USGBC-Los Angeles

What USGBC-Los Angeles does

USGBC California (legal name; also DBA USGBC-Los Angeles and USGBC-CA) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 525 S. Hewitt St. in the Los Angeles Arts District, founded in 2002 and operating as the California chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. The organization functions as a statewide membership network spanning 11 California regions (Bay Area, Central California, Central Coast, Inland Empire, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Orange County, Redwood Empire, Sacramento, and San Diego), serving sustainability professionals, developers, architects, building owners, students, residents, and policymakers focused on climate action in the built environment.

The core product is the California Building Performance Hub (cabuildinghub.org), which aggregates building performance calculators, benchmarking tools, a Help Desk, and an AI-powered Building Support Agent providing role-specific guidance on California Building Performance Standards compliance. Surrounding product surface includes EcoMapCA (interactive resource mapping), EV Rebate Calculator, Menu of Efficiency & Electrification, Professionals Directory, Rebuild Marketplace, and the BuildSMART mobile materials trailer. Workforce and credentialing programs include Green Janitor Education, Sustainable Production in Entertainment Certificate (SPEC), Landscaper Certificate, Extreme Heat Certification, Green Building Corps internship pipeline, Green Schools, Green Business Certification, Clean Construction, Net Zero Accelerator, Climate Resilience, and Wildfire Defense Education plus a California Wildfire Recovery & Rebuilding Hub. Distribution is community-led via the community.usgbc-ca.org membership portal, regional forums, and major annual events (CA Green Building Conference, Carbon Forward, Green Gala, CA Green Building & Community Awards).

The organization is funded through a diversified nonprofit revenue mix: recurring annual membership dues (students, professionals, organizations), annual corporate sponsorship program (LADWP, Southern California Edison, Clean Power Alliance, CIM Group, Turner Construction, Kilroy Realty, Disneyland Resort, NBCUniversal, Arup, Beneficial State Bank, One Click LCA, BREEAM USA, TimberTech/AZEK among listed sponsors), paid training and certificate programs, individual donations, and event registration fees. No public pricing is disclosed; sponsorship packages and program fees are quote-based or login-gated. The organization holds a Charity Navigator four-star rating and Candid Platinum Transparency seal as accountability signals.

Name

USGBC-Los Angeles

Legal name

USGBC California

Website

https://usgbc-la.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Short description

USGBC California is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit network serving 11 California regions, providing building performance tools, AI-powered compliance guidance, workforce certifications, and community programming to sustainability professionals, building owners, developers, and residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Green Building Advocacy and Training

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

Keywords

• Green building certification
• Sustainability programs
• Workforce development training
• Building performance standards
• Environmental advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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: Inclusive memberships offered for students, professionals, and organizations committed to sustainability, environmental justice, and regenerative design. Members gain access to exclusive resources, events, training, and a statewide network.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Annual corporate sponsor program offering organizations exclusive association with USGBC-CA, showcasing commitment to sustainability while advancing the organization's mission.
3. Training and Education Programs: Revenue from certificate programs including Green Janitor Education, Sustainable Production in Entertainment Certificate (SPEC), Extreme Heat Certificate, and Landscaper Certificate.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted from individuals supporting the green building movement.
5. Events Revenue: Registration fees for events including CA Green Building Conference, Carbon Forward, Regional Forums, and Green Gala.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

USGBC California is a nonprofit network that advances climate action across California's built environment through green building training, certification programs, advocacy, and digital tools. It operates the California Building Performance Hub with an AI-powered Building Support Agent to help building owners and professionals comply with Building Performance Standards. The organization delivers certificate programs (Green Janitor Education, Landscaper Certificate, SPEC, Extreme Heat), regional forums across 11 California regions, the annual CA Green Building Conference, and corporate sustainability programs like the Net Zero Accelerator.

