What Sanctuary Forest does

Sanctuary Forest is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) land and water trust headquartered in Whitethorn, California, focused on conserving the Mattole River watershed in Northern California's Lost Coast region. Founded in 1987, the organization operates four core programs: Water Stewardship, Land Conservation, Education & Outreach, and Collaboration. Across its history it has conserved more than 15,000 acres through a combination of fee-simple acquisition, conservation easements, and partnership arrangements. The organization is led by Executive Director April Newlander and operates with a staff of 11-50 employees, supplemented by volunteers and community partners.

The organization's revenue model is characteristic of a community-scale environmental nonprofit: it relies on a mix of government grants (notably a $3.75M CalFire Land Conservation and Recreation Opportunity grant for Phase 3 of the Lost Coast Forest Landscape Resilience Program), family-foundation grants (Grace US/Firedoll, Community Foundation of Mendocino), individual donations, and planned giving. There is no commercial product, paid subscription, or fee-for-service revenue line. Programmatic investments are concentrated in the Mattole watershed, with operational reach extending through tribal co-stewardship partnerships with the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council.

Recent strategic activity signals a broadening of the organization's model. In 2024, Sanctuary Forest acquired Arcanum Ranch (50 acres) and entered a co-stewardship arrangement with the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council for the Ta'a-che Noo-nih Yaash Tribal Protected Area Initiative, covering 250+ acres. In 2025, the organization established a California Department of Fish and Wildlife Sentinel Site partnership and installed a new Dendra weather station, expanding its hydrological and climate monitoring footprint. Education and outreach are delivered through community programming, including scholarship and stewardship initiatives dating to 1996, and the organization is actively exploring a community-forest model at the Vanauken Creek project.

Name

Sanctuary Forest

Legal name

Sanctuary Forest, Inc.

Website

https://sanctuaryforest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sanctuary Forest is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) land and water trust in Whitethorn, California that conserves the Mattole River watershed through land protection, water stewardship, education, and tribal co-stewardship partnerships with the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Watershed Protection & Water Quality Services (AFAMAMAB)

Keywords

• Land conservation
• Watershed stewardship
• Environmental education
• Nonprofit conservation
• Habitat preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Whitethorn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Sanctuary Forest relies heavily on individual donations from supporters. The organization accepts one-time donations, monthly sustaining donor contributions, and contributions to specific funds such as the Opportunity Fund (for perpetual care of conserved properties) and Scholarship Fund. The nonprofit is tax-exempt under Tax ID: 94-2676195.
2. Planned Giving & Estate Gifts: The organization offers planned giving options including charitable IRA rollovers (Required Minimum Distribution gifts), stock donations, land gifts, and gifts with reserved life estates. Stock donations allow donors to avoid capital gains taxes while receiving charitable deductions.
3. Foundation Grants: Sanctuary Forest receives grants from foundations including the Grace US Foundation ($20,000), Firedoll Foundation ($20,000), Wildlife Conservation Board, CalFire Forest Legacy Program ($3.75 million), and California Council of Land Trusts Project Advancement Grant.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Local businesses sponsor the organization's hike program and scholarship program, contributing both financially and through in-kind support. Business sponsors include companies such as Humboldt Redwood Company, Blue Star Gas, Gyppo Ale Mill, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sanctuary Forest is a nonprofit land and water trust that conserves the Mattole River watershed through land acquisition, conservation easements, water stewardship, environmental education, and community collaboration programs. It protects more than 15,000 acres of temperate rainforest and offers free public programs including guided hikes, scholarships, internships, and a monthly radio show. The organization operates a Storage and Forbearance Program that coordinates water rights holders to augment streamflow for salmonid habitat.

