What ForestR does

ForestR (Forestr.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2019 and headquartered at 20298 Marshall Street, Castro Valley, California. The organization delivers community-based environmental stewardship in the East Bay Area through three program pillars: cleaning (Adopt-A-Highway with Caltrans, Litter Patrol, Clean Your Butt cigarette-butt collection), greening (Pocket Parks across seven named sites, Seed Library, grafting), and gleaning (Castro Valley Gleans, Contra Costa Fruit Rescue, Hayward Community Harvest, San Leandro Community Harvest, and Solano Gleans). Since its 2018 launch initiative, ForestR reports cumulative outcomes of 428,345+ lbs of food gleaned, 152.42 tons of litter cleaned, 356,954 meals recovered, and 11.92 tons of CO2eq avoided. The organization is founder-led by Yonaton Hardisty and Nimone Li-Hardisty, with a board including legal, educational, construction, and urban-farming expertise, and operates with 1–10 employees.

ForestR's technology footprint is a web platform (forestr.org), a mobile app (ForestR Challenges for gamified volunteer tracking), and an interactive Butt Map for litter-location tracking — all supporting volunteer coordination rather than constituting AI-driven systems. The platform also hosts ForestR University, an educational storefront offering paid courses such as "How to Create a Gleaning Program" ($50) and "How to Launch Your Litter Program," plus a 20+ SKU e-commerce merchandise line (apparel, accessories, drinkware, event tickets) with international shipping.

ForestR's revenue model is a nonprofit mix: tax-deductible donations (primary), merchandise sales, recurring membership fees, paid event tickets (e.g., Yoga in the Park at $20), and course fees. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on volunteer recruitment via website sign-ups, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Bluesky), email newsletters, and community events, with operational backing from partners including the Castro Valley Sanitary District, the CV/Eden Chamber of Commerce, Caltrans, Green Thumb Works, Alameda County Library, and Healthtek Inc.

Name

ForestR

Legal name

Forestr.org

Website

https://forestr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ForestR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs community-led cleaning, greening, and gleaning programs across California's East Bay, mobilizing volunteers to remove litter, build pocket parks, and rescue surplus produce for food-insecure communities while funding operations via donations, membership fees, merchandise, courses, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Castro Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, ForestR relies heavily on donations from individuals and organizations to fund cleaning, greening, and gleaning programs. Donations can be directed to general mission or specific programs.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization operates an e-commerce store selling branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, tank tops, long sleeve shirts, sweatpants, hats), accessories (phone cases, tumblers, mouse pads, patches), andFlags. Products are sold at various price points ranging from $10 to $73.
3. Membership Fees: ForestR offers membership plans allowing members to join and support the organization with various benefits.
4. Course Fees: The organization offers educational courses such as 'How to Create a Gleaning Program' priced at $50 for the Gleaning Course registration.
5. Event Tickets: ForestR sells tickets to events such as yoga in the park at $20 per ticket, including instruction, snacks, and refreshments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ForestR runs volunteer-powered environmental stewardship programs across California's East Bay area under three pillars: cleaning (litter removal via Adopt-A-Highway, Litter Patrol, and Clean Your Butt), greening (Pocket Parks installation, Seed Library), and gleaning (food rescue through Castro Valley Gleans, Contra Costa Fruit Rescue, Hayward Harvest, San Leandro Harvest, and Solano Gleans). It supplements these programs with an e-commerce merchandise store, paid educational courses through ForestR University, membership plans, ticketed community events, and mobile apps for volunteer activity tracking.

Product overview

ForestR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID: 84-3405350) offering a multi-faceted environmental stewardship platform centered on three core programs: cleaning (Adopt-A-Highway, Litter Patrol, Clean Your Butt), greening (Pocket Parks, Seed Library), and gleaning (Castro Valley Gleans, Contra Costa Fruit Rescue, Hayward Harvest, San Leandro Harvest, Solano Gleans). The organization operates an e-commerce store selling branded merchandise including apparel (tank tops, t-shirts, long sleeves, youth clothing, sweatpants), accessories (bucket hats, snapback hats, dad hats), and drinkware (stainless steel tumblers). Additional offerings include educational courses through ForestR University, mobile applications (ForestR Challenges, Butt Map), and community events such as Yoga in the Park. The merchandise supports funding for environmental programs while branded products help promote environmental awareness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Castro Valley Gleans: Gleaning program focused on rescuing surplus produce from local backyards, farms, and markets in Castro Valley area.
• Contra Costa Fruit Rescue
• Pocket Parks
• Clean Your Butt
• Forestr University

