One Hive Foundation

What One Hive Foundation does

One Hive Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation headquartered in Vermont that promotes pollinator health and ecologically responsible agriculture through grantmaking, policy advocacy support, and public education. Its portfolio spans roughly 20 named grantees including national conservation NGOs (Xerces Society, NRDC, Audubon Vermont), universities (Cornell, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska, UVM), regional advocacy organizations (NOFA-VT, Rural Vermont, VPIREF), and community programs serving veterans (Valor Honey), BIPOC beekeepers (They Keep Bees, Liberation Ecosystem), and educators (Burlington Wildways, Shelburne Farms).

The foundation operates a twice-annual grant cycle with a two-phase application process (Letters of Intent due September 15 and January 15, followed by full proposals), with awards issued in January and June. It also offers travel grants to individuals and provides general operating support alongside project-specific funding. Its core 'technology' is grantmaking infrastructure — a structured application portal (Akoya GoApply), a Mailchimp newsletter, and a curated public website — rather than proprietary technical products. Capital investments include co-funding laboratory capabilities such as Cornell's upgraded multi-residue pesticide detection method (now quantifying 102 pesticides below 1 ppb) and the Honey Bee Faculty Endowed Chair at the University of Minnesota.

Its business model is philanthropic rather than commercial: One Hive receives contributions and manages an endowment, then deploys capital as grants twice per year. It is advised and led by an intergenerational beekeeping family (the Mraz family, operators of Champlain Valley Apiaries in Middlebury, Vermont) with a Scientific Advisor (Dr. Samantha Alger, UVM), Philanthropic Advisor (Gioia Perugini, Hemenway & Barnes LLP), and an Advisory Council of leading pollinator researchers including MacArthur Fellow Dr. Marla Spivak (University of Minnesota), Dr. Scott McArt (Cornell), Dr. Judy Wu-Smart (Nebraska), and Dr. James Frazier (Penn State Emeritus). Recent milestones include supporting passage of Vermont's Pollinator Protection Act (June 2024) and New York's Birds and Bees Protection Act.

Name

One Hive Foundation

Legal name

One Hive Foundation

Website

https://onehivefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

One Hive Foundation is a Vermont-based private philanthropic foundation that funds nonprofit research, advocacy, and community programs to promote pollinator health and ecologically responsible agriculture through twice-annual grant cycles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Pollinator conservation
• Agricultural stewardship
• Scientific research funding
• Nonprofit advocacy support

Headquarters

HQ city

Vermont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding and Philanthropic Support: One Hive Foundation operates as a private foundation that supports nonprofit research and community partners through grant funding. It receives contributions and manages a philanthropic endowment to fund pollinator health and ecologically responsible agriculture initiatives.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

One Hive Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that makes grants twice annually to nonprofit organizations and research institutions working to advance pollinator health and ecologically responsible agriculture. Its offerings consist of annual grant rounds administered through a two-phase proposal process (Letter of Intent followed by full proposal), travel grants to support conference and training participation, and multi-year funding for scientific research, public education, advocacy, and general operating support for grantee organizations.

Product overview

One Hive Foundation is a private philanthropic organization, not a commercial product company. The Foundation operates as a grant-making organization that supports nonprofit research and community partners to promote pollinator health and ecologically responsible agriculture. Its primary offerings consist of two grant programs awarded twice annually (Round 1 and Round 2), travel grants to individuals and organizations, and funding for scientific research, public education, and advocacy initiatives. The Foundation uses a two-phase proposal process (Letter of Intent followed by full proposal) and provides multi-year funding and general operating support flexibility to grantees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Grant Programs (Two Rounds per Year) Twice-annual grant rounds that award funding to nonprofit organizations and research institutions working to advance pollinator health and ecologically responsible agriculture. Awarded through a two-phase proposal process (Letter of Intent followed by full proposal).
• Travel Grants Travel grants awarded to individuals and organizations to support participation in conferences, training, and events related to pollinator health and beekeeping.
• Scientific Research Funding Grants supporting scientific research focused on threats to native and managed pollinators and efforts to improve pollinator health, including research on pesticides, bee disease, and ecosystem impacts.
• Public Education and Advocacy Funding Grants supporting public education and advocacy focused on pollinator awareness, food security, water quality, and pesticide use reduction, including initiatives that translate scientific research for public understanding.
• General Operating Support Grants Grants providing general operating support to build capacity of advocacy or membership organizations related to pollinator health and/or beekeeping.

