Chicago Wilderness

What Chicago Wilderness does

Chicago Wilderness Alliance is a regional nonprofit conservation collaborative founded in 1996 that brings together hundreds of partner organizations and thousands of individuals to implement landscape-scale conservation across a four-state region covering 38 counties in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, focused on the southern shores of Lake Michigan. Its core offerings center on a member portal and event infrastructure powered by YourMembership.com association management software, supplemented by a job board/career center, community calendar, the Green Vision Initiatives online hub, an annual Congress conference, and two recognition programs: the Dr. George B. Rabb Force of Nature Awards and the Excellence in Ecological Restoration Program (EERP) accreditation, which issues Platinum and Gold tiers to qualifying forest preserves. The organization's go-to-market is membership-based, with tiered annual dues ($100 for partner organizations, $300 for non-partners, $1,500 plus site visit expenses for outside-region applicants), supplemented by voluntary donations; revenue is not publicly disclosed. The Alliance's partner ecosystem spans government forest preserve districts (Cook, DuPage, Lake, McHenry, Will counties), major conservation NGOs (The Nature Conservancy, Openlands, Audubon Great Lakes), research and education institutions (Chicago Botanic Garden, The Morton Arboretum, Field Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, Fermilab), and a growing set of urban and equity-focused partners (Shedd Aquarium, Chicago Park District, Urban Rivers, American Indian Center). Its current leadership is provided by Chair Elizabeth Kessler, Executive Director of the McHenry County Conservation District, supported by a small staff operating under a Steering Committee/Executive Council governance structure.

Name

Chicago Wilderness

Legal name

Chicago Wilderness Alliance

Website

https://chicagowilderness.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago Wilderness Alliance is a regional nonprofit collaborative of hundreds of partner organizations across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin that coordinates landscape-scale conservation through member programs, accreditation (EERP), and an annual Congress conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Services and Ecological Restoration Accreditation

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

Keywords

• Regional conservation collaborative
• Ecological restoration accreditation
• Conservation partnership network
• Biodiversity recovery planning
• Habitat preservation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from partner organizations and individual members, with tiered pricing for partners ($100) vs non-partners ($300) for EERP accreditation applications
2. Donations: Voluntary donations from individuals and organizations supporting conservation efforts in the Chicago Wilderness region

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Chicago Wilderness Alliance is a regional nonprofit collaborative that convenes hundreds of partner organizations and thousands of individuals to implement landscape-scale conservation across 38 counties in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Its core offerings center on a member portal and the Excellence in Ecological Restoration Program (EERP), a voluntary accreditation program that establishes best management practices for ecological restoration, alongside the annual Force of Nature Awards and the annual Congress conference.

Product overview

Chicago Wilderness Alliance operates a membership-based online platform powered by YourMembership.com association management software. The core offerings include a member portal for the regional collaborative of hundreds of partner organizations, a job board/career center for posting and searching conservation positions, a community calendar for events and webinars, the Green Vision Initiatives hub, and two award programs: the Dr. George B. Rabb Force of Nature Awards and the Excellence in Ecological Restoration Program (EERP) accreditation. The organization also hosts an annual Congress conference. These programs collectively support landscape-scale conservation across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Excellence in Ecological Restoration Program (EERP) A voluntary comprehensive accreditation program for establishing best management practices in ecological restoration across the four-state region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin), administered by the Commission on Excellence in Ecological Restoration. EERP accreditation is open to partner organizations ($100), non-partner organizations ($300), and out-of-region applicants ($1,500 plus site visit expenses).
• Dr. George B. Rabb Force of Nature Awards An annual awards program that celebrates people, programs, projects, and partnerships whose conservation, restoration, advocacy, and/or educational activities serve as inspirational examples, named in memory of Dr. George B. Rabb.
• Congress Annual Conference An annual congress event for the Alliance featuring field trips, educational sessions, and networking opportunities for conservation professionals. Congress 2026 marks the Alliance's 30th anniversary with the theme 'CWA at 30: Growing Forward Together.'
• Career Center / Job Board A job board platform for posting and searching conservation and environmental job openings across the Chicago Wilderness region, with search options by keywords, location, organization, category, position type, education and experience requirements.
• Green Vision Initiatives Hub An online collaborative hub for the Green Vision Initiatives, a regional effort to advance conservation, equity, and sustainability goals across the Chicago Wilderness Alliance region.
• Member Portal A member-facing online portal for dues-paid members of Chicago Wilderness to access exclusive content, resources, and member-only news, powered by YourMembership.com association management software.

