Institute for Sustainable Development

What Institute for Sustainable Development does

Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit practitioner-led think tank founded in 2003 and strategically relaunched in June 2018 around disaster resilience and recovery research. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia with 11-50 employees, ISD produces original analysis on disaster recovery economics, CDBG-DR and BRIC program design, parametric insurance, housing finance, and AI impacts on communities. Its portfolio of services includes the free Expert Help Desk, the Economic Recovery and Resilience Academy with customizable curricula, the Together for Los Angeles public-private collaborative, the Swannanoa Revitalization Project field initiative in post-Hurricane Helene North Carolina, and a webinar series co-hosted with StateBook. ISD does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its 'product' is applied research, field-validated frameworks (such as the Community Development Asset Management Model v1.0), and practitioner expertise translated into policy and capacity-building deliverables. ISD is funded through philanthropic grants and donations — with named support from entities such as the Wells Fargo Foundation — and delivers its services at no cost to state/local officials, nonprofit executives, chamber leaders, Long-Term Recovery Groups, and community leaders. The organization has produced measurable policy outcomes, most notably a $25 million revolving loan fund for resilience investments in Maryland, and has been recognized twice as one of the 100 most influential nonprofits in Los Angeles. ISD's leadership team is led by CEO Stephen Jordan, with Chief Knowledge Officer Lynn Knight (Tribal Nations research) and embedded Fellow LC Clemons (Swannanoa field operations) representing core operational capacity.

Name

Institute for Sustainable Development

Legal name

Institute for Sustainable Development

Website

https://isdus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Institute for Sustainable Development is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank that produces disaster resilience research, policy analysis, and capacity-building services — including a free Help Desk, the Recovery Academy, and field programs — for state/local officials, nonprofits, chambers, and community leaders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Resilience and Disaster Recovery Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Disaster recovery research
• Community resilience consulting
• Economic development advisory
• Disaster recovery training
• Nonprofit policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic/Grant Funding: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, ISD relies on philanthropic support and grants to fund field presence and original research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ISD is a practitioner-led think tank that produces original research and policy analysis on disaster recovery economics, CDBG-DR and BRIC program design, parametric insurance, housing finance, and AI impacts on communities. It delivers this through a free Expert Help Desk, the Economic Recovery and Resilience Academy with customizable training curricula, field-based recovery initiatives (Together for LA, Swannanoa Revitalization Project), the Community Development Asset Management Model framework, and a webinar series with StateBook.

Product overview

The Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) is a practitioner-led think tank that does not offer a unified software product or platform, but rather provides a portfolio of research, advisory, and capacity-building services focused on community resilience and disaster recovery. Core offerings include original research and policy analysis on disaster recovery economics, a free Expert Help Desk for officials and community leaders, the Economic Recovery and Resilience Academy with customizable curriculum, the Together for Los Angeles (TFLA) public-private partnership initiative, field work programs like the Swannanoa Revitalization Project, the Community Development Asset Management Model framework, and webinar series with StateBook. These services are advisory, educational, and research-oriented rather than technology products with AI capabilities, APIs, or integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Together for LA (TFLA): Community resilience network and collaborative effort bringing together public and private sector leaders for emergency response and economic development in Los Angeles
• The Academy
• Swannanoa Revitalization Project
• Human Sovereignty in the Age of AI

