Green Burial Council
Green Burial Council is a volunteer-led nonprofit that certifies cemeteries, funeral homes, and burial products under environmentally sustainable burial standards, and operates interactive provider directories and educational programs across North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersPlacerville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Green Burial Council does
Green Burial Council (GBC) is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization headquartered in Folsom, California, that operates as the primary North American certification body for environmentally sustainable burial practices. GBC certifies cemeteries under a three-tier framework — Hybrid, Natural, and Conservation — along with funeral homes and burial products (caskets, shrouds, urns, and body care items such as formaldehyde-free embalming fluids), verifying compliance with standards that prohibit toxic embalming, vaults, and non-biodegradable materials.
The organization's product surface centers on the GBC Provider Certification program paired with consumer-facing interactive provider maps covering cemeteries, funeral homes, and certified products. The underlying technology is a standards-based certification framework and document/policy verification process, distributed through a website that attracts over 10,000 monthly page views and a newsletter reaching 5,000+ recipients. GBC also operates webinars, an annual conference, academic research publications, and a media library to educate providers and consumers.
GBC's revenue model relies on annual, quote-based certification fees paid by cemeteries, funeral homes, and product manufacturers seeking the GBC mark, supplemented by donations and volunteer support. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The certified ecosystem spans 95+ cemetery locations and 183+ funeral home locations across the USA, Canada, and Guatemala. The business is operationally lean — volunteer-led with no disclosed paid headcount — and serves primarily small-to-mid independent providers, with consumer-facing tools driving indirect distribution through the network of certified providers.
Green Burial Council firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Green Burial Council
- Legal name
- Green Burial Council
- Website
- https://greenburialcouncil.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Green Burial Council is a volunteer-led nonprofit that certifies cemeteries, funeral homes, and burial products under environmentally sustainable burial standards, and operates interactive provider directories and educational programs across North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Green Burial Council industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Certification Services
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Cemeteries and Crematories (81222), Funeral Homes and Funeral Services (812210)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)
Keywords
Where Green Burial Council is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Placerville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Green Burial Council business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Provider Certification Fees: Certification fees from burial grounds, funeral homes, and product manufacturers that seek GBC certification to demonstrate environmental compliance and gain access to the GBC provider directory.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Provider certification programs for cemeteries, funeral homes, and products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Green Burial Council product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Green Burial Council (GBC) is a volunteer-led educational nonprofit that certifies burial grounds, funeral homes, and products against green/environmental burial standards across three tiers (Hybrid, Natural, Conservation). It operates as the leading authority on green burial in North America, maintaining public-facing directories that list certified providers, cemeteries, and products to help consumers and industry participants locate approved offerings.
Product overview
The Green Burial Council (GBC) operates as a certification and educational nonprofit offering a suite of certification programs for cemeteries, funeral homes, and burial products, paired with consumer-facing directory tools. The core offering is the GBC Provider Certification program, which includes three cemetery certification tiers (Hybrid, Natural, and Conservation) and certifications for funeral homes and products. Consumer-facing tools include the Cemetery Provider Map and Funeral Homes Provider Map directories, plus a Burial Products Directory showcasing certified caskets, shrouds, and urns. The portfolio also includes Body Care Products certification for formaldehyde-free alternatives, along with educational resources such as planning guides, webinars, and annual conferences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Green Burial Council Certification Program Certification program evaluating and approving burial grounds, funeral homes, and burial/body care products against established green burial standards, with three tier levels (Hybrid, Natural, Conservation cemeteries). Certification is priced by quote.
Companies that use Green Burial Council
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Green Burial Council technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Green Burial Council partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Green Burial Council competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Arbor Day Foundation: Large environmental nonprofit with conservation and reforestation mission, comparable as a broader environmental advocacy organization with stronger funding scale.
- Sierra Club Foundation: Major environmental nonprofit whose mission and donor base overlap with GBC's environmental/conservation advocacy positioning in the nonprofit ecosystem.
- National Funeral Directors Association: Large U.S. trade association for funeral directors that serves as a broad industry incumbent overlapping with GBC's funeral home audience and educational role.
- International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association: International trade association representing cemeteries, crematories and funeral providers, a broad incumbent with overlapping standards-setting influence on the burial industry.
- Cremation Association of North America: Trade association setting standards and certifying cremation providers, an adjacent broad incumbent that competes for mindshare in the alternative disposition market GBC targets.
Direct peers
- Green Burial Association of Canada: Canadian nonprofit advocating for and certifying green burial providers, with overlapping mission and provider directory comparable to GBC.
- Funeral Consumers Alliance: U.S. consumer-focused nonprofit providing information and advocacy on funeral choices, including green burial, sharing GBC's educational and advocacy mission.
- Conservation Burial Alliance: UK-based nonprofit promoting natural and conservation burial with similar certification and standards-setting mission, directly comparable to GBC's conservation cemetery standards.
Emerging players
- Natural Burial Company: Provider of biodegradable burial products (caskets, shrouds) that fits GBC's product certification category, an emerging player in the green burial supply chain.
- Eternal Springs Natural Burial Ground: Natural burial ground operator implementing conservation cemetery principles, an emerging player illustrating the type of GBC-certified provider ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Green Burial Council social profiles
Digital presenceGreen Burial Council financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Green Burial Council leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Green Burial Council funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Green Burial Council M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Green Burial Council
What does Green Burial Council do?
The Green Burial Council (GBC) is a volunteer-led educational nonprofit that certifies burial grounds, funeral homes, and products against green/environmental burial standards across three tiers (Hybrid, Natural, Conservation). It operates as the leading authority on green burial in North America, maintaining public-facing directories that list certified providers, cemeteries, and products to help consumers and industry participants locate approved offerings.
Is Green Burial Council a public or private company?
Green Burial Council is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Green Burial Council founded?
Green Burial Council was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Green Burial Council based?
Green Burial Council is headquartered in Placerville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Green Burial Council make money?
One revenue line is on record: provider Certification Fees.
Who are Green Burial Council's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Arbor Day Foundation, Sierra Club Foundation, National Funeral Directors Association, International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association and Cremation Association of North America. Direct peers are Green Burial Association of Canada, Funeral Consumers Alliance and Conservation Burial Alliance. Emerging players are Natural Burial Company and Eternal Springs Natural Burial Ground.
Does Green Burial Council have an API?
No public API is recorded for Green Burial Council.
What industry is Green Burial Council in?
Green Burial Council's product category is Environmental Certification Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAC, Land Trusts & Protected Areas. Its NAICS code is 813312.