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Southeast Wisconsin Conservation PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional conservation organizations collaborating within the Chicago Wilderness Alliance network spanning the southern shores of Lake Michigan
• Northeast Illinois Conservation OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organizations in Northeast Illinois working on landscape-scale conservation under the Alliance framework
• Northwest Indiana Conservation PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organizations in Northwest Indiana collaborating on regional biodiversity recovery initiatives
• Southwest Michigan Conservation PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organizations in Southwest Michigan participating in the four-state collaborative conservation effort
• Forest Preserve District of DuPage CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor government agency partner managing forest preserves, participant in EERP accreditation program with multiple Platinum-level accreditations
• Forest Preserves of Cook CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor forest preserve district and founding member of Chicago Wilderness Alliance, managing 70,000+ acres of natural areas
• Lake County Forest PreservescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForest preserve district partner with multiple EERP Platinum accreditations including Greenbelt and Grassy Lake
• McHenry County Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation district partner with Platinum EERP accreditation for High Point Conservation Area and hosting 2025 chair of CWA
• Forest Preserve District of Will CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForest preserve district partner with EERP Platinum accreditation for Lockport Prairie and Gold for Sand Ridge Savanna
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor conservation nonprofit partner and founding member of the Alliance, key partner in Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge and Calumet region conservation
• Friends of the Forest PreservescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy nonprofit partner providing volunteer stewardship, conservation corps programs, and community engagement for forest preserves
• Chicago Botanic GardencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner contributing to conservation research, ecological restoration, and professional education
• The Morton ArboretumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and education partner in tree conservation, urban forestry, and ecological restoration
• Field MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institution partner through Keller Science Action Center, contributing to Calumet region conservation planning
• Friends of the Chicago RivercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRiver conservation organization partner leading watershed restoration, dam removal, and policy advocacy
• Lincoln Park Zoo (Urban Wildlife Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner conducting urban biodiversity monitoring at 100+ sites through Chicago Wildlife Watch and Bat Tracker programs
• OpenlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation nonprofit partner in Calumet region conservation, land protection, and urban nature initiatives
• Audubon Great LakescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBird conservation partner involved in Powderhorn Lake restoration and regional habitat projects
• Fermilab (US Department of Energy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch facility partner with groundbreaking prairie restoration since 1975, managing 1,000 acres of tallgrass prairie
• Shedd AquariumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner leading Rewilding the South Branch Chicago River restoration project with $1.8M in grant funding secured
• Chicago Park DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner in urban conservation, river restoration, and community nature programs
• Urban RiverscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation nonprofit partner that has installed 3,000+ square feet of floating wetland habitats in the Chicago River
• American Indian CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural organization partner in land-based healing, traditional ecological knowledge, and Native community conservation
• Great Lakes CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntergovernmental partner providing funding and support for Powderhorn Lake habitat restoration project
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partner providing funding for Great Lakes restoration and coastal habitat projects
• Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner funding the Defusing Disasters Working Group's Heat Vulnerability Index development

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Audubon Great Lakes: Regional bird and habitat conservation arm of the National Audubon Society. Listed as a core CWA partner (e.g., Powderhorn Lake restoration); shares a Great Lakes regional focus and biodiversity/habitat mission.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation nonprofit and founding CWA partner focused on land and water protection. TNC operates at far greater scale but shares the same biodiversity, habitat, and landscape-scale conservation mission; it is also a key CWA partner in Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge and Calumet region initiatives.
• Openlands: Chicago-area conservation nonprofit focused on land protection and urban nature. Listed as a core CWA partner, it shares the regional conservation mandate and overlapping Chicago-metro geographic footprint.
• Friends of the Chicago River: Regional nonprofit focused on Chicago River watershed policy, restoration, and advocacy. Listed as a CWA partner (2025 Force of Nature Award to its leader) and shares the regional conservation/waterway protection focus.
• Greater Yellowstone Coalition: Regional conservation alliance focused on the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, often cited as a model for landscape-scale collaborative conservation. Structurally analogous to CWA as a multi-state, multi-partner conservation coalition.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land conservation and creating parks/nature access. Comparable mission around land protection, conservation finance, and community access to nature; operates broader geographically but with similar conservation tools.
• Wildlands Network: National nonprofit focused on landscape-scale wildlife corridor and connectivity conservation. Shares the science-driven, regional-collaboration approach CWA uses for biodiversity recovery in the Chicago region.
• The Conservation Foundation: DuPage County-based regional land conservation nonprofit referenced in CWA's Force of Nature Awards. Operates a similar model of regional land protection, donor stewardship, and conservation collaboration in the Chicago metro.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club: National grassroots environmental organization with overlapping conservation, advocacy, and member-driven programs. Operates at much larger scale but shares a member/dues-driven model and conservation mission space.
• National Wildlife Federation: Largest U.S. private conservation organization with state affiliates in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Operates at national scale on overlapping wildlife and habitat issues; serves as a broader incumbent with similar advocacy function.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chiwilderness
• Facebookfacebook.com/184930899218
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-wilderness-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Chicago Wilderness