Alliance For Sustainability

What Alliance For Sustainability does

Alliance for Sustainability is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1983 and headquartered at 7915 Victoria Curve, St. Louis Park, Minnesota. It operates a portfolio of four mission-aligned programs under the umbrella Campaign for Sustainability, Health, Equity and Kindness (S.H.E. Kindness Campaign): the Akepa Youth & School Program (middle and high school leadership), the S.H.E. Kindness Business Program (corporate sustainability consulting and training), the S.H.E. Kindness Policy Program (state and national advocacy with weekly Take Actions), and the S.H.E. Kindness Outreach and Communications for Impact Program (presentations, newsletter, Substack). The organization's intellectual foundation is the Natural Step Framework, used as the core methodology for sustainability planning, and it claims to have authored one of the first comprehensive definitions of sustainability — ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just and humane.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue stack rather than a traditional product pricing model: (1) donations and fundraising through the website; (2) a recurring "Friends of the Alliance" membership tier plus a separate membership program; and (3) professional services revenue from corporate consulting, training, and presentations delivered via the S.H.E. Kindness Business Program. Distribution is primarily direct and digital — website self-serve for pledges/donations, direct field engagement for business consulting, and partnership-driven school programs nationwide. The organization also operates a Sustainability Partner Program with 14+ named corporate partners (Dolphin Blue, Naturepedic, French Meadow, Social K, EnerChange, Novel Energy Solutions, Tiny Diner, Center for Energy and the Environment, etc.) that provide mutual cross-promotion.

Customer segments span four groups: businesses and organizations (the primary commercial segment), the general public and members (a primary community segment), youth and students, and policy makers/advocates. The stated quantitative outcome is the S.H.E. Kindness Pledge campaign, which targets 1 million individual signatories committed to systems change. Recent operational signals include a July 2026 governance refresh — Sarah Rivera appointed Board Co-Chair, Teri Reitan appointed Co-Executive Director, Brady Johnson returning as Board Treasurer, and Marouan ben Larbi newly elected to the Board — suggesting renewed organizational capacity heading into 2026-2027.

Name

Alliance For Sustainability

Legal name

Alliance for Sustainability

Website

https://afors.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alliance for Sustainability is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 that runs the S.H.E. Kindness Campaign, offering youth leadership, corporate sustainability consulting, public-policy advocacy, and outreach programs to individuals, businesses, schools, and policymakers nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting and Advocacy

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Sustainability consulting
• Nonprofit advocacy services
• Community engagement programs
• Environmental education
• Corporate sustainability training

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis, Minnesota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts donations through its website and runs fundraising campaigns to support its programs and operations.
2. Membership and Friends Program: Revenue generated through membership fees and the 'Friends of the Alliance' program which engages supporters in the sustainability movement.
3. Consulting and Training Services: The S.H.E. Kindness Business Program offers presentations, training, and consulting services to businesses to help them become sustainability leaders.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Alliance For Sustainability is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that co-creates sustainability, health, equity and kindness across personal, organizational, and planetary levels. It delivers the S.H.E. Kindness Campaign through four program areas — a youth/school program, a business program, a policy program, and an outreach/communications program — supported by consulting services, partnerships, memberships, and donations. The organization applies the Natural Step Framework as its core methodology for guiding sustainability transformation.

Product overview

The Alliance for Sustainability operates as a nonprofit organization focused on co-creating sustainability on personal, organizational, and planetary levels through its S.H.E. Kindness Campaign (Campaign for Sustainability, Health, Equity and Kindness). The organization offers a portfolio of programs including the Akepa Youth & School Program for youth leadership development, the S.H.E. Kindness Business Program for corporate sustainability consulting, the S.H.E. Kindness Policy Program for public policy advocacy, and the S.H.E. Kindness Outreach and Communications for Impact Program for presentations and newsletters. Additional offerings include the Transformative Sustainability newsletter/Substack, the S.H.E. Kindness Pledge commitment initiative, Declaration of Co-Creation and Interdependence, Friends of the Alliance membership program, and a Sustainability Partner Program for businesses. The organization was founded in 1983 and has developed one of the first comprehensive definitions of sustainability: ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just and humane, embodying highest values in treating people, animals and the planet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• S.H.E. Kindness Campaign: Campaign for Sustainability, Health, Equity and Kindness - focused on bringing about fundamental systems change through personal and organizational transformation and public policy.
• Transformative Sustainability

Quantifiable outcome

• S.H.E. Kindness Pledge aims to engage 1 million people in commitment to sustainability, health, equity and kindness

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dolphin BluecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partner of the Alliance, offering eco-friendly products and services that align with the organization's mission of sustainability, health, equity and kindness.
• Naturepedic Organic MattressescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partner providing organic mattress products that support healthy living and environmental responsibility.
• Inclusivi-teecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partner offering inclusive apparel that aligns with the Alliance's values of equity and kindness.
• Social K Retirement PlanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partner offering first ESG Target Date Portfolios for retirement planning, integrating environmental and social governance into investment strategies.
• Eco-Friendly PrinterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partner providing eco-friendly printing services for the Alliance and its network.
• French MeadowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partner (French Meadow Cafe) offering organic, sustainable food options in alignment with the Alliance's health and sustainability mission.
• EnerChangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partner focused on energy transition and clean energy solutions.
• Emmons Olivier ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partner providing resources and consulting for sustainability initiatives.
• Giving Tree GardensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partner focused on gardening and green space initiatives.
• Novel Energy SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partner offering innovative energy solutions for businesses and organizations.
• paleBluedotminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partner focused on personal sustainability transformations and behavioral change.
• Tiny DinercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partner offering sustainable dining experiences and local food systems.
• Center for Energy and the EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partner focused on energy efficiency and environmental research and programs.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club Foundation: Major national environmental nonprofit that funds sustainability, advocacy, and education programs; significantly larger and broader but competes for the same donor and policy-advocacy mindshare.
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Large national environmental advocacy and policy organization; overlaps on climate advocacy, business sustainability engagement, and public-policy campaigns relevant to the Alliance's programs.
• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC): National nonprofit running LEED certification and sustainability education programs for buildings and organizations; comparable in offering sustainability training, credentialing, and consulting-adjacent services.
• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): Global nonprofit consultancy advising large companies on sustainability strategy; competes for the same business sustainability consulting and training engagements the Alliance sells.
• Ceres: Nonprofit sustainability advocacy organization working with investors, companies, and policymakers on climate and ESG issues; closely comparable business sustainability consulting and policy-advocacy model.

Direct peers

• EarthShare: Federated workplace-giving network for environmental nonprofits that supports member organizations through fundraising and corporate partnerships; highly comparable nonprofit sustainability infrastructure and donor network.
• B Lab (B Corporation): Nonprofit certifying and supporting purpose-driven businesses on social and environmental performance; directly comparable as it helps businesses become sustainability leaders and serves overlapping partner audiences.
• 1% for the Planet: Nonprofit network connecting businesses that donate a percentage of sales to environmental nonprofits; overlaps on sustainability partner programs and business-membership engagement models.
• Green America: National nonprofit that mobilizes consumers and businesses around sustainability through campaigns, certifications, and advocacy; directly comparable mission and community-led model to the Alliance for Sustainability.

Emerging players

• Practical Environmentalists: Smaller community-focused sustainability education and engagement nonprofit; comparable scale and community-led outreach model for individual sustainability behavior change.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AforSMN
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXhUD0KoSDUGSO7oQ8_hEvg
• Facebookfacebook.com/allianceforsