The Sustainable Future Collective

What The Sustainable Future Collective does

The Sustainable Future Collective (SFC) is a student-led sustainability organization founded in 2016 and based at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. It operates without formal corporate incorporation and runs without charging membership fees, delivering its programmes entirely free to participants. SFC serves the UoA student community through a portfolio of initiatives: the Young Sustainability Leaders (YSL) Programme, which links students with industry, government, and not-for-profit mentors; the UoA Bee Sanctuary, a pollinator habitat and education site established in July 2018 behind the law library; the Compost Hub, a waste-reduction and composting education team; an Events Programme covering workshops, swap shops, beach cleanups, hackathons, yoga, and educational panels; and a content blog. The organization describes itself as the largest sustainability club on the UoA campus and collaborates with peer societies (The Sustainability Society, Horticulture Club) and industry partners (notably a 2022 hackathon with Downer).

SFC's underlying technology stack is effectively nil — it is a community organization, not a technology company. Distribution and engagement occur through a website (sustainablefuturecollective.org), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, with membership sign-up via a Google Form. The Bee Sanctuary is the only physical asset of note.

The revenue model comprises two disclosed streams: sponsorship from local sustainable businesses (eleven sponsors in 2021, including Commonsense Organics, EcoStore, Fix & Fogg, Go Bamboo, Little Yellow Bird, MAS, Trade Aid, Wā Collective, and others) and merchandise sales of individually screen-printed thrifted shirts priced at $15 each, distributed at events or by email inquiry. There is no membership revenue, no paid product, and no disclosed financial scale. The organization is governed by an elected executive team (Co-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and functional heads) with a stated team of 20+ unpaid student members, refreshed with a 2024 executive cohort.

Name

The Sustainable Future Collective

Legal name

The Sustainable Future Collective

Website

https://sustainablefuturecollective.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Sustainable Future Collective is a student-led sustainability organization founded in 2016 at the University of Auckland, offering free events, a mentorship programme (YSL), a pollinator Bee Sanctuary, and a Compost Hub to UoA students and the broader campus community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Education

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAGAF

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYEDAIAGAB

Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Service Learning, Volunteering & Gap Year Programs

SECONDARYBPABALAK

Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site)

Business & Public Services/Facilities Management & Building Services/Waste, Recycling & Sustainability Programs (On-site)

SECONDARYBPADALAO

Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Climate, Environment & Sustainable Development Programs

Keywords

• Sustainability education
• Student community programs
• Environmental awareness events
• Pollinator conservation
• Campus sustainability workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Merchandise Sales: SFC sells repurposed thrifted shirts that are individually screen-printed, priced at $15 per shirt. Shirts are sold at events or via email inquiry.
2. Sponsorship: SFC operates without membership fees and relies on sponsorship from local sustainable businesses. Sponsors provide resources to keep the club accessible and free for all participants. Their 2021 sponsors include Commonsense Organics, EcoStore, Fair + Square, Fix & Fogg, Go Bamboo, Good Cube, Little Yellow Bird, Medical Assurance Society (MAS), The EcoBrush, Trade Aid, and Wā Collective.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Sustainable Future Collective is a student-led sustainability organization at the University of Auckland that delivers free educational events, workshops, and community programs to students. It runs the Youth Sustainability Leaders (YSL) Programme as a mentorship and project-based initiative, maintains the UoA Bee Sanctuary as an on-campus pollinator conservation project, and convenes regular sustainability-themed events. The organization is funded through merchandise sales and corporate sponsorships, while membership and participation remain free of charge.

Product overview

The Sustainable Future Collective (SFC) is a student-led sustainability organization at the University of Auckland offering a portfolio of educational programmes, environmental initiatives, and community engagement services. Its core offerings include the Young Sustainability Leaders (YSL) Programme (a mentorship and professional development initiative), the UoA Bee Sanctuary (a pollinator habitat and education space), an Events Programme (free workshops, swap shops, and sustainability events), SFC Merch (sustainable thrifted apparel), a Sponsorship Programme (corporate partnerships), and an SFC Blog (editorial content). The organization does not charge membership fees and relies on sponsorships and merchandise sales to maintain accessibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Sustainability Leaders (YSL) Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Australasian Green Gown award for Student Engagement in 2017 and top three finalist globally

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• The Sustainability SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFC works with other university groups and organisations such as The Sustainability Society to strengthen their collective impact on sustainability education and action.
• For the Love of BeesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with SFC on a seed saving workshop. Partner in pollinator habitat education efforts.
• Horticulture ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with SFC on Quiz Night event in 2022.
• DownerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with SFC on the 'Hack Our Future SFC x Downer Hackathon' event in 2022.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Generation Zero: A New Zealand youth-led climate and equity organisation focused on mobilising students and young people around climate action. Directly comparable mission, demographic, and community-led GTM motion.
• Sustainable Coastlines: NZ charity running beach cleanups, education programmes, and environmental volunteering. Directly comparable on the volunteer-driven environmental engagement, events, and youth outreach that SFC undertakes (including its own beach cleanups).
• Student Energy: Global youth-led organisation mobilising university students around sustainable energy; operates student chapters, mentorship programmes, and summits. Closest international structural analogue to SFC's YSL Programme.
• The Sustainability Society (University of Auckland): A directly comparable UoA student sustainability organisation that SFC explicitly partners with on joint events. Same target audience, same campus, overlapping sustainability mission.

Broad incumbents

• 350 Aotearoa: NZ chapter of the global 350 climate movement; runs climate advocacy, community organising, and youth engagement campaigns. Comparable in environmental community organising but at national scale rather than campus scale.
• Forest & Bird (Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of NZ): New Zealand's largest independent conservation organisation. Operates in overlapping environmental/conservation education space but at national, institutional scale with paid staff and formal incorporation.
• Sustainability Trust: Wellington-based NZ charity promoting sustainable living through education, advice, and community programmes. Comparable community sustainability education mission with formal incorporation.
• OANZ (Organic Advisory NZ) / Organics Aotearoa New Zealand: NZ umbrella body promoting organic and regenerative practices, including community education. Overlaps with SFC's Compost Hub and food/sustainability education work at a sector-institutional level.

Regional players

• Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN): US-based student network that helps campuses move toward zero-waste. Directly comparable student-led sustainability movement with chapter-based scaling, but operating in North America rather than NZ.

Emerging players

• Net Impact: Global community of students and professionals driving positive social and environmental impact through chapters, events, and career programming. Comparable in student-led sustainability community structure and event-driven GTM.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sustainablefuturecollective
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainable-future-collective
• Instagraminstagram.com/sustainablefuturecollective

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 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 The Sustainable Future Collective