Products and services

• ForestR Store (Branded Merchandise) E-commerce storefront selling branded ForestR merchandise including apparel, accessories, drinkware, phone cases, and event tickets, with shipping to US, Canada, Europe, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Proceeds support the nonprofit's environmental programs.
• Pocket Parks Program Urban greening service that partners with communities, agencies, and private businesses to landscape and manage small parks in densely populated areas, promoting green advocacy in public spaces across the East Bay.
• Adopt-A-Highway Program Litter cleanup service partnering with California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to maintain highway stretches for debris removal and environmental restoration through organized volunteer events.
• Clean Your Butt Program Litter cleanup and environmental restoration program focused on cigarette butt waste, using the interactive Butt Map to track cleanup locations and collection points.
• Castro Valley Gleans Gleaning program that rescues surplus produce from backyards, farms, and markets in Castro Valley, redirecting thousands of pounds to those in need; has redirected over 40,000 pounds of gleaned goods to date.
• Contra Costa Fruit Rescue Food rescue program dedicated to reducing food waste and alleviating food insecurity by connecting neighbors, farmers, volunteers, and food distribution partners to harvest backyard fruit for redistribution throughout Contra Costa County.
• Hayward Community Harvest Gleaning program serving the Hayward community to harvest excess produce from backyards, farms, and markets for redistribution to those experiencing food insecurity.
• San Leandro Community Harvest Gleaning program serving the San Leandro community to reduce food waste and support local food security by harvesting excess produce for redistribution.
• Solano Gleans Gleaning program operating in Solano County for produce rescue and food redistribution to address food waste and food insecurity.
• Seed Library Community seed sharing program that supports home gardening and sustainable food cultivation among East Bay residents.
• ForestR University Courses Paid online educational courses teaching individuals and community groups how to create gleaning programs (e.g., 'How to Create a Gleaning Program' at $50) and how to launch litter cleanup programs.
• ForestR Challenges App Mobile application used to track volunteer activities and gamify community environmental challenges, supporting ForestR's volunteer engagement and Clean/Green/Glean programs.
• Litter Patrol Community cleanup initiative organizing volunteers for regular litter removal in Castro Valley neighborhoods and public spaces, with municipal support from CVSan.
• ForestR Membership Plans Recurring monthly membership plans allowing supporters to join ForestR, share in its mission, and receive member benefits through the ForestR member portal.
• Yoga in the Park (Community Event Tickets) Ticketed outdoor community yoga class held Saturday mornings in the park, including 1 hour of instruction, meditation, gentle flow, and light refreshments, priced at $20 per ticket.
• Woodcraft / Spoon Carving Class 4-hour green wood spoon carving workshop priced at $100 per adult and $50 per minor (ages 12-18 with adult), part of ForestR's hands-on environmental craft education offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 428,345+ lbs of food gleaned and redistributed to communities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018In mid-2018, ForestR launched its first initiative by partnering with Caltrans to adopt a two-mile stretch of highway for litter removal. This marked the beginning of ForestR's land reclamation work through the Adopt-A-Highway program, organizing weekly clean-up events to clear debris from local spaces.
• Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVSan partnered with ForestR to bring the Castro Valley Litter Patrol program into existence, providing support for community cleanup initiatives. CVSan also donated tools for gleaning operations and supports the Castro Valley Gleans Program.
• CV/Eden Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Chamber provides community direction and support for ForestR's litter patrol events and programs.
• Green Thumb WorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape consulting firm providing design services for ForestR's pocket park installations.
• Alameda County Library - Castro Valley BranchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner host for ForestR's first pocket park installation at the Castro Valley Library, providing site access and community support.
• Green Thumb WorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape consulting firm providing design services for ForestR pocket park installations, including planting plans.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Replate: Replate is a food rescue nonprofit operating a platform to redirect surplus food to communities in need, closely paralleling ForestR's gleaning and food-recovery mission while adding a technology-enabled coordination layer.
• TreePeople: Los Angeles-based environmental nonprofit focused on urban forestry, tree planting, and community greening - directly comparable to ForestR's Pocket Parks and greening program in volunteer-driven urban environmental stewardship.
• Food Forward: Food Forward is a Southern California-based food rescue nonprofit that gleans surplus produce from backyards, farmers' markets, and farms for redistribution - directly comparable to ForestR's gleaning programs (Castro Valley Gleans, Contra Costa Fruit Rescue, etc.) in mission and volunteer-led execution model.
• Ample Harvest: Ample Harvest connects backyard gardeners with excess produce to local food pantries nationwide - directly comparable to ForestR's Contra Costa Fruit Rescue and similar produce-donor-to-pantry gleaning model.
• Second Helpings: Indianapolis-based nonprofit that rescues surplus food and prepares meals for the community, directly comparable to ForestR's food gleaning and redistribution work, though operating at a larger, more industrialized scale.
• Portland Fruit Tree Project: Portland-based volunteer-driven organization that harvests fruit from residential trees and donates to food banks - directly comparable to ForestR's Contra Costa Fruit Rescue in home-yard gleaning and volunteer-led harvest leader structure.
• Friends of the Urban Forest: San Francisco-based nonprofit focused on planting and caring for street trees and community greening - directly comparable to ForestR's Pocket Parks program in hyperlocal urban forestry/greening, volunteer model, and East Bay/SF Bay Area geography.

Regional players

• Food Runners: San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit that picks up surplus food from businesses and delivers it to shelters and pantries - shares ForestR's Bay Area geography and food-rescue mission, though it is more logistics-heavy than glean-driven.
• Save The Bay: The largest regional organization working to protect and restore the San Francisco Bay - a broader Bay Area environmental nonprofit that overlaps with ForestR in habitat restoration, greening, and East Bay-area environmental advocacy.
• Sustainable Solano: Solano County-based nonprofit promoting sustainability through local food, permaculture, and resilience programs - shares ForestR's Solano Gleans geography and broad sustainability/permaculture mission overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/forestrorg.bsky.social
• Facebookfacebook.com/forestrorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forestr
• Instagraminstagram.com/forestrorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 ForestR