I Love A Clean San Diego

What I Love A Clean San Diego does

I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization founded in 1954 and headquartered at 2508 Historic Decatur Rd, Suite 150 in San Diego, California, with a secondary office on Ronson Rd. The organization's core function is coordinating volunteer-led litter cleanup, environmental education, and zero-waste advocacy across San Diego County. Its operational technology centers on the WasteFreeSD.org database — a self-maintained directory of more than 1,700 recycling and disposal centers accessible via web and phone hotline — and a volunteer management portal hosted on the Samaritan platform (cleansd.samaritan.com). Supporting integrations include donation processing through Bloomerang/Q-Give, event registration via Eventbrite, Zoom for webinars, and calendar feed publishing to Google, iCalendar, and Outlook. Programs are delivered free to participants and span two flagship annual countywide cleanups — Creek to Bay Cleanup (April, founded 2002) and Coastal Cleanup Day (September, organized since 1985 under The Ocean Conservancy's international framework) — alongside monthly cleanups, Adopt-A-Beach/Adopt-A-Canyon stewardship, the Kids Ocean Day youth event, classroom presentations, teacher resources, corporate engagement via Corporate CleanBuilding, and the Clean Beach Coalition holiday-weekend bin program. Sub-brands include WasteFreeSD and LOVE SD.

ILACSD's revenue model is donation-driven, with no commercial pricing. The organization is funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and fundraising events; named funding sources include a $25,000 matching grant from the Charles and Gail Kendall Family Fund at the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation and long-term support from Harrah's Resort Southern California. Corporate engagement is monetized through partnerships, sponsored volunteer events, and lunch-and-learn education rather than fees. Distribution and go-to-market operate on a hub-and-spoke model: a single San Diego headquarters coordinates volunteer activity through site captains across 100+ cleanup sites, with reach extending countywide but not beyond. Customer segments are horizontal — residents and community groups (primary), businesses and corporations, K-12 educators and students, and government agencies including the County and City of San Diego. No AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary ML systems are present in the technology stack; the WasteFreeSD directory is a curated structured database rather than an algorithmic system.

Name

I Love A Clean San Diego

Legal name

I Love A Clean San Diego County, Inc.

Website

https://ilacsd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

I Love A Clean San Diego is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1954 and based in San Diego, that coordinates countywide volunteer litter cleanups, environmental education programs, and the WasteFreeSD recycling resource database for San Diego County residents, schools, businesses, and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (56211), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Street & Public Space Litter Collection (Municipal Cleaning) (BPALAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

Keywords

• Environmental nonprofit services
• Volunteer cleanup programs
• Environmental education programs
• Recycling information services
• Community waste reduction

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: ILACSD operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants. The organization runs matching campaigns (e.g., $25,000 matching grant from Charles and Gail Kendall Family Fund) to amplify donation impact.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

I Love A Clean San Diego coordinates volunteer-driven litter cleanup events, environmental education programming, and recycling information services across San Diego County. The organization runs monthly and annual countywide cleanup events, maintains the WasteFreeSD.org zero waste database with information on over 1,700 recycling centers, and delivers classroom, community, and corporate presentations on waste reduction and watershed protection. Programs are provided free of charge and funded by donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) operates as a nonprofit environmental organization offering a portfolio of environmental education, cleanup, and recycling programs across San Diego County. The core offerings center on two annual countywide cleanup events (Creek to Bay in April and Coastal Cleanup Day in September), monthly community cleanups, and the WasteFreeSD.org database serving as a recycling information resource. Educational programming includes classroom presentations, Kids Ocean Day, and teacher resources spanning K-12 curricula. The portfolio also includes volunteer management through a dedicated Volunteer Portal, corporate engagement via Corporate CleanBuilding, and specialized programs like Adopt-A-Beach/Adopt-A-Canyon, Clean Beach Coalition, and Sustainable Solutions Fair. Programs interconnect through shared volunteer infrastructure and the WasteFreeSD resource database.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WasteFreeSD: A zero waste database maintained by I Love A Clean San Diego providing information on over 1,700 recycling and disposal centers to help residents and businesses find hassle-free solutions.
• LOVE SD

