The Charcoal Project
The Charcoal Project is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes clean burning technologies and sustainable biomass briquette alternatives for communities in sub-Saharan Africa, supporting entrepreneurs, policy makers, and producer associations through the Harvest Fuel Initiative, advocacy, and technical research.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Charcoal Project does
The Charcoal Project (TCP) is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, and operating with a small team (1-10 employees) plus volunteer board members. Its mission is to promote the widespread adoption of clean burning technologies and sustainable fuel alternatives — primarily biomass briquettes made from waste streams, improved cookstoves, electric pressure cookers, and cooking baskets — for the nearly 3 billion people globally who depend on wood, charcoal, and other traditional biomass fuels for daily cooking and heating, with a primary operational focus on sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania) and additional reach into West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana) and Southern Africa (Mozambique, Madagascar). TCP does not develop proprietary technology products; instead it functions as an intermediary and capacity-building platform, running the Harvest Fuel Initiative (HFI, co-developed with MIT D-Lab), an Entrepreneurs Program that invests financial, technical, and business management resources in social enterprises, advocacy and policy work targeting clean-cooking regulation, technical and policy research (including an FAO-supported study on sustainable charcoal policies in African nations), and a sustainable feedstock program. The organization also sponsors and supports the United Briquette Producers Association (UBPA) in Kenya, convenes producers through events such as the AScHES (Advancing Sustainable cHarcoal Enterprises at Scale) program, and engages policy makers from Kenya's Ministry of Energy & Petroleum.
Revenue mechanics are entirely non-commercial. TCP is funded by tax-deductible donations (accepted via PayPal, offline channels, and a range of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Cardano, Ethereum, Doge, ChainLink, and Aave), program grants (e.g., Mennonite Economic Development Associates for the Harvest Fuel Initiative), and donor-agency partnerships (e.g., UNHCR refugee-fuel programs). No products are sold, no pricing tiers exist, and no revenue or financial statements are publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is community- and event-led: TCP builds and supports a network of social entrepreneurs, producer associations, research institutions, and policy stakeholders across Africa, with marketing primarily through a multilingual website, blog, social media (Facebook, Twitter), email newsletter, and sponsored convenings. Reported cumulative impact includes 100,000+ trees saved, 20% energy savings per customer, 200+ women entrepreneurs empowered, and 200+ entrepreneurs supported overall.
The Charcoal Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Charcoal Project
- Legal name
- The Charcoal Project
- Website
- https://charcoalproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Charcoal Project is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes clean burning technologies and sustainable biomass briquette alternatives for communities in sub-Saharan Africa, supporting entrepreneurs, policy makers, and producer associations through the Harvest Fuel Initiative, advocacy, and technical research.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Charcoal Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Clean Cooking Non-Profit Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)
- SIC
- Forestry (800), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Regenerative Agriculture & Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) (EUABABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Carbon Forestry Project Development & Origination (Afforestation/Reforestation/IFM) (IMAMAJAD)
Keywords
Where The Charcoal Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Charcoal Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Charcoal Project is a designated 501(c)(3) organization in the United States. Donations are 100% tax deductible in the U.S. They accept donations via PayPal, offline donations, and cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Cardano, Ethereum, Doge, ChainLink, Aave).
- Grants and Program Funding: TCP receives grants to support programming, including from Mennonite Economic Development Associates for the Harvest Fuel Initiative in Kenya. They also partner with donor agencies to support refugee fuel programs.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Charcoal Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Charcoal Project is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes widespread adoption of clean burning technologies and sustainable fuel alternatives, with a focus on biomass briquettes, improved cookstoves, and other clean cooking solutions designed to reduce reliance on traditional charcoal and wood fuel, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The organization delivers this mission through programmatic initiatives spanning entrepreneurship support, advocacy, technical and policy research, and sustainable feedstock development.
