What Forest Stewards Guild does

The Forest Stewards Guild is a 501(c) nonprofit professional association founded in 1995 (with roots in 1984 community forestry efforts in Santa Fe, NM) that serves as the only national professional association explicitly placing ecological integrity of forests above economic or human use interests as its first duty. The Guild operates across five US regions (Southwest, Southeast, Lake States, Northeast, Pacific Northwest) and serves multiple customer segments: professional foresters and agency staff seeking peer community and continuing education, private forest landowners needing management guidance, youth aged 16-25 from forest-dependent communities, and fire-adapted communities in the wildland-urban interface. Its core offering is a portfolio of interconnected programs including a Model Forest network spanning over 25 forests on 225,000+ acres, the Forest Stewards Youth Corps (over 700 youth employed, 300,000 service hours since inception), the Forestry for the Birds habitat program, fire management and prescribed fire implementation, the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program, and the Pathways to Resilient Forests program.

Name

Forest Stewards Guild

Legal name

Forest Stewards Guild

Website

https://foreststewardsguild.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Forest Stewards Guild is a 30-year-old 501(c) nonprofit professional association advancing ecological forestry across five US regions. It serves professional foresters, private landowners, youth, and fire-adapted communities through membership, education, research, and landscape-scale stewardship programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forest Stewardship Professional Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Forestry and Logging (113)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forest Ecosystem Services & Carbon/Conservation Programs (AFAMAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services (IMAMAJAM)

Keywords

• Ecological forestry services
• Forest stewardship association
• Wildfire risk mitigation
• Prescribed fire training
• Youth conservation corps

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Fe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: The Guild generates revenue through membership dues from professional members, student members, retired members, and organizational members. Membership fees fund organizational operations and member services.
2. Donations and charitable contributions: Individual donors, organizational sponsors, and foundations contribute to the Guild's mission. Donations support programs including the Forest Stewards Youth Corps, research publications, and regional programming.
3. Government grants: The Guild receives federal grant funding including a $1.3 million Community Wildfire Defense Grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to advance wildfire preparedness in the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed. Additional grants support landscape restoration and youth workforce programs.
4. Organizational sponsorships: Corporate and organizational sponsors (forestry companies, timber investment firms, conservation organizations) provide financial support. Sponsors receive recognition and alignment with the Guild's responsible forestry mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Forest Stewards Guild is a national nonprofit professional association that delivers ecological forestry membership services, science-based publications, youth workforce training, wildfire preparedness programs, and on-the-ground landscape restoration projects. Its core offerings include professional membership tiers (professional, retired, student, organizational), the Forest Stewards Youth Corps, the Model Forest demonstration network, Forestry for the Birds, Fire Management and prescribed fire programs, federal grant-funded landowner assistance programs, and a member directory connecting landowners with consulting foresters.

Product overview

The Forest Stewards Guild is a non-profit organization (not a technology company) that operates a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on ecological forestry, wildfire resilience, and professional forest stewardship. The organization offers a unified set of service programs including the Forest Stewardship Council Controlled Wood Risk Mitigation program, the Forest Stewards Youth Corps workforce development program, the Forestry for the Birds habitat program, a Fire Management Program with prescribed fire services, a Model Forest Program network spanning over 225,000 acres, Research and Management Publications for science-based advocacy, a Find A Forester Directory, the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program, Pathways to Resilient Forests initiative, and Student Membership with Chapter support. These programs work together to support professional forest stewards, engage new audiences including youth and landowners, and implement on-the-ground forest stewardship projects across five regional operations (Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, Lake States, and Pacific Northwest).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Membership and Chapter Program
• Forest Stewards Youth Corps (FSYC)
• Forestry for the Birds
• Fire Management Program
• Model Forest Program
• Research and Management Publications
• Find A Forester Directory
• Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program
• Pathways to Resilient Forests
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Controlled Wood Risk Mitigation

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 700 youth employed, 300,000 hours of conservation service, 200+ college credit hours awarded, $7 million invested in rural New Mexico communities through FSYC program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

