AASHE

Name

AASHE

Legal name

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

Website

https://aashe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Sustainability Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAHAJAB

Sustainability & ESG Reporting (GRI/SASB/ISSB/CSRD)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Sustainability, ESG & Corporate Environmental Reporting

SECONDARYBPADANAI

Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Standards, Policy & Regulatory Cooperation

Keywords

• Sustainability rating system
• Higher education sustainability
• Sustainability benchmarking
• Campus sustainability resources
• Sustainability professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia, PA

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from higher education institutions based on institution type and size. Membership provides access to resources, networking, STARS platform, and conference discounts.
2. Business Membership Dues: Two-tier membership structure (Business Leader and Business Affiliate) providing networking, recognition, marketing, and advertising opportunities with the higher education sustainability community.
3. Conference & Expo Revenue: Registration fees, sponsorships, and exhibitor fees from the annual AASHE Conference & Expo. Also includes venue/host institution partnerships.
4. Advertising & Sponsorship: Advertising opportunities across AASHE Connect, Announcements newsletter, Bulletin, and social media platforms. Sponsorship opportunities for publications, workshops, and programs.
5. Professional Development Programs: Revenue from virtual workshops, online courses, and professional development programs. Includes registration fees for educational offerings and recording sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

AASHE is a nonprofit membership association that provides sustainability resources, benchmarking frameworks, conferences, professional development, and community/networking platforms to higher education institutions and related organizations. Its flagship offering, the STARS sustainability rating system, enables colleges and universities to measure, report, and compare campus sustainability performance. Supporting products include the AASHE Conference & Expo, Campus Sustainability Hub, AASHE Connect online community, professional learning programs, recognition/awards, and peer mentorship initiatives.

Product overview

AASHE operates as a membership-based association offering a comprehensive suite of interconnected programs and resources for advancing sustainability in higher education. The core portfolio centers on STARS (the primary rating and benchmarking system), the annual Conference & Expo (the premier networking event), and the Campus Sustainability Hub (a resource library). These are supported by professional learning offerings (webinars, workshops, courses), the online community platform AASHE Connect, sustainability awards, mentorship programs, and thematic Communities of Practice. AASHE also coordinates strategic initiatives including HEASC (cross-association consortium) and DANS (disciplinary associations network). The organization serves over 900 member institutions across 48 U.S. states and 20 countries through organizational memberships that provide campus-wide access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STARS: Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System - a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.
• AASHE Conference & Expo
• The Bulletin
• Campus Sustainability Hub