Products and services

• WasteFreeSD.org Zero Waste Database and Hotline A self-serve online database and phone hotline that helps San Diego residents and businesses locate recycling centers and proper disposal solutions for various materials, covering information on over 1,700 recycling and disposal centers.
• Creek to Bay Cleanup An annual April countywide cleanup event with hundreds of sites across San Diego County, founded and operated by ILACSD. Volunteers remove litter and recyclables from beaches, creeks, canyons, and neighborhoods.
• Coastal Cleanup Day An annual September coastal cleanup event organized by ILACSD for San Diego County since 1985, held as part of the International Coastal Cleanup facilitated by The Ocean Conservancy.
• Countywide Monthly Cleanups Monthly volunteer cleanup events at beaches, creeks, canyons, open space parks, and neighborhoods throughout San Diego County, organized by ILACSD's Community Events Department, with both staff-led and self-led cleanup options.
• Environmental Education Programs Free presentations and programming for schools, community groups, and businesses covering waste reduction, recycling, watershed protection, and environmental stewardship, delivered as classroom presentations, workshops, and webinars.
• Adopt-A-Beach / Adopt-A-Canyon A program allowing volunteers of all ages to adopt a coastal or inland site by conducting three cleanups over one year, collecting and reporting detailed litter data, and being recognized through a site sign program.
• Corporate CleanBuilding A corporate engagement program providing businesses with volunteer cleanup opportunities, environmental education, and sustainability programming for employees, including customized events and corporate lunch-and-learns.
• Clean Beach Coalition A coalition program that places temporary trash and recycling bins at San Diego beaches during busy holiday weekends, including bin assembly volunteer events and ongoing maintenance through the Buttcan Ambassador program.
• School Recycling Program A program providing recycling resources and support for K-12 schools in San Diego County, including teacher resources, curriculum integration guidance, and recycling infrastructure assistance.
• Kids Ocean Day An annual environmental education event for youth that combines beach cleanups with environmental learning activities, part of ILACSD's school outreach programming.
• Volunteer Portal An online platform (powered by Samaritan) that allows volunteers to search and register for cleanup opportunities, create accounts, log hours, and access Pro Volunteer and Site Captain programs across San Diego County.
• Compost and Mulch Giveaway Events Periodic community events distributing free compost and mulch to City of San Diego residents to support waste diversion and community gardening.
• Watershed Warriors A cleanup program focusing on specific watersheds (Sweetwater, San Luis Rey, San Diego Bay) to prevent litter from reaching the Pacific Ocean, delivered in partnership with the County of San Diego and local organizations.
• Sustainable Solutions Fair A family-friendly sustainability celebration (formerly Zero Waste Fair) featuring hands-on environmental activities, connections to sustainable businesses, and panel discussions with local environmental leaders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 500,000 lbs of debris removed from San Diego's beaches, waterways, canyons, and parks annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, supporting and minor.

