Audubon International

What Audubon International does

Audubon International is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Troy, New York, founded in 1987 (originally chartered as the Audubon Society of New York State; rebranded to its current DBA name in 1996) and operating with 1–10 employees. The organization provides third-party environmental certification and verification services across multiple program verticals: the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP) for Golf — the flagship, with nearly 2,000 courses worldwide — plus ACSP for Business, Signature Sanctuary (Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum tiers for new developments), Green Hospitality (tiered by room count for hotels, resorts, and inns), and Sustainable Communities. Certification is delivered through structured Environmental Planning Forms, documentation against six required categories (environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, chemical use reduction, water conservation, water quality management, outreach and education), and on-site verification visits conducted by the organization's Environmental Specialists, with three-year recertification cycles. Supporting conservation programs include Monarchs in the Rough (a pollinator initiative engaging 800+ golf courses and creating 1,200+ acres of milkweed habitat) and the annual BioBlitz species-counting competition.

The business model is subscription-based: ACSP for Golf charges $1,000 USD for initial enrollment and $500 annual renewal for U.S. properties (slightly higher for international), Green Hospitality pricing scales by room count, and Signature Sanctuary uses a tiered certification path. Revenue is supplemented by merchandise sales ($75 per certified property sign including aluminum eagle, bear, geese, and egret designs), donation inflows through the organization's donation portal, and a long-standing USGA grant relationship contributing over $2 million over twenty years to offset ACSP administration fees. Go-to-market is direct sales-led via an online membership portal and Environmental Specialist site visits, augmented by an industry partner referral network including the USGA, GCSAA, golf course management companies (KemperSports), and design firms (Fry/Straka, Origins Golf Design).

The operating footprint spans North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico), Europe (U.K.), and Latin America (Colombia), with a hotel partnership channel extending into brand-level deployments with Marriott and Hyatt Vacation Club properties. The organization is independently governed by a Board of Directors (Christine Kane, CEO) and has no parent company or affiliation with the National Audubon Society, despite sharing conservation branding heritage.

Name

Audubon International

Legal name

Audubon Society of New York State

Website

https://auduboninternational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Audubon International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing third-party environmental certification programs (ACSP, Signature Sanctuary, Green Hospitality, Sustainable Communities) to golf courses, hotels, resorts, communities, schools, and businesses across North America, Europe, and Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Certification Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Eco-Certification, Auditing & Standards (Green Lodging, Tour Operator Certification) (THAAANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI), Sustainability/Green Certified Conference Hotels (THAGALAN)

Keywords

• Environmental certification programs
• Eco-labeling services
• Sustainable golf management
• Green hospitality certification
• Conservation stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Troy

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, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for enrollment in certification programs including ACSP for Golf, ACSP for Business, Green Lodging, Signature Sanctuary, and Sustainable Communities. Initial enrollment fee covers first year, with annual renewal fees thereafter.
2. Certified Property Merchandise: Sale of branded aluminum indoor/outdoor certified property signs featuring eagle, bear, geese, and egret designs, as well as Monarchs in the Rough program signs, priced at $75 per sign including US shipping.
3. Donations: Acceptance of charitable donations from the public and supporters, processed through the organization's donation portal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Audubon International provides third-party environmental certification programs for golf courses (ACSP), businesses (ACSP for Business), lodging properties (Green Hospitality), new developments (Signature Sanctuary), and communities (Sustainable Communities), supported by on-site verification visits by trained Environmental Specialists and conservation initiatives such as Monarchs in the Rough and BioBlitz. The organization also sells branded certified property signage and accepts charitable donations to fund its mission.