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

• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild supports FSC's Controlled Wood National Risk Mitigation efforts through outreach and education. The partnership involves hosting webinars, crafting educational materials, and conducting field work to help landowners, loggers, foresters, and supply chain actors avoid wood from high-risk forests. The Guild also supports FSC certification maintenance for forest product producers.
• National Forest FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Forest Foundation provides funding support for the Forest Stewards Youth Corps program. The partnership contributes to youth employment and conservation service on national forest lands in New Mexico.
• New Mexico Youth Conservation Corps CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe NM YCC Commission provides funding and regulatory framework support for the Forest Stewards Youth Corps, enabling the program to operate as a certified Youth Conservation Corps program for 16-25 year olds.
• 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild is a member of the 21CSC, a national youth and veteran service program. Alumni of FSYC who complete 640 hours of conservation projects qualify for Public Lands Corps Hiring Authority, a two-year non-competitive hiring advantage for federal land management positions.
• Audubon (multiple state chapters)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild partners with Audubon Vermont, Maine Audubon, Mass Audubon, New York Audubon, Audubon Connecticut, Audubon Pennsylvania, Audubon North Carolina, and Audubon South Carolina on the Forestry for the Birds program. These partnerships develop region-specific bird conservation guides, workshops, demonstration sites, and online resources across the country.
• Greater Santa Fe Fireshed CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild manages the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition, a grassroots group of over 20 governmental agencies and nonprofits working collaboratively to improve the health and long-term resilience of forested watersheds and communities by addressing wildfire risk in the 107,000-acre Greater Santa Fe Fireshed.
• Fire Adapted Communities New Mexico Learning NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild actively participates in and supports the Fire Adapted Communities NM Learning Network, which connects communities and practitioners working on wildfire preparedness and fire-adapted community building across New Mexico.
• All-Hands-All-Lands Burn TeammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild has partnered on the All Hands All Lands Burn Team, a collaborative prescribed fire implementation team that trains and deploys firefighters, fire-lighters, and prescribed burn practitioners across the Southwest.
• Cibola National Forest and Santa Fe National Forest (USFS)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Guild works closely with the Cibola and Santa Fe National Forests on collaborative forest restoration projects, prescribed fire implementation, and youth workforce development on public lands.
• Women Owning Woodlands (WOWNet)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild administers the national WOWNet (Women Owning Woodlands Network), connecting and providing resources for local groups working to empower women woodland owners. The network provides educational programming, information resources, and peer networking for women landowners.
• North Atlantic Fire Science Exchange (NAFSE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild is a partner in the North Atlantic Fire Science Exchange, a regional fire science consortium that hosts educational programs, develops technical resources, supports research initiatives, and fosters connections between fire researchers and managers in the Northeast.
• Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild partners with NIACS on climate adaptation training and workshops for land trusts and natural resource managers, helping forest stewards adapt to changing climate conditions in the Northeast.
• Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, Santa Clara Pueblo, Jicarilla Apache Nation, Southern UtecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Pathways to Resilient Forests program specifically prioritizes federally recognized Tribes within the 2-3-2 landscape, including Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, Santa Clara Pueblo, Jicarilla Apache Nation, and Southern Ute lands, for forest resilience assistance and market access programs.
• Pueblo of JemezcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild works with the Pueblo of Jemez through the Southwest Jemez Mountain Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project, with John Galvan serving as the Pueblo's Tribal Forester. The partnership includes the Forest Stewards Youth Corps crew at Jemez Pueblo and collaborative fire management.
• Zuni Mountains collaborative (Zuni CFLRP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild is deeply involved in the Zuni Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, managing the Wood for Life initiative that establishes wood bank hubs to provide fuelwood to communities in need around the Zuni Mountains.
• USDA Forest ServicecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe USFS is a key partner in the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed and multiple collaborative landscape restoration programs. The Guild works with USFS on shared stewardship of national forests, prescribed fire implementation, and community wildfire protection.
• Santa Fe Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSanta Fe Community College partners with the Guild to provide college credit opportunities for FSYC participants.
• Redwood Forest Foundation, Inc. and Usal Redwood Forest CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThese organizations support the Forest Stewards Youth Corps as part of the Guild's broader network of conservation and forestry partners.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/forestguild
• Facebookfacebook.com/forestguild

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 Forest Stewards Guild