Products and services

• STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) A transparent, self-reporting sustainability rating system that allows colleges and universities to measure, benchmark, and publicly report their campus sustainability performance against a standardized set of indicators. Produces multi-tier ratings (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) and is used by hundreds of institutions globally.
• AASHE Conference & Expo Annual conference and exposition that brings together campus sustainability professionals, students, vendors, and partner organizations for keynote sessions, workshops, networking, and an exhibition hall. Offers registration as in-person, virtual, or hybrid participation.
• Campus Sustainability Hub Online hub that provides member and public access to sustainability resources, case studies, program models, policies, and tools curated to support campus sustainability work across higher education.
• AASHE Connect Digital community platform that enables AASHE members to engage in topic-based discussions, share resources, and collaborate across institutions on sustainability initiatives.
• AASHE Professional Learning Programs Structured professional development offerings — webinars, workshops, courses, and Communities of Practice — designed to build sustainability practitioner capacity across higher education.
• AASHE Sustainability Awards Annual recognition program that honors outstanding sustainability achievements across higher education, including STARS Platinum awards and Campus Sustainability Achievement Awards.
• Campus Sustainability Month An annual, month-long observance in October that mobilizes higher education institutions worldwide to host sustainability programming, events, and campaigns; coordinated centrally by AASHE.
• AASHE Mentorship & Peer Collaboration Program Program that connects sustainability professionals across institutions for peer mentorship and collaborative problem-solving on sustainability initiatives.
• Sustainable Career Compass (Career Center) Career-focused offering that supports sustainability professionals and students through job postings, career resources, and pathways into sustainability careers in higher education and adjacent sectors.
• The Bulletin (AASHE Bulletin) Regular member publication delivering news, announcements, and updates about sustainability in higher education and AASHE programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 180 institutions and individuals recognized through Sustainability Awards since 2006
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACTS is a nonprofit member-based organization representing higher and further education institutions within Australia and New Zealand. AASHE works with ACTS to advance international collaboration and learning to accelerate the campus sustainability movement.
• Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEAUC is the environmental and sustainability champion for Further and Higher Education in the U.K. AASHE collaborates with EAUC to advance international collaboration and learning in campus sustainability.
• Better Buildings AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition bringing together leaders from the nation's commercial building industry to share and advance solutions in energy efficiency.
• Council of Higher Education Management Associations (CHEMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn informal voluntary assembly of management-oriented higher education associations in the United States and Canada working on sustainability matters.
• Disciplinary Associations Network for Sustainability (DANS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn informal network of professional associations working on educating the public about sustainability, curricula, standards and tenure requirements to reflect sustainability.
• Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (HEASC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network of higher education associations with a commitment to advancing sustainability within their constituencies. AASHE serves as the coordinating body.
• Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization working to transform the economic system so all actors prioritize shared wellbeing on a healthy planet.
• CLEANRminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner offering microplastic capture filters for washing machines. CLEANR captures over 90% of microplastics from laundry before they pollute waterways.
• ClearloopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner creating carbon solutions for organizations to decarbonize the American economy and accelerate new solar projects in communities.
• CNaughtminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner providing carbon credit purchasing and management solutions for sustainability teams. Trusted by University of Pennsylvania, Harvard Business School, and Stanford Law School.
• Follett Higher EducationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner serving over 1,000 colleges and universities across North America with course materials, retail experiences, and sustainable practices.
• VeoliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner developing and implementing environmental solutions for cities, industries and communities to manage, recycle and protect critical resources.
• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on events, resources and joint initiatives advancing sustainability in higher education through green building standards.
• Second NatureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator working on climate commitments and sustainability initiatives for higher education institutions.
• National Wildlife FederationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on environmental education and sustainability initiatives for higher education.
• Association of Climate Change OfficersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on climate leadership and professional development for higher education sustainability professionals.
• EcoChallengeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on behavior change and sustainability challenge programs for campus communities.
• Food Recovery NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on food waste reduction and recovery initiatives in higher education dining services.
• Real Food ChallengeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on sustainable food procurement and campus dining transformation initiatives.
• International Society of Sustainability ProfessionalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on professional development and certification for sustainability practitioners.
• Campus CompactminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on civic engagement and community partnerships for higher education sustainability.
• US Partnership on Education for Sustainable DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates DANS network with AASHE. The Partnership works to advance education for sustainable development nationally and globally.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Real Food Challenge: Network focused on sustainable food procurement in higher-education dining; competes with AASHE's Communities of Practice in food procurement and campus dining sustainability.
• Second Nature: U.S. nonprofit focused on climate commitments and carbon neutrality in higher education; overlaps with AASHE on climate action programming and competes for member mind-share on sustainability strategy.
• International Living Future Institute (ILFI): Operator of the Living Building Challenge, JUST label, and other sustainability certifications; competes with STARS in the higher-education sustainability disclosure space and recognized AASHE as a JUST Organization.
• Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO): Membership association for climate and sustainability officers at government and institutional levels; competes for the same sustainability leadership audience that AASHE serves through its professional development programs.
• International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP): Professional membership association for sustainability practitioners; overlaps with AASHE's individual/professional membership and Communities of Practice offerings.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC): Operator of LEED, the dominant green-building rating system that extends into higher-education campus infrastructure; overlaps with AASHE's STARS framework in measuring institutional sustainability performance.
• National Wildlife Federation (Campus Ecology): Large environmental organization with a long-running Campus Ecology program targeting higher-education sustainability; overlaps with AASHE on curriculum, climate, and wildlife-related sustainability programming.

Others

• US Partnership on Education for Sustainable Development: National partnership coordinating education-for-sustainable-development efforts, co-coordinating DANS with AASHE; complementary mission with overlapping stakeholder networks.

Direct peers

• Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC): UK-based membership association for sustainability in further and higher education; operates the analogous sustainability framework (Green Evolution) and serves a near-identical member base to AASHE in a different geography.
• Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS): Australia and New Zealand's nonprofit member-based association for sustainability in higher and further education, providing a direct parallel to AASHE's role in North America.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AASHENews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/aasheorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/aasheorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aashe
• Instagraminstagram.com/aashenews

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 AASHE