Product overview

Sanctuary Forest is a land and water trust nonprofit organization (Tax ID: 94-2676195) offering a portfolio of conservation programs rather than a commercial product. The core offerings include four interconnected programs: Water Stewardship (streamflow monitoring, storage & forbearance, groundwater recharge), Land Conservation (property protection, easements, Vanauken Community Forest), Education & Outreach (hikes, scholarships, radio shows, internships), and Collaboration (Sentinel Sites, volunteer coordination). Supporting services include donation/fundraising programs, community events (Naming Ceremony), and real-time Mattole River flow monitoring. The organization protects over 15,000 acres of temperate rainforest and focuses on restoration of the Mattole River watershed ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Stewardship Program Integrated watershed water management program addressing shortages through storage and forbearance, streamflow monitoring, groundwater recharge projects, and public education.
• Land Conservation Program Program protecting key lands, old growth forests, pristine tributaries, and sub-basins that contribute to restoring the health and resiliency of the Mattole River ecosystem.
• Education & Outreach Program Program promoting appreciation, respect, and understanding of the Mattole temperate rainforest ecosystem and building a community with strong conservation ethics.
• Collaboration Program Program bringing together diverse perspectives in a shared vision of a healthy Mattole River watershed by building partnerships to promote conservation and responsible land management.
• Scholarship Program Annual program awarding 4-5 $1,000 scholarships to North Coast high school graduates with demonstrated interest in environmental protection, including the Rondal Snodgrass, Dimmick Family, Business Community, Humboldt Redwood Company, and Deborah Louria Memorial scholarships.
• Hike Program Free public summer hike program offering guided hikes in the Mattole temperate rainforest ecosystem, covering topics such as tribal lands, geology, wildlife, edible and medicinal plants, neotropical birds, and restoration.
• Sanctuary Forest Radio Hour Monthly radio show broadcast on KMUD Redwood Community Radio featuring discussions on restoration projects, water conditions, environmental topics, and community updates.
• Mattole Sentinel Site for Nature Collaborative monitoring network with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife gathering long-term data on weather, wildlife, vegetation, and environmental indicators as part of a statewide Sentinel Sites for Nature Network with 80+ sites.
• Nick's Interns Program Youth education internship program operated in partnership with the Mattole Restoration Council, providing young people hands-on experience in environmental monitoring, trail maintenance, wildlife observation, and habitat restoration.
• Storage & Forbearance Program Water conservation initiative where 33 participants forebear from pumping water during dry season when water reaches specific low levels, then fill tanks during wet season high flows, providing 2 million gallons of combined storage capacity.
• Fund An Acre Family Program Donor recognition program where contributions help Sanctuary Forest purchase acreage for conservation, with donors receiving acknowledgment and t-shirts after fulfilling pledges.
• Donation Programs Multiple giving options including one-time donations, a sustaining donor program with monthly payments, the Opportunity Fund for perpetual care of conserved properties, the Scholarship Fund, Required Minimum Distribution gifts, stock gifts, and land gifts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000+ acres of temperate rainforest permanently protected
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Partnership with CDFW to establish a Sentinel Site for Nature as part of the statewide Sentinel Sites for Nature Network. The network includes more than 80 sites across California gathering long-term data on weather, wildlife, vegetation, and environmental indicators. Sanctuary Forest partnered with CDFW on a new Sentinel Site in the Mattole River headwaters in 2025, installing a Dendra weather station.
• InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Sanctuary Forest partners with the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, a consortium of ten federally recognized Tribal Nations, on the Ta'a-che Noo-nih Yaash (Mattole River-Bear Cub) Tribal Protected Area Initiative. The project aims to acquire and permanently protect over 250 acres within the Upper Mattole River watershed, returning land to Indigenous ownership and stewardship. The Sinkyone Council holds over 4,530 acres of Tribal Protected Lands along the Lost Coast.
• Mattole Salmon GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Long-standing partnership with Mattole Salmon Group for salmonid monitoring and watershed restoration. The two organizations co-coordinate the annual summer steelhead dive census (since 1996), with MSG staff and volunteers surveying the Mattole River and tributaries. Sanctuary Forest provides updates on the Mattole River on its radio shows with MSG staff contributing fish updates.
