Green Umbrella

What Green Umbrella does

Green Umbrella is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 and headquartered at the Digital Futures building in Cincinnati's Uptown Innovation District. Operating as Greater Cincinnati's Regional Climate Collaborative, the organization convenes a network of more than 200 member organizations — governments, nonprofits, businesses, and educational institutions — across a 10-county tri-state region spanning Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana (population over 2.2 million). It runs a portfolio of programs including the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council, the Cincinnati 2030 District (314 buildings, 15.3 million square feet committed to energy/water/transportation reduction), the Greenspace Alliance (115,899 acres tracked), the Green & Healthy Schools Network (60 schools), the Common Orchard Project, the Climate Resiliency Incubator, and the Climate Action Fellowship. Recent major initiatives include the 25 Communities Project (July 2025–August 2026, targeting historically disinvested communities) and ThriveTogether: A Sustainability Playbook for Greater Cincinnati, a 16-county climate mitigation plan developed with the OKI Regional Council of Governments under the US EPA Climate Pollution Reduction program.

The organization's core technology is a web-based platform (greenumbrella.org) that hosts a member directory of 200+ organizations, a green jobs and volunteer board, a community events calendar, and a library of reports and toolkits. There is no public API, SDK, or proprietary software product; the technical footprint is communications and event management infrastructure rather than a software platform. Signature in-person programming includes the annual Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit (13th edition scheduled for June 12, 2026, with 600+ attendees and 80+ speakers) and monthly Green Drinks networking events (50+ professionals per session), which together function as the primary member acquisition and sponsorship vehicles.

Green Umbrella generates revenue through four streams: tiered membership dues (business, nonprofit, government, and educational institution tiers; small business pricing starts at $100 and Participating membership is free for nonprofits and governments), corporate sponsorships (Duke Energy and Fifth Third Bank are named financial partners), individual donations (preset $25–$500 plus recurring options), and grants (the US EPA-funded ThriveTogether initiative is flagged in the source material). Distribution is regional and primarily direct through the membership signup portal, event-driven engagement, and a Climate Action Fellowship that pairs students with host organizations. The organization employs 17 staff and is governed by a board chaired by Jaime Love (People's Climate Innovation Center), with Jeremy Faust (Fifth Third Bank) as Vice President; Van Sullivan serves as Interim Executive Director.

Name

Green Umbrella

Legal name

Green Umbrella

Website

https://greenumbrella.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Green Umbrella is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that operates as Greater Cincinnati's Regional Climate Collaborative, convening 200+ member organizations across governments, nonprofits, businesses, and schools in a 10-county tri-state region to coordinate climate action and sustainability programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPAIAMAD), Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPADALAD), Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH), Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL), Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL)

Keywords

• Regional climate collaborative
• Sustainability membership network
• Community climate action
• Nonprofit environmental programs
• Food and greenspace initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Tiered membership fees based on organization type (business, nonprofit, government, educational institution) and size/revenue. Businesses under $250K revenue start at $100. Participating membership is free for nonprofits and governments. Supporting and Leading levels have higher fees based on revenue or population size.
2. Donations: Individual and organizational donations providing unrestricted funds. The donate page offers preset amounts ($25, $50, $125, $500) and custom donations with options for recurring donations (weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, yearly). Donations are tax-deductible.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships of programs and events including the Midwest Sustainability Summit, Green Drinks, Annual Meeting, Cincinnati 2030 District, Food Policy Council, Common Orchard Project, Green Schoolyards Action Network, and Greenspace Alliance. Sponsorship packages offer brand recognition, speaking opportunities, expo booths, and marketing visibility.
4. Grants: Grant funding from government programs (e.g., US EPA Climate Pollution Reduction program) and foundations supports specific initiatives like the ThriveTogether Sustainability Playbook and 25 Communities Project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Green Umbrella operates as Greater Cincinnati's Regional Climate Collaborative, a nonprofit membership network that convenes governments, nonprofits, businesses, and educational institutions to coordinate climate action across a 10-county tri-state region. It delivers programs spanning food systems, greenspace conservation, building energy reduction, K-12 sustainability, and community resilience, supported by tiered membership, corporate sponsorships, donations, and grants.

