Forest & Bird

What Forest & Bird does

Forest & Bird is Aotearoa New Zealand's leading independent conservation organization, founded in 1923 by Captain Ernest 'Val' Sanderson after a successful campaign to restore Kāpiti Island as a nature reserve. Headquartered in Wellington with 51-100 employees and a network of 30+ regional branches spanning Northland to Southland/Stewart Island, the organization protects native plants, animals, and wild places across four program areas: land, fresh water, oceans, and climate & economy. Its operational model is grounded in community-led conservation: members, donors, and volunteers drive local restoration projects, citizen science initiatives (including bioblitzes), predator-control programs such as the Give a Trap campaign, and management of 13+ nature reserves established as part of its 2023 centennial legacy. The organization runs dedicated youth engagement programs — Kiwi Conservation Club (KCC) / Hakuturi Toa for children aged roughly 5-14 (operating for nearly 40 years), and Forest & Bird Youth for older youth — to cultivate the next generation of conservationists.

The organization's core digital platform is forestandbird.org.nz, which serves as the unified hub for membership sign-ups, donations, petition campaigns (Save Conservation Land Amendment Bill, Protect the Gulf, Save Denniston), event management, volunteer coordination, and access to the quarterly Forest & Bird Magazine. Supporting properties include the KCC website (kcc.org.nz), the Forest & Bird Youth platform (forestandbirdyouth.org.nz), a member self-service portal ("My Forest & Bird"), and a merchandise shop (shop.forestandbird.org.nz). Payment processing runs through Flo2Cash and Stripe under PCI DSS compliance. Notable technology-adjacent capabilities include citizen science tooling and submission-tracking systems for policy advocacy, but no proprietary AI/ML systems are disclosed.

Forest & Bird's revenue model is a diversified non-profit stack: recurring individual memberships (providing the quarterly magazine), one-time and regular donations via appeals (Protect the Gulf, Climate Appeal, Be the Voice of Nature), corporate partnerships offering brand-association benefits, bequests and legacy gifts, and merchandise sales. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The organization accepts grants from entities such as Creative NZ, Lion Foundation, Trust Waikato, WELEnergy Trust, and Hamilton City Council. As an independently funded entity registered under New Zealand's Charities Act 2005 (Registration No. CC26943), Forest & Bird has no parent company, no external ownership, and no venture or equity backing — every dollar is contributed by New Zealanders, which the organization cites as a core part of its identity and a differentiator against government-aligned or industry-funded conservation bodies.

Name

Forest & Bird

Legal name

The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc.

Website

https://forestandbird.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Forest & Bird is Aotearoa New Zealand's leading independent conservation organization, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Wellington. It protects native wildlife and wild places across land, freshwater, oceans, and climate through 30+ branches, citizen science, advocacy campaigns, and 13 nature reserves, funded by memberships, donations, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG), Watershed Protection & Water Quality Services (AFAMAMAB), Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services (IMAMAJAM)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation advocacy
• Environmental nonprofit services
• Habitat preservation
• Native species protection
• Conservation community engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Annual membership fees that provide members with the quarterly Forest & Bird magazine, access to branch activities, and voice for nature advocacy.
2. Donations and appeals: One-time and recurring donations through various channels including online donations, direct debit, payroll giving, and targeted fundraising appeals (e.g., Protect the Gulf, Climate Appeal, Be the Voice of Nature).
3. Corporate partnerships: Corporate partners support conservation work in exchange for association with the Forest & Bird brand, with tangible business benefits. Includes regular giving programs.
4. Bequests and legacies: Leave a gift in your will program allowing supporters to include Forest & Bird in their estate planning.
5. Merchandise and shop: Online shop selling Forest & Bird merchandise including the Force of Nature centennial CD, stamp collections, prints, greeting cards, and tea towels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Forest & Bird is Aotearoa New Zealand's leading independent conservation organisation, protecting native plants, animals, and wild places on land, in fresh water, and in the oceans. It delivers this mission through advocacy campaigns, citizen science and volunteer projects coordinated via a nationwide branch network, youth engagement programmes (Kiwi Conservation Club and Forest & Bird Youth), nature reserve management, and an annual membership programme that includes a quarterly magazine.