Product overview
The Charcoal Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a platform of programs and initiatives rather than a commercial product. The organization's offerings center on five interconnected programs: the Harvest Fuel Initiative (HFI) developed with MIT D-Lab to support briquette producers; the Entrepreneurs Program providing financial and technical resources to social enterprises; Advocacy and Policy work for clean energy adoption; Technical and Policy Research; and Sustainable Feedstock development. The AScHES convening represents a key capacity-building activity supporting the broader ecosystem of sustainable biomass fuel entrepreneurs. Together, these programs work toward the mission of promoting clean burning technologies and sustainable fuel alternatives for communities dependent on biomass fuels in Africa and worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Harvest Fuel Initiative (HFI): A program that creates a community of practice for briquette producers and supports their efforts to expand and scale, developed together with MIT D-Lab
- AScHES (Advancing Sustainable cHarcoal Enterprises at Scale)
Products and services
- Harvest Fuel Initiative (HFI)
- Entrepreneurs Program
- Advocacy and Policy Program
- Technical and Policy Research
- Sustainable Feedstock Program
- AScHES Convening
Quantifiable outcome
- 100,000+ trees saved through replacement of wood and traditional charcoal with sustainable solutions
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Charcoal Project
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Charcoal Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Charcoal Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Mukuru Clean Stoves (Charlot Magayi)minorCharlot Magayi, Founder of Mukuru Clean Stoves, was a guest speaker at the UBPA 2025 annual general meeting. She shared her experience as an entrepreneur and the path that led her to building a successful clean cooking business.
- Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, KenyaminorDr. Faith Wandera-Odongo, Director of Renewable Energy at Kenya's Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, was a guest speaker at UBPA 2025 meeting. She discussed renewable energy policy trends and the need for clean fuel producers to provide impact data.
- HANDSminorHANDS (community-based creative solutions workshop) provided training that enabled Sarah Basemera to start her briquette operation. They conducted workshops for refugees on making char briquettes.
- MIT D-LabcoreTCP collaborates with MIT D-Lab on the Harvest Fuel Initiative and AScHES (Advancing Sustainable Charcoal Enterprises at Scale) program. Together they host convenings for biomass briquette producers, providing training in business and technical topics. MIT D-Lab is a co-organizer of the AScHES convening held in Naivasha, Kenya in October 2018.
- Clean Cooking Association of Kenya (CCAK)minorCCAK is listed as a partner attending UBPA events. They are part of the ecosystem of organizations working on clean cooking solutions in Kenya.
- Power Up (Ashden)minorPower Up (Ashden) is listed as a partner attending UBPA events. Ashden is a UK-based organization promoting sustainable energy solutions.
- Improved Stove Association of Kenya (ISAK)minorISAK is listed as a partner attending UBPA events. They work on improved cookstove solutions in Kenya.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Charcoal Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Charcoal Project social profiles
Digital presenceThe Charcoal Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Charcoal Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Charcoal Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Charcoal Project 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 The Charcoal Project
What does The Charcoal Project do?
The Charcoal Project is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes widespread adoption of clean burning technologies and sustainable fuel alternatives, with a focus on biomass briquettes, improved cookstoves, and other clean cooking solutions designed to reduce reliance on traditional charcoal and wood fuel, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The organization delivers this mission through programmatic initiatives spanning entrepreneurship support, advocacy, technical and policy research, and sustainable feedstock development.
Is The Charcoal Project a public or private company?
The Charcoal Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Charcoal Project founded?
The Charcoal Project was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Charcoal Project based?
The Charcoal Project is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Charcoal Project make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are grants and Program Funding.
Does The Charcoal Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Charcoal Project.
What industry is The Charcoal Project in?
The Charcoal Project's product category is Clean Cooking Non-Profit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABABAE, Regenerative Agriculture & Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), with a secondary code of IMAMAJAD, Carbon Forestry Project Development & Origination (Afforestation/Reforestation/IFM). Its NAICS code is 115310 and its SIC code is 800.