Product overview

Audubon International is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of environmental certification programs. The core offerings include the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP) for Golf and Business (with US and International variants), the Signature Sanctuary Program (with Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers), the Green Hospitality Program (tiered by property size), and the Sustainable Communities Program. Supporting these are conservation initiatives including Monarchs in the Rough (pollinator habitat restoration) and BioBlitz (species-counting competitions). The organization also sells Certified Property Signs (Eagle, Bear, Geese, Egret, and Monarchs in the Rough designs) and publishes the quarterly Stewardship News newsletter. All programs provide third-party on-site verification of vetted, science-supported sustainable practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP) Comprehensive environmental certification program helping golf courses, schools, and businesses implement and document environmental management plans through site assessments, planning, and on-site verification.
• ACSP for Golf Flagship certification track for golf courses covering environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, chemical use reduction, water conservation, water quality management, and outreach and education. Includes nearly 2,000 courses worldwide.
• ACSP for Business Environmental certification program for businesses, schools, breweries, and other commercial entities outside the golf industry, enabling implementation and documentation of comprehensive environmental management plans.
• Signature Sanctuary Program Certification program for new golf course developments and existing properties with Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels, providing comprehensive sustainability verification across golf, lodging, buildings, and infrastructure.
• Green Hospitality Program Certification program for lodging and hospitality properties including hotels, resorts, and inns, with tiered membership pricing based on room count (1-200, 201-500, 500+ rooms) and certification levels up to Platinum.
• Sustainable Communities Program Certification program for municipalities, private communities, and planned developments demonstrating environmental stewardship through policies protecting watersheds, promoting biodiversity, and sustaining natural resources.
• Monarchs in the Rough Conservation initiative collaborating with golf courses to restore pollinator habitats by planting milkweed and nectar plants in out-of-play areas to support monarch butterfly conservation. Has worked with over 800 golf courses creating more than 1,200 acres of habitat.
• BioBlitz Annual free species-counting competition for golf courses where participants count plant and animal species to showcase environmental value of natural habitats, with Biodiversity, Community Engagement, and Best Photo award categories.
• Certified Property Signs (Eagle, Bear, Geese, Egret) 12\"x 18\" aluminum indoor/outdoor signs for certified golf courses, hotels, buildings, and other facilities, available in Eagle, Bear, Geese, and Egret designs at $75.00 per sign including US shipping.
• Monarchs in the Rough Sign 12\"x 18\" aluminum indoor/outdoor sign for golf courses participating in the Monarchs in the Rough Program, priced at $75.00 including US shipping.
• Stewardship News Newsletter Quarterly newsletter publication covering environmental stewardship topics, program updates, member success stories, and conservation news, distributed in print, digital, and via Issuu.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 certified members across all programs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers20 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• The FairWays FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2025The FairWays Foundation provides milkweed seed grants to Audubon International's Monarchs in the Rough program, supporting up to 20 additional golf courses with shipments of regionally appropriate milkweed seed, signs, technical guidance, and installation support to create monarch butterfly habitats.
• United States Golf Association (USGA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe USGA has been a strong supporter of Audubon International's sustainability efforts in the golf industry, providing over $2 million over twenty years to offset fees associated with administering the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses. This long-standing partnership has facilitated broad adoption of ACSP certification among golf courses.
• TravalystmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerAudubon International is a certification partner within the Travalyst certification initiative, a travel sustainability framework. Audubon International's certification programs are listed alongside other global sustainability standards as part of Travalyst's mission to make tourism more sustainable.
• KemperSportsmoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKemperSports is a golf course management company that manages golf facilities including Winnetka Golf Club, which became the first KemperSports-managed facility to complete all four levels of Green to A Tee certification within a single year, including Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Certification.
• Fry/Straka Global Golf Course DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFry/Straka Global Golf Course Design developed the renovation master plan for Sarasota National, an Audubon International Certified Signature Sanctuary. The multi-million-dollar project includes rebuilding greens to USGA specifications, re-grassing fairways, and installing new irrigation systems.
• Origins Golf Design (Todd Eckenrode)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTodd Eckenrode of Origins Golf Design originally designed the Fred Couples Signature course at Twin Dolphin Club and later returned to design the Backyard Short Course. Twin Dolphin achieved Signature Sanctuary Gold Certification under Audubon International's program.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EarthCheck: EarthCheck is a sustainability certification and benchmarking program for the travel and tourism industry, certifying hotels, resorts, and tour operators. It is a head-to-head competitor in hospitality sustainability certification with science-supported, third-party verified methodology similar to AI's approach.
• Travelife: Travelife is a sustainability certification and management system for hotels and tour operators, widely adopted in Europe and emerging markets. It competes with AI in the hospitality sustainability certification space, particularly for international hotel properties.
• Green Key: Green Key is an international eco-label awarded to hotels and other lodging establishments meeting environmental criteria. It directly competes with Audubon's Green Hospitality program for sustainability-certified hotel members across global markets.
• Golf Environment Organization (GEO): GEO is the leading international sustainability certification body for golf courses, operating the OnCourse program. It is the most direct competitor in golf sustainability certification worldwide, serving a comparable course-owner audience with overlapping methodology.

Broad incumbents

• BREEAM: BREEAM is one of the world's leading sustainability assessment and certification schemes for buildings, infrastructure, and communities. It is a broad incumbent competing in the same communities/certified-property space as Audubon's Sustainable Communities and Signature Sanctuary programs.
• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC): GSTC sets global baseline sustainability standards for tourism and accommodation, against which other certification programs (including Trail's AI and Travalyst) measure themselves. While not a direct certifier, it shapes the standards ecosystem in which Audubon International competes.
• U.S. Green Building Council (LEED): USGBC operates the LEED certification system for buildings and communities, including LEED for Communities and LEED for Hospitality. While broader in scope than AI, LEED overlaps in communities and lodging/campus sustainability verification.
• Sustainable Hospitality Alliance: The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance is an industry organization coordinating net-positive hospitality commitments among major hotel groups. Its pathways intersect with AI's Green Hospitality program and influence how hotels select third-party certification partners.

Emerging players

• Carbon Trust Certification: Carbon Trust provides third-party certification for carbon footprint reduction and resource efficiency in products and organizations. While newer to the property-sustainability certification space, it is a potential substitute or complement to AI's certification stack.
• GreenStep Sustainable Tourism: GreenStep is an emerging online platform guiding tourism businesses through sustainability certification and improvement. As a lower-friction digital alternative to in-person audit-based certifications, it represents the technology-mediated competitive threat facing Audubon International.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AudubonIntl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@audubonintl
• Facebookfacebook.com/AudubonInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/audubon-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/auduboninternational

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Audubon International