Product overview

USGBC California operates as a nonprofit network offering a comprehensive suite of sustainability programs and digital tools for California's built environment. The core platform is the California Building Performance Hub, which provides building performance calculators, benchmarking tools, and an AI-powered Building Support Agent for compliance guidance. Supporting this are various digital tools including EcoMapCA, EV Rebate Calculator, Building Performance Calculator, Professionals Directory, and Rebuild Marketplace. The organization delivers workforce development through certificate programs including Green Janitor Education, Landscaper Certificate, and Sustainable Production in Entertainment Certificate (SPEC). Climate-focused programs include Climate Resilience, Extreme Heat Certification, Wildfire Defense Education, Clean Construction, and Green Schools. Regional Forums operate across ten California regions to deliver localized programming and networking opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• California Building Performance Hub

Quantifiable outcome

• Free guidance and tools for building owners, managers, and professionals to reduce emissions and lower costs

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CIM GroupminorOthersAnnual sponsor supporting USGBC California's mission to advance sustainability in California's built environment
• TimberTech / AZEK ExteriorsminorOthersAnnual sponsor supporting the green building movement in California
• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)coreOthersMajor annual sponsor and strategic partner providing utility perspective on water and energy sustainability in Los Angeles
• Southern California Edison (SCE)coreOthersAnnual sponsor providing energy utility expertise and support for grid sustainability initiatives
• Turner Construction CompanyminorOthersAnnual sponsor and construction industry partner supporting sustainable building practices
• Clean Power AlliancecoreOthersAnnual sponsor and clean energy provider partner advancing renewable energy adoption
• Kilroy RealtyminorOthersAnnual sponsor and commercial real estate partner focused on sustainable property development
• Disneyland ResortminorOthersAnnual sponsor supporting sustainable tourism and entertainment industry sustainability
• NBCUniversalminorOthersAnnual sponsor supporting media and entertainment industry sustainability initiatives
• ArupminorOthersAnnual sponsor and engineering consultancy partner supporting building performance standards
• Net Zero AcceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for corporate sustainability and net zero initiatives, with Net Zero Accelerator as a separate organization at netzeroaccelerator.org
• AutodeskminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership featuring interviews on the AUTODESK Digital Builder Podcast with USGBC California leadership
• Beneficial State BankminorOthersAnnual sponsor and financial institution partner focused on community development and sustainability

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New Buildings Institute (NBI): Nonprofit working on building performance policy, codes, and zero-energy building adoption across North America. Comparable because it sits at the intersection of policy advocacy, technical tools, and practitioner engagement around building performance — overlapping directly with USGBC-CA's BPS hub and advocacy programs.
• International Living Future Institute (ILFI): Nonprofit running the Living Building Challenge, Zero Energy, and other regenerative building certifications. Comparable as a mission-driven nonprofit offering certifications, education, and advocacy focused on high-performance sustainable buildings.
• Green Building Initiative (GBI): Nonprofit operator of green building rating systems (Green Globes) competing directly with LEED/USGBC. Comparable because it pursues the same mission (green building certification, education, advocacy) and competes for corporate sponsors, members, and policy influence in the U.S. built environment.

Regional players

• Build It Green: California-based nonprofit promoting green building practices, particularly in residential construction. Comparable because it operates in the same California geography, on similar workforce and homeowner education missions, and competes for some of the same residential sustainability funding.
• Local Sustainability Commissions and Regional Climate Collaboratives (e.g., LA Metropolitan Transportation Authority, ICLEI USA): ICLEI USA is a nonprofit network of local and regional governments working on sustainability, including buildings and climate. Comparable as a peer regional/place-based sustainability network pursuing policy and program work in California, partially overlapping with USGBC-CA's local government engagement.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC): National umbrella organization that USGBC-CA operates under. Manages LEED certification, advocacy, and member programs across all U.S. states. Comparable because it shares mission, brand, and member base with USGBC-CA, but operates at much larger geographic and programmatic scale.
• Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): Major clean energy and buildings think tank with programs on building electrification and decarbonization. Comparable as a broader sustainability nonprofit working on policy, analysis, and program deployment for building decarbonization, competing for philanthropic and corporate sustainability funding.

Emerging players

• Net Zero Accelerator: Strategic partner organization that USGBC-CA co-promotes; focused on helping organizations set and meet net zero targets. Comparable because it directly overlaps with USGBC-CA's corporate sustainability programming and shares audience and sponsors.
• Architecture 2030: Nonprofit focused on decarbonizing the built environment through the 2030 Challenge and policy action. Comparable because it targets the same architects, developers, and policymakers with advocacy and tools for carbon-neutral building, partially overlapping with USGBC-CA's mission.

Others

• California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) and related state climate programs: California state body that funds climate, housing, and community development programs. Comparable as a funder and policy shaper in the same California climate-and-built-environment ecosystem, but as a government entity rather than a peer nonprofit. Included as an adjacent ecosystem player that influences USGBC-CA's funding and policy environment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

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 USGBC-Los Angeles