• Clean Beach CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition focused on keeping San Diego beaches clean during high-traffic holiday weekends. ILACSD partners with the Clean Beach Coalition to assemble temporary trash and recycling bins placed across beaches and bays.
• San Diego River Park Foundation (SDRPF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint River Kids Discovery Days cleanup events at the San Diego River. Collaborative watershed protection initiatives.
• San Diego CanyonlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for canyon cleanup programs including Sunset Sweep events at Manzanita Canyon and Swan Canyon. Collaborates on watershed protection education.
• Think Blue San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of San Diego stormwater program partner for water pollution prevention and canyon cleanup initiatives.
• County of San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner for countywide cleanup events, watershed protection programs, and environmental education. Co-sponsors workshops on rainwater harvesting and food waste reduction. Also facilitates Household Hazardous Waste collection events.
• City of San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Think Blue San Diego initiative and municipal environmental programs including tax files recycling events.
• The Ocean ConservancyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization facilitating Coastal Cleanup Day globally. ILACSD serves as official organizer for San Diego County since 1985 as part of International Coastal Cleanup including 70+ countries.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)supportingTechnology or IntegrationWWF food waste educational toolkits and resources provided for ILACSD teacher resources and educational programs spanning grades K-12.
• Harrah's Resort Southern CaliforniasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLongtime corporate supporter leading volunteer efforts at Buccaneer Beach in Oceanside and Lake Wohlford each spring and fall. Selected ILACSD as recipient of charity slot tournament.
• Surfrider San DiegosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Morning After Mess Cleanup events at Mission Bay following July 4th celebrations.
• Fallbrook Beautification AlliancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community partnership for Sustainable Saturdays in Fallbrook events including cleanup and clothing swap activities.
• The Shops at La Jolla VillageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host of World Ocean Day beach cleanup event at La Jolla Shores with post-cleanup celebration activities at the shopping center.
• Amazon SmilesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmazon Smile program allows supporters to designate ILACSD as their charity, with 0.5% of purchases donated to pollution prevention programs.
• BenevitysupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate giving platform enabling employee donation matching and volunteering programs for ILACSD corporate partners.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• EarthShare: Federation that connects workplace giving campaigns to environmental nonprofits including ILACSD via the Benevity/Amazon Smile channels. Comparable as a funding-distribution intermediary in the same donation ecosystem rather than a direct programmatic competitor.

Direct peers

• Surfrider Foundation: National grassroots environmental nonprofit dedicated to beach/ocean protection through volunteer cleanups, education, and advocacy. ILACSD already collaborates with Surfrider San Diego on Morning After Mess events, and the two share an almost identical programmatic mix of cleanups, school outreach, and beach adoption programs.
• Heal the Bay: Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit running beach cleanups, education programs, and policy advocacy in Southern California. Closely comparable to ILACSD in mission (coastal litter, education, volunteer mobilization) and operational structure, with similar flagship cleanup events and K-12 programming.

Broad incumbents

• Ocean Conservancy: International nonprofit that runs the International Coastal Cleanup (the parent program of the Coastal Cleanup Day ILACSD organizes in San Diego). Comparable mission and the formal program hierarchy already in place, but operates at policy and global-coordination scale rather than local volunteer mobilization.
• California Coastkeeper Alliance: Statewide coalition of Waterkeeper groups across California's coastal watersheds. Provides the policy, advocacy, and grant-access infrastructure that complements the local cleanup work ILACSD performs, and serves as a potential scaling pathway for ILACSD's programs beyond San Diego.
• Keep America Beautiful: National501(c)(3) focused on litter prevention, recycling, and community beautification with affiliate network of state and county chapters. Comparable as the umbrella organization in ILACSD's space, but operates at national scale with corporate funding partnerships rather than direct local cleanup execution.
• Izaak Walton League of America: National conservation nonprofit with local chapters focused on habitat, watershed, and clean-water education. Comparable as an older (founded 1922) education-and-cleanup organization, but with broader conservation scope than ILACSD's litter-and-recycling focus.

Regional players

• Clean Ocean Action: New Jersey-based grassroots nonprofit running beach sweeps, education, and policy campaigns along the NJ shoreline. Mirrors ILACSD's volunteer-driven cleanup + education model but serves a different coastal geography with similar seasonal flagship events.
• San Diego Coastkeeper: San Diego-based Waterkeeper Alliance affiliate focused on watershed protection, water quality advocacy, and cleanups. Directly comparable as a fellow San Diego environmental nonprofit addressing overlapping pollution and education issues, though more policy- and water-quality oriented than litter-driven.
• Orange County Coastkeeper: Orange County, CA-based Waterkeeper affiliate with analogous cleanup, education, and watershed programs. Comparable programmatic structure to ILACSD but focused on the adjacent Southern California coastal region rather than San Diego County specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iloveacleansd
• Facebookfacebook.com/iloveacleansd
• Instagraminstagram.com/iloveacleansd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about I Love A Clean San Diego