Product overview

Green Umbrella is Greater Cincinnati's Regional Climate Collaborative — a membership-based nonprofit network rather than a commercial software product. Its offering is a coordinated portfolio of programs, platforms, and events rather than a unified product or software platform. The core programs include the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council (advancing resilient regional food systems), the Cincinnati 2030 District (building energy/water/transportation emissions reduction network), the Greenspace Alliance (greenspace conservation), the Green & Healthy Schools Network (K-12 sustainability), the Common Orchard Project (public orchards for food access), the Climate Resiliency Incubator (researcher training), and the Climate Action Fellowship (student/career-changer placements). The 25 Communities Project and ThriveTogether Sustainability Playbook are major initiatives targeting historically disinvested communities and 16-county regional planning respectively. Member resource platforms include a directory of 200+ organizations, a Green Jobs & Volunteer Board, and an Events Calendar. Signature offerings include the annual Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit, Great Outdoor Weekend outdoor activity programming, and Greenspace Gems recognition. The organization generates revenue through a tiered membership program (Participating, Supporting, Leading levels), corporate sponsorships, and individual donations. The product architecture is organizational/programmatic rather than software-based, with no public API or SDK offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Organizational membership network with tiered levels (Participating, Supporting, Leading) offering training, networking, marketing opportunities, funding resources, and technical support for businesses, nonprofits, governments, and educational institutions.
• Donation Processing
• Sponsorship Program
• Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council
• Cincinnati 2030 District
• Greenspace Alliance
• Green & Healthy Schools Network
• Common Orchard Project
• Climate Resiliency Incubator (CRI)
• Climate Action Fellowship
• 25 Communities Project An initiative bringing 25 historically disinvested communities into the climate resilience movement through technical support, training, workshops, consultations, and Climate Action Fellows.
• ThriveTogether: A Sustainability Playbook for Greater Cincinnati
• Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit
• Green Umbrella Member Directory
• Green Jobs & Volunteer Board
• Events Calendar
• Great Outdoor Weekend
• Greenspace Gems
• Faith Communities Go Green
• Community Resilience Engagement (CSN Partnership)

Quantifiable outcome

• 184 active member organizations
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 minor.

• OKI Regional Council of GovernmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOKI is a key partner in developing the ThriveTogether: A Sustainability Playbook for Greater Cincinnati, a 16-county climate mitigation plan part of the US EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction program. Green Umbrella works with OKI and other partners on regional climate planning.
• Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission (NKAPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ThriveTogether Sustainability Playbook initiative, engaging communities in the regional planning process for 16 counties.
• Indiana University Environmental Resilience InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ThriveTogether Sustainability Playbook initiative, bringing research and technical expertise to the regional climate planning effort.
• City of Cincinnati Office of Environment and SustainabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in regional climate planning through the ThriveTogether Sustainability Playbook. Collaborates on climate action and resilience initiatives.
• Groundwork Ohio River ValleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSN Partnership runs in partnership with Groundwork Ohio River Valley to provide an equitable community engagement model for neighborhood-led resilience through the Climate Ready Communities program.
• EquaSioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith Communities Go Green program is run in partnership with EquaSion to educate, engage, and empower people of faith to create a more sustainable and equitable future.
• Kentucky Food Action Network (KFAN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks closely with KFAN on food policy initiatives and food systems advocacy in Kentucky.
• Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with OEFFA on organic and sustainable agriculture initiatives and resources for the regional food system.
• Ohio Food Policy Network (OFPN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks with OFPN on statewide food policy networking and advocacy coordination.
• National Farm to School NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with NFSN on farm to school initiatives, bringing local food into educational institutions.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Climate Generation: National nonprofit focused on climate education and youth leadership; overlaps with Green Umbrella's Climate Resiliency Incubator, Climate Action Fellowship, and education/outreach functions, but operates at a national rather than regional scale.
• Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN): National peer-learning network of municipal sustainability directors that supports city-level climate planning — overlapping with Green Umbrella's Regional Climate Collaborative role but operating at a national scale without a regional membership product.

Broad incumbents

• ICLEI USA: Established global network of local governments for sustainability; larger and broader, with comparable climate-action planning tools and member-based support, but without Green Umbrella's regional community-program depth.
• Great Plains Institute: Midwest-based nonprofit driving energy and climate policy across multiple states; shares the regional convening and multi-state footprint, with overlapping food/energy/equity themes but a more policy- and utility-focused portfolio.

Direct peers

• Sustainable Jersey: Municipal-focused sustainability certification and grants program in New Jersey that convenes local governments and community partners around climate action, mirroring Green Umbrella's local government engagement and certification-style programming.
• Sustainable Pittsburgh: Regional sustainability alliance serving southwestern Pennsylvania with a membership model, corporate sustainability programs, and convening role nearly identical to Green Umbrella's across government, nonprofit, and business stakeholders.
• Greenlink (Atlanta): Nonprofit producing energy and equity analytics that partner with regional collaboratives. Comparable operating-model adjacency and emphasis on equitable climate action align with Green Umbrella's 25 Communities Project.

Regional players

• PennFuture: Regional environmental advocacy nonprofit serving Pennsylvania with policy, legal, and community program work; comparable nonprofit operating model and advocacy posture, but focused on a different Mid-Atlantic geography.
• Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA): Regional membership organization building community across sustainable energy and building professionals in the Northeast; similarly operates a membership-supported event and education portfolio but in a different geography.

Others

• Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA): Regional membership collaborative advancing energy efficiency policy and programs across the Midwest; serves as an adjacent enabling/peer network for the type of building-decarbonization work Cincinnati 2030 District executes within Green Umbrella's network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/greenumbrella
• Facebookfacebook.com/GreenUmbrellaCIN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/green-umbrella

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Green Umbrella