North American Butterfly Association
The North American Butterfly Association (NABA) is a 501c3 nonprofit that operates the world's largest butterfly sighting database through a citizen science network of 24 chapters across 14 states, serving butterfly enthusiasts, researchers, schools, and institutions with butterfly counts, garden certification, and conservation education programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersMorristown, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What North American Butterfly Association does
The North American Butterfly Association (NABA) is a 501c3 nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1992 and headquartered in Morristown, NJ. Its core function is convening a community-led citizen science network for monitoring butterfly populations across North America, anchored by the NABA Butterfly Count program, which has accumulated 11,600 counts over 30+ years and constitutes the largest database of butterfly sightings and population abundances in the world. NABA serves butterfly enthusiasts, citizen scientists, schools, and corporate/institutional garden operators through a portfolio of programs including the Butterfly Counts Program, the Butterfly Garden Certification Program, the National Butterfly Center (a 100-acre preserve in Mission, TX housing 246 butterfly species), the NABA Sightings Database, and two quarterly magazines (American Butterflies and Butterfly Gardener).
NABA's technology footprint centers on a community-submitted sightings platform with automated archiving and searchable, exportable records, supplemented by Google and Facebook SSO integration. Scientific data access is gated through a scientific advisory committee review process and memorandum of understanding. The organization's data was central to a 2025 Science study documenting a 22% decline in American butterfly populations over 20 years, establishing its dataset as a reference resource for academic research.
NABA operates a diversified nonprofit revenue model: recurring membership dues, tax-deductible donations (including stock, IRA, and planned giving), transaction fees from butterfly count participants ($3 per person), one-time sales of annual Butterfly Count Reports ($15 per copy), and recurring garden certification fees. Distribution is community-led through 24 chapters in 14 states, direct website engagement, organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn), and physical visitation to the National Butterfly Center and the annual Texas Butterfly Festival.
North American Butterfly Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- North American Butterfly Association
- Legal name
- North American Butterfly Association
- Website
- https://naba.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The North American Butterfly Association (NABA) is a 501c3 nonprofit that operates the world's largest butterfly sighting database through a citizen science network of 24 chapters across 14 states, serving butterfly enthusiasts, researchers, schools, and institutions with butterfly counts, garden certification, and conservation education programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
North American Butterfly Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wildlife Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)
Keywords
Where North American Butterfly Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Morristown
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
North American Butterfly Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: NABA is a membership organization where individuals pay annual dues to join and support butterfly conservation efforts, receiving publications like American Butterflies and Butterfly Gardener magazines as member benefits.
- Butterfly Count Participation Fees: Count compilers pay $3 per participant for organized citizen science butterfly counts. Fees support data collection, compilation, and storage of butterfly population data.
- Butterfly Count Reports: Sale of annual Butterfly Count Report publications detailing geographical distribution and population size of species identified during NABA Butterfly Counts, priced at $15 per copy.
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting butterfly conservation work, including options for one-time gifts, recurring donations, stock donations, IRA contributions, and planned giving through wills or trusts.
- Butterfly Garden Certification: Program certifying gardens as butterfly habitats, encouraging native plantings and avoiding pesticides.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Butterfly Count Participant Fee |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Butterfly Count Report |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
North American Butterfly Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NABA is a membership-based 501c3 nonprofit that runs citizen science butterfly counts, certifies butterfly-friendly gardens, and operates the National Butterfly Center preserve. The organization maintains the world's largest database of butterfly sightings and population abundances, publishes two quarterly magazines (American Butterflies and Butterfly Gardener), and supports 24 volunteer chapters across 14 states.
Product overview
The North American Butterfly Association (NABA) offers a suite of butterfly conservation programs centered around its core Butterfly Counts Program, Garden Certification Program, and the National Butterfly Center preserve. The organization publishes two quarterly magazines (American Butterflies and Butterfly Gardener), maintains the Checklist of North American Butterflies, and operates the NABA Sightings Database for community-reported observations. Additionally, NABA supports a network of 24 volunteer chapters across 14 states and offers annual Butterfly Count Reports. The membership-based organization supports butterfly enthusiasts through educational publications, citizen science initiatives, and habitat certification programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Butterfly Counts Program Citizen science initiative where volunteers conduct 24-hour counts within designated circles, collecting population data on butterfly species across North America; supports NABA's research database.
- Butterfly Garden Certification Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 22% decline in American butterfly populations documented over 20 years using NABA data
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use North American Butterfly Association
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
North American Butterfly Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
North American Butterfly Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
North American Butterfly Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: Nonprofit dedicated to invertebrate conservation, including pollinators and butterflies. Most direct comparable in mission, citizen science programs, and policy advocacy for North American invertebrate habitat.
- Monarch Butterfly Fund: Nonprofit dedicated to monarch butterfly conservation through habitat restoration and education. Direct overlap in butterfly-specific mission and habitat certification programming.
- Pollinator Partnership: National nonprofit focused specifically on pollinator health, supporting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators through habitat programs and partnerships — overlapping mission and target audience with NABA.
- Monarch Joint Venture: Partnership of organizations focused on monarch butterfly conservation. Operates similar citizen science, habitat certification, and education programs targeting the same enthusiast demographic.
Broad incumbents
- Conservation International: Global environmental NGO focused on biodiversity, climate, and nature-based solutions. Adjacent in biodiversity conservation mission and competes for philanthropic funding.
- National Wildlife Federation: Large incumbent conservation nonprofit covering broader wildlife including pollinators. Competes for the same donor dollars and policy attention but operates at significantly larger scale.
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Global conservation giant active in habitat and species protection including pollinators. Competes for international donor attention but operates at vastly larger scale.
- The Nature Conservancy: Large-scale land and water conservation nonprofit. Comparable land stewardship ethos and donor base, but operates at much larger scale with broader biodiversity focus.
- Audubon Society: Major bird and wildlife conservation nonprofit with similar membership-based model, chapter network structure, and conservation advocacy mission, though focused on birds.
Emerging players
- Journey North: Citizen science platform tracking migratory species including monarchs. Overlapping citizen science data collection methodology and educator/observer user base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
North American Butterfly Association social profiles
Digital presenceNorth American Butterfly Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
North American Butterfly Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
North American Butterfly Association subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
North American Butterfly Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
North American Butterfly Association 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 North American Butterfly Association
What does North American Butterfly Association do?
NABA is a membership-based 501c3 nonprofit that runs citizen science butterfly counts, certifies butterfly-friendly gardens, and operates the National Butterfly Center preserve. The organization maintains the world's largest database of butterfly sightings and population abundances, publishes two quarterly magazines (American Butterflies and Butterfly Gardener), and supports 24 volunteer chapters across 14 states.
Is North American Butterfly Association a public or private company?
North American Butterfly Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was North American Butterfly Association founded?
North American Butterfly Association was founded in 1992. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is North American Butterfly Association based?
North American Butterfly Association is headquartered in Morristown, United States, in the North America region.
How does North American Butterfly Association make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are butterfly Count Participation Fees, butterfly Count Reports, donations and Charitable Contributions and butterfly Garden Certification.
Who are North American Butterfly Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Monarch Butterfly Fund, Pollinator Partnership and Monarch Joint Venture. Broad incumbents are Conservation International, National Wildlife Federation, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Nature Conservancy and Audubon Society. Journey North is listed as an emerging player.
Does North American Butterfly Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for North American Butterfly Association.
What industry is North American Butterfly Association in?
North American Butterfly Association's product category is Wildlife Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAA, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation, with a secondary code of EUAHAJAM, Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital). Its NAICS code is 71219.