Quantifiable outcome

• Vermont Wild Bee Survey documented 60,000+ occurrence records for 350+ bee species
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cornell University Chemical Ecology Core FacilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne Hive supported the complete overhaul of Cornell's multi-residue pesticide method, making it more sensitive and broadening its target range to 102 pesticides with detection limits below 1 part per billion. Also supported GCMS acquisition and HVAC updates.
• University of NebraskacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne Hive supported research on ecological and environmental impacts of the AltEn facility's pesticide pollution on honey bees, amphibians, birds, and the broader environment. Research continues despite facility closure in 2021.
• Vermont Center for EcostudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding supports long-term bumblebee monitoring, publication of an annotated bee checklist for Vermont, and research into how plants from different geographic regions affect Vermont's ecosystem.
• Ecdysis FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne Hive supports the 1000 Farms Initiative, the largest database of regenerative food systems, and subsequent Project Ignite and Project Avalanche focused on predicting regenerative food systems' potential and enabling farmers to measure progress.
• Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA-VT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne Hive funding supports a grassroots organizer position and Resilience Grants for farms focused on pollinator-friendly practices. NOFA-VT successfully advocated for neonicotinoid phase-out legislation.
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2024, One Hive supported NRDC's Pollinator Initiative focused on protecting bees through policy change. NRDC achieved significant wins including Birds and Bees Protection Act in New York and neonic restrictions in multiple states.
• VPIREF – Vermont Public Interest Research & Education FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne Hive supported VPIREF to commission a statewide public opinion survey on pesticides and develop media campaigns. Vermont passed the Pollinator Protection Act in June 2024.
• Rhode Island Natural History SurveycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo-year grant launched the Rhode Island Plant Insect Community Network (PICN), a network of 19 member organizations working on pollinator conservation.
• Burlington WildwayscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Winooski Valley Park District, Burlington Parks, and Intervale Center focused on pollinator health through native plant restoration and school-based tree nurseries.
• Valor HoneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit using beekeeping as therapeutic tool for veterans. In 14 years, has trained 3,000 students including 300 formerly on suicide watch. Program expanding to additional Army posts.
• Liberation Ecosystem, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIPOC-led climate and social justice organizing hub focused on land, environment, agriculture, and foodways, facilitating skill-building and solidarity.
• They Keep Bees Queen SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNE LGBTQIA+ & BIPOC Beekeepers Alliance providing queen breeding training. Supplemented funding enabled comprehensive scholarships and professional development programs.
• University of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne Hive was part of coalition that established Honey Bee Faculty Endowed Chair at University's Department of Entomology, providing perpetual funding for dedicated faculty member.
• Champlain Valley ApiariesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily honey and beekeeping business led by third-generation beekeeper Charles Mraz, founder family connecting the foundation to commercial beekeeping.
• Arbor FarmsteadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiversified veganic farm owned by Program Manager Alisha Utter, connecting foundation to commercial farming experience.
• Cornell University Dyce Lab for Honey Bee StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScott McArt serves as Advisory Council Member while running the Dyce Lab focusing on impact of pesticides, pathogens, and management on pollinator health.
• University of Nebraska Bee LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJudy Wu-Smart directs the Bee Lab developing pollinator health programs for the Midwest region. Foundation supports related research.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club Foundation: National environmental grantmaking foundation supporting conservation, climate, and advocacy programs. Comparable as a broader environmental grantmaker where pollinator protection is one of many program areas, with substantially larger endowment and operational capacity.
• The Nature Conservancy: Largest global conservation nonprofit combining direct land stewardship, science, and grantmaking. Comparable as a conservation funder with pollinator-adjacent agriculture and habitat programs, though operating at vastly greater scale and as a hybrid operator-funder.
• McKnight Foundation: Large Minnesota-based family foundation with a long-running Midwest Climate & Energy program. Relevant incumbent peer given the deep tie to Marla Spivak (McKnight Distinguished Professor at U of Minnesota) and overlapping pollinator/climate/sustainable agriculture grantmaking.
• Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR): Public-private partnership nonprofit funding food and agriculture research at scale. Comparable as a grantmaking entity in pollinator-adjacent sustainable agriculture research with broader portfolio scope than One Hive.
• Walton Family Foundation: Large private foundation with major programs in sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation, and rural communities. Comparable as an incumbent grantmaker funding regenerative agriculture and pollinator-friendly farming initiatives at a meaningfully larger scale.

Direct peers

• Project Apis m. Nonprofit that funds honey bee health research and forage initiatives across the U.S. Highly comparable as a private, mission-driven grantmaking entity focused specifically on pollinator health, with a similar grantee-driven model targeting researchers and conservation organizations.
• Bee Informed Partnership: Nonprofit focused on honey bee health through annual loss surveys, tech transfer teams, and data-driven research. Comparable as a pollinator health nonprofit operating in research, education, and stakeholder coordination with overlap in the same scientific ecosystem.
• Honey Bee Health Coalition: Multi-stakeholder coalition working to improve honey bee health through Varroa management, forage, and hive management resources. Comparable as a pollinator-focused entity coordinating across research, industry, and policy stakeholders, though operating more as a coalition than a grantmaker.
• The Foundation for the Preservation of the Honey Bees: Private foundation funding research, scholarships, and educational programs within the beekeeping industry. Direct peer in mission, structure, and constituency; One Hive has funded this foundation as a grantee, confirming overlapping scope.

Emerging players

• The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: National nonprofit protecting invertebrates through science, advocacy, and habitat restoration. Strong thematic overlap on pollinator conservation; One Hive has funded Xerces, and the two operate in adjacent (funder/operator) roles rather than as direct grantmaking competitors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100094489279905
• Instagraminstagram.com/one_hive_foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about One Hive Foundation