Products and services

• Expert Help Desk Free resource providing technical assistance for state and local officials, chambers of commerce, Long-Term Recovery Groups, and community leaders on disaster recovery and resilience topics. Contact: [email protected].
• Economic Recovery and Resilience Academy (The Academy) Training programs and curriculum for state and local officials, business and nonprofit executives, community leaders, and students on community and economic development and disaster recovery. Curricula can be customized to regional conditions.
• Together for Los Angeles (TFLA) Collaborative public-private partnership bringing together leaders from public and private sectors to enhance emergency response and economic development for disaster preparedness in the Los Angeles region.
• Swannanoa Revitalization Project On-the-ground recovery support in Swannanoa, North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, assisting with debris removal, temporary housing, job regeneration, long-term recovery planning, and CDBG-DR process.
• Community Resilience & Recovery Research Original analysis on conditions determining community outcomes including disaster recovery economics, CDBG-DR and BRIC program design, parametric insurance, housing finance, and AI impacts on communities.
• Community Development Asset Management Model Version 1.0 framework for managing community development assets, available for download as a PDF resource.
• Building State Capacity Programs to strengthen state-level capabilities for disaster resilience and economic development planning.
• Community Networks Program building partnerships and resilience networks nationwide to connect service providers with communities needing support.
• ISD and StateBook Webinar Series Collaborative webinar series with StateBook featuring expert practitioners on disaster finance, parametric insurance, and community resilience topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• ISD helped establish a $25 million revolving loan fund for resilience investments in Maryland
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and major.

• StateBookcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2025Partnership with StateBook to host joint webinars on disaster resilience topics. Together they hosted the April 15 webinar on parametric insurance with Alex Kaplan from AmWINS, and June 10 webinar on CDBG-DR housing recovery for Hurricane Helene with Stan Gimont and LC Clemons.
• Regional Colleges and UniversitiessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerISD is teaming up with regional colleges and universities to bring practitioner experience together with academic learning, supporting the Academy curriculum and research initiatives.
• StratiscopesupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnered with Stratiscope and The Dr. Lucy Jones Center for the Together for LA earthquake scenario exercise, with John Bwarie moderating panel discussions.
• Maryland Emergency Management AgencymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Maryland to establish a $25 million revolving loan fund for resilience investments following analysis of the state's flood challenges.
• Los Angeles City and CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Los Angeles city and county to create Together for LA, a public-private partnership for small business and community resilience support, including during COVID-19 response.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aspen Institute: Major nonprofit think tank with broad programming across economic, community, and policy issues. Comparable as a larger, more established practitioner-adjacent think tank whose community and economic development work overlaps with ISD's mission.
• Urban Institute: Major nonprofit research organization producing evidence-based social and economic policy research, including on community resilience and disaster recovery. Comparable as a much larger, more established nonprofit research entity whose scope partially overlaps ISD's policy research work.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit CDFI and community development organization that deploys capital and policy advocacy for affordable housing and resilience, including post-disaster recovery. Comparable in combining community development, disaster recovery, and state-level policy engagement.

Others

• National Low Income Housing Coalition: Advocacy and research organization on affordable housing policy with substantive work on disaster housing recovery. Adjacent peer because ISD's CDBG-DR housing recovery research and webinars (e.g., the June 10 HUD/Stan Gimont session) intersect with NLIHC's housing recovery policy agenda.

Direct peers

• Headwaters Economics: Independent nonprofit research organization producing data-driven analysis on community resilience, disaster recovery economics, and rural economic development. Most directly comparable to ISD as a similarly-sized nonprofit think tank producing original research and policy frameworks for state and local officials.
• National VOAD: National association coordinating voluntary organizations active in disaster, including Long-Term Recovery Groups (a core ISD customer segment). Directly comparable as the umbrella network for the same disaster-recovery ecosystem ISD operates within and serves.
• BuildStrong Coalition: National nonprofit coalition advocating for disaster resilience and pre-disaster mitigation policy. Comparable to ISD in its focus on resilience policy advocacy and convening cross-sector stakeholders around building codes, mitigation funding, and recovery.

Emerging players

• Resilience Force: Nonprofit focused on post-disaster workforce development and economic recovery in disaster-impacted communities. Comparable as a smaller, field-active organization working in the same disaster recovery and economic resilience space ISD serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgT7crwCod6s21gapSoTswA
• Xx.com/theinstitutesd
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheInstituteSD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-sustainable-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Institute for Sustainable Development