• Lost Coast Forestlands (LCF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Twenty-year partnership with Lost Coast Forestlands, a sustainable forestry company, for working forest conservation easements. Sanctuary Forest holds conservation easements with LCF on nearly 4,000 acres in the Mattole River headwaters, with Phase 3 adding 2,300 more acres under permanent protection. The partnership addresses sustainable timber production while aligning silviculture practices with watershed and salmonid recovery goals.
• Friends of the Lost CoastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of guided hikes including Horse Mountain Creek: Summit to Sea, Neotropical Birds, and Geology of the King Range. Partnership enables expanded hike programming and volunteer coordination for conservation events.
• Stillwater SciencessupportingTechnology or IntegrationEngineering firm that designed streamflow augmentation ponds for Sanctuary Forest, including ponds in Vanauken Creek watershed and North Fork Lost River tributary. Joel Monschke from Stillwater Sciences appears on Sanctuary Forest Radio Hour to discuss pond evolution from groundwater recharge to streamflow augmentation.
• California State Parks (North Coast Redwoods Region)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for volunteer events in Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, including annual tansy pull invasive plant removal. State Parks provides venue access and sometimes free campsites for volunteers.
• Trees FoundationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPublisher of Forest & River News, a regional environmental publication to which Sanctuary Forest contributes articles. The Trees Foundation connects environmental organizations across the region through shared communications.
• Mattole Restoration CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publisher of Mattole Watershed News along with Mattole Salmon Group and Sanctuary Forest. Jointly coordinates the Nick's Interns youth education program. The three organizations form the core of Mattole watershed conservation collaboration.
• KMUD Redwood Community RadiosupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal community radio station that broadcasts Sanctuary Forest Radio Hour monthly. Provides airtime and archiving for the organization's radio programming, reaching listeners throughout the Redwood Community Radio coverage area.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit focused on land and water conservation through acquisition, easements, and partnership with agencies. Broad incumbent with overlapping forest and watershed conservation models at significantly larger scale.
• Trust for Public Land: National land conservation nonprofit that acquires and protects natural lands, parks, and working landscapes. Broad incumbent with overlapping land conservation and climate strategy programs but operating across all 50 states rather than focusing on a single watershed.
• The Nature Conservancy (California): Global conservation organization with major California operations including forest, watershed, and climate-smart conservation work. Broad incumbent covering overlapping goals (land protection, watershed, climate) at substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council: Consortium of ten federally recognized Tribal Nations holding over 4,530 acres of Tribal Protected Lands along the Lost Coast. Direct peer and core partner on the Ta'a-che Noo-nih Yaash Tribal Protected Area Initiative, with overlapping conservation and co-stewardship activities.
• Save the Redwoods League: California-focused land trust that acquires and protects redwood forests, including coastal old-growth. Directly comparable as a regional land trust operating conservation easements and acquisitions on working and old-growth forests in the same redwood ecosystem.
• Mattole Salmon Group: Partner organization co-coordinating the annual summer steelhead dive census with Sanctuary Forest since 1996. Direct peer in salmonid monitoring and watershed restoration within the same Mattole geography.
• Pacific Forest Trust: West Coast land trust specializing in working forest conservation easements that integrate sustainable timber management with watershed and habitat protection. Highly comparable to Sanctuary Forest's working forest easements with Lost Coast Forestlands on 4,000 acres.
• Mattole Restoration Council: Partner organization working on Mattole watershed restoration and co-coordinator of Nick's Interns youth education program. Direct peer operating in the same geography on overlapping streamflow, restoration, and education programs.

Regional players

• Mendocino Land Trust: Regional land trust operating in Mendocino County adjacent to Sanctuary Forest's geography. Comparable as a community-based land trust with conservation easements and public education programming, but focused on the Mendocino coast rather than the Mattole watershed.

Others

• California Council of Land Trusts: Statewide association of California land trusts that awarded Sanctuary Forest the 2024 Project Advancement Grant. Ecosystem participant that convenes peer organizations and channels state-level advocacy and funding programs relevant to Sanctuary Forest's operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MattoleSanctuary
• Instagraminstagram.com/sanctuary.forest
• Xx.com/sanctuaryforest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sanctuary-forest-incorporated

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Sanctuary Forest