Product overview

Forest & Bird operates primarily as a conservation nonprofit organization rather than a technology product company. Its core digital offering consists of the forestandbird.org.nz website, which functions as a unified platform providing membership services, donations, event management, volunteer coordination, petitions, campaign advocacy, and access to the quarterly Forest & Bird Magazine. The organization also maintains the Kiwi Conservation Club (KCC) / Hakuturi Toa as a dedicated youth engagement platform, Forest & Bird Youth for younger members, and the My Forest & Bird member portal for account management. Additional offerings include online shopping, conservation campaigns, and a nationwide branch network coordinating local events and volunteer activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forest & Bird Membership Annual membership programme providing supporters with the quarterly Forest & Bird Magazine, branch meeting attendance, voting rights, and a voice for nature advocacy. Open to New Zealanders who care about conservation.
• Conservation Advocacy Campaigns

Quantifiable outcome

• 1200 native trees planted at Ronga Reserve during centennial celebration
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, notable and core.

• Creative NZmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Supported Force of Nature concert national tour and other centennial celebrations. Major funder for arts and cultural initiatives.
• Hamilton City CouncilnotableGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Supported Force of Nature centennial concert project.
• BirdLife InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBirdLife International is listed as one of Forest & Bird's official partners, representing a global conservation alliance focused on birds and their habitats.
• NZ PostmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for centennial collectible stamp collection released in 2023. Four nature-themed stamps designed by Rachel Walker representing Forest & Bird's conservation mahi including kōkako, gecko, tāiko black petrel, and forest ringlet butterfly.
• National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o AotearoamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for International Women's Day 2023 event celebrating women in conservation history. Home to the Women's Suffrage Petition, the National Library partnered with Forest & Bird to honour pioneering work of women in Aotearoa's conservation history.
• Performing Arts Community Trust (PACT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Force of Nature centennial concert - a music-meets-nature project celebrating Forest & Bird's conservation work through eight original compositions performed at Auckland Arts Festival, Hamilton Arts Festival, and national tour.
• 26 Global Writers' CollectivenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on 26 Forest & Bird Centennial creative conservation project - nature-themed artwork and poetry by 26 New Zealand writers and artists inspired by 13 Forest & Bird nature reserves.
• Corporate PartnersnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerVarious corporate partners who support Forest & Bird's work in exchange for conservation association and brand benefits. See corporate partners page for details.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Forestry New Zealand (Te Uru Rākau): New Zealand government forestry administration agency managing forestry policy and Crown forestry assets. Adjacent to F&B's forestry advocacy work but represents the forestry industry perspective F&B's conservation mission often contests.

Direct peers

• BirdLife International: Global partnership of national bird conservation organizations, of which Forest & Bird is the New Zealand partner. Directly comparable mission (bird and habitat conservation), advocacy orientation, and scientific/community-led conservation model.
• WWF-New Zealand: NZ office of a global conservation NGO operating in the same domestic market with overlapping land, freshwater, oceans, and climate advocacy. Directly comparable donor base, corporate partnerships, and policy-submission activity.
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB): UK's leading bird and wildlife conservation charity with a century-plus history and a national membership model. Most direct international analogue to Forest & Bird in mission, century-old brand, member-funded model, and policy advocacy focus on wildlife protection.
• Greenpeace New Zealand: Domestic NZ environmental advocacy organization running campaigns, petition drives, and direct supporter fundraising. Directly comparable in advocacy positioning, online petition model, and individual-donor revenue base.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club: One of the oldest and largest grassroots environmental organizations in the US, with membership magazine, branch network, and policy advocacy. Comparable century-plus history, member-funded model, and branch-driven local engagement.
• National Audubon Society: Large US bird and habitat conservation organization with century-long history, membership magazine model, and policy advocacy. Comparable brand-led, member-funded, science-driven conservation model at significantly larger scale.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation nonprofit operating land and marine protection programs with corporate partnership revenue. Comparable reserve management and conservation land stewardship, but operates at substantially larger scale and with broader geographic footprint.
• Department of Conservation (DOC): New Zealand government agency responsible for conservation land, species protection, and reserves management. While not a peer organization, it is the public-sector incumbent with overlapping mandate that F&B's advocacy frequently engages with.

Regional players

• Environmental Defence Society (EDS): New Zealand environmental law and policy organization focused on litigation and submissions. Comparable in advocacy-led operating model and NZ regulatory engagement, but narrower legal-policy remit versus F&B's broader conservation mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Forest_and_Bird
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/forestandbird?sub_confirmation=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/ForestandBird
• LinkedInnz.linkedin.com/company/forest-&-bird
• Instagraminstagram.com/forestandbird
• TikToktiktok.com/@forestandbird.nz

Compliance2 records

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 Forest & Bird