Aldo Leopold Foundation

What Aldo Leopold Foundation does

The Aldo Leopold Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1982 by Aldo Leopold's five children (Starker, Luna, Nina, Carl, and Estella Leopold) and headquartered at the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center in Baraboo, Wisconsin. The foundation's stated mission is to advance a land ethic through education, land stewardship, workshops, training, and practical resources, operating on the historic Leopold Shack and Farm — a National Historic Landmark — and the surrounding Leopold-Pines Conservation Area. Its core programmatic offerings include the Land Ethic Live! virtual speaker series, the Learning Hub (digital educational resources), the Leopold Archives, a graduate Leopold Fellowships program, a Speakers Bureau, and in-person tours and exhibits of the Shack and Legacy Center. The Legacy Center itself is a net-zero energy building that received LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2007 and is constructed with locally harvested timber.

The foundation's business model is anchored by individual donations and charitable contributions, supplemented by merchandise sales (the annual Phenology Calendar, a Leopold Journal and Planner, and other educational materials) via a USA-only e-commerce storefront, a wholesale program for educators and retailers, facility rentals at the Baraboo site, and donor-gated virtual events requiring a minimum $25 donation. Its customer base spans conservation-minded individual donors (primary), educators and students, and academic researchers utilizing the Leopold Memorial Reserve for graduate-level ecology and restoration work. The organization employs approximately 20+ staff across program, operations, stewardship, marketing, digital communications, and donor stewardship functions. Long-term phenological records maintained on the Shack landscape since Aldo Leopold's era constitute a distinctive longitudinal data asset, and Senior Fellows (including Stanley Temple, with 330+ publications) provide domain authority in conservation biology and environmental philosophy. The foundation operates with no parent company and no private equity backing, governed by an independent board with representation from academia, insurance, healthcare, and Native American leadership.

Name

Aldo Leopold Foundation

Legal name

Aldo Leopold Foundation

Website

https://aldoleopold.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Aldo Leopold Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1982 that advances a land ethic through education, conservation programming, and land stewardship, serving conservation-minded donors, educators, students, and researchers from its National Historic Landmark site in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Education

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Conservation, Research & Volunteer Experiences (THAJAIAJ)

Keywords

• Conservation education
• Land stewardship
• Environmental programs
• Wildlife conservation
• Nonprofit foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Baraboo

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The foundation relies heavily on donations from individuals to fund its operations, conservation programs, and educational initiatives. Fundraising events such as donor-exclusive Land Ethic Live sessions require minimum donations for access.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded products including the Phenology Calendar, journals and planners featuring Leopold quotes and nature illustrations, and other educational materials through the online store.
3. Wholesale Program: Wholesale pricing offered to educators and retailers for bulk purchases of educational materials and merchandise.
4. Facility Rentals: The foundation offers hours, location, and rental options for visitors and groups interested in experiencing the Leopold Shack and surrounding conservation areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Aldo Leopold Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that fosters a "Land Ethic" through conservation education, land stewardship, published products, virtual programming, fellowships, and tours of the historic Leopold Shack and Farm and Aldo Leopold Legacy Center in Baraboo, Wisconsin. It sells educational merchandise (Phenology Calendar, Journal and Planner), runs the Land Ethic Live speaker series, operates the Learning Hub digital library, hosts graduate research fellowships, and provides on-site tours and conservation area access.

