on behalf of Latino communities. Highly comparable advocacy + community-engagement model to AFC+A's environmental justice work, including the "37% Pledge" thought leadership and the City of Denver tree-equity initiatives.
• Hispanic Federation: National nonprofit supporting Latino families and communities across health, education, immigration, and economic empowerment. Comparable civic-engagement scope and Puerto Rico Resilience Project funder; AFC+A's multi-issue approach and family/youth segments mirror HF's community portfolio.
• Latino Outdoors: National nonprofit connecting Latinos with the outdoors through ambassador-led hikes, events, and partnerships. Directly comparable to AFC+A's LUNA races, wilderness hikes, and EcoCultura outdoor programming targeting the same Latino community in overlapping geographies (Colorado, California, national).
• Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice: California-based environmental justice nonprofit serving BIPOC frontline communities through organizing, advocacy, and tree-planting/tree-equity work. Highly comparable to AFC+A's Denver/Aurora tree-equity program and Creando Resultados public health framing.
• National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC): National arts advocacy and capacity-building organization advancing Latino arts and culture across the U.S. Comparable arts/cultural mission to AFC+A's AFCA Creatives (Mandel Vilar Press, Artivist Market) and ALEF cultural programming.

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Global nonprofit focused on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development with cross-border program work, including the Americas. Comparable in international conservation footprint but with vastly greater financial scale than AFC+A.
• National Wildlife Federation: Largest private conservation educator in the U.S. with wildlife and environmental education across states. Comparable at the wildlife/conservation education and youth-program level to AFC+A's Promotores Verdes and Woodsy Owl Conservation Corps work.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the largest global conservation organizations operating across habitats, climate, and water. A documented AFC+A partner (Puerto Rico Resilience Project) and the obvious incumbent reference for AFC+A's conservation work, but at a vastly larger operational scale.

Emerging players

• Green For All: National initiative building an inclusive green economy with focus on climate jobs and environmental justice for low-income communities. Partial overlap with AFC+A's workforce development and environmental health messaging under Creando Resultados and Promotores Verdes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/forconservation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWUmZyPm2BTxYyEeuNdw17Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/AfcaNatura
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/americas-for-conservation-the-arts-501c3-afc-a
• Instagraminstagram.com/afcanatura

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Americas for Conservation + the Arts