Product overview

The Aldo Leopold Foundation offers a portfolio of educational products and conservation programs centered on Aldo Leopold's land ethic philosophy. Core offerings include published products (Phenology Calendar, Journal and Planner) available through the store, virtual programming (Land Ethic Live speaker series), and educational resources (Learning Hub, Leopold Archives). The foundation also operates fellowship programs for graduate research, a speakers bureau, and provides in-person tours of the historic Leopold Shack and Farm along with access to the Leopold-Pines Conservation Area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Phenology Calendar An annual calendar documenting seasonal natural events based on Aldo Leopold's observations, tracking phenological cycles throughout the year; available for purchase through the Aldo Leopold Foundation store.
• Leopold Journal and Planner A planning journal featuring monthly Leopold quotes and original nature illustrations by former artist Max Sorenson, designed for year-round or multi-year use.
• Land Ethic Live Monthly virtual speaker series featuring conservation experts, environmental authors, and thought leaders discussing land ethics and ecological topics; donor-exclusive events require a minimum $25 donation to access.
• Leopold Fellowships Program Graduate student research opportunities for biology, ecology, and restoration on the Leopold Memorial Reserve, resulting in scientific publications.
• Tours and Exhibits In-person tours of the Leopold Shack and Farm (National Historic Landmark) and exhibits at the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center; rental options available for groups.
• Speakers Bureau Expert speakers available for presentations on conservation, land ethics, and environmental topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Long-term phenological records demonstrating climate change effects on ecosystems
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Wisconsin-MadisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple Leopold family members and foundation staff have academic affiliations with UW-Madison. Stanley Temple held the Beers-Bascom Professor position first held by Aldo Leopold. Eduardo Santana-Castellón maintains adjunct professor roles at the Nelson Institute, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, and Global Health Institute at UW-Madison. The 1996 Spanish translation of Sand County Almanac was a cooperation project between UW-Madison and University of Guadalajara.
• Society for Conservation BiologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNina Leopold Bradley received the Society of Conservation Biology's Distinguished Service Award on behalf of the foundation. Several board members and fellows have served in leadership roles, including Stanley Temple who served as president.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEduardo Santana-Castellón designed the Cuba Country Conservation program for WWF and facilitated the first WWF workshop to develop the operational/management plan for the Manu Biosphere Reserve in Peru.
• Manantlán Biodiversity FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEduardo Santana-Castellón serves as President of this foundation, which focuses on biodiversity conservation in Western Mexico.
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple Leopold family members worked with USGS including Luna Leopold (served as Chief Hydrologist 1956-1966) and Estella E. Leopold (worked in its paleontology laboratory in Denver for 20 years).
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStanley Temple served as chairman of the Wisconsin Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Susan Flader is president of the L-A-D Foundation which works on conservation initiatives.
• Forest History SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMark Wilde served on the Board of the Forest History Society in Durham, NC from 2002-2011.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Student Conservation Association: Student Conservation Association is a nonprofit that provides conservation service opportunities, internships, and education for emerging environmental leaders. Comparable to Aldo Leopold Foundation's Leopold Fellowships program, which similarly places early-career conservationists on protected lands for hands-on training.
• John Muir Trust: The John Muir Trust is a UK-based conservation charity that protects wild land and promotes the legacy and writings of John Muir, closely mirroring Aldo Leopold Foundation's model of stewarding a single conservation icon's property and philosophy. Both organizations operate heritage landscapes, run education programs, and rely on donations and memberships to fund land stewardship.
• Rachel Carson Council: Rachel Carson Council is a nonprofit environmental organization honoring the legacy of Rachel Carson through education and advocacy on pesticides and ecological health. Highly comparable to Aldo Leopold Foundation as a legacy-driven conservation education nonprofit focused on a singular historical figure.
• The Thoreau Society: The Thoreau Society is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the legacy of Henry David Thoreau and promoting his environmental ethics. Comparable to Aldo Leopold Foundation as a literary-heritage-driven conservation education organization that builds programming around a single thinker's writings and philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• The Wilderness Society: The Wilderness Society is a U.S. conservation organization advocating for protected public lands. Comparable to Aldo Leopold Foundation through its mission-driven land conservation work and education focus, though operates at significantly larger national scale.
• National Wildlife Federation: National Wildlife Federation is a large U.S. conservation organization focused on wildlife habitat and environmental education. Shares Aldo Leopold Foundation's mission of advancing conservation education and outreach but operates at much larger national scale with broader programmatic scope.
• The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is one of the largest global conservation organizations operating lands for preservation. Aldo Leopold Foundation's board member Stanley Temple chaired its Wisconsin chapter, reflecting overlap in mission around land stewardship, though TNC operates at vastly greater scale and breadth.
• National Audubon Society: National Audubon Society is a major conservation organization running nature centers, sanctuaries, and education programs. Comparable to Aldo Leopold Foundation through its operation of nature-based educational destinations and conservation programming for broad audiences.
• World Wildlife Fund: World Wildlife Fund is a leading global conservation organization. Aldo Leopold Foundation board member Eduardo Santana-Castellón designed WWF's Cuba Country Conservation program, demonstrating direct programmatic overlap in biodiversity conservation.
• Sierra Club: Sierra Club is one of the oldest and largest grassroots environmental organizations in the U.S., focused on conservation advocacy and outdoor experiences. Shares Aldo Leopold Foundation's emphasis on conservation values and education, but operates at much greater scale and broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AldoLeopoldFdn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbDUto-7-ynE90cOjudYGXQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/AldoLeopoldFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aldo-leopold-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/aldoleopoldfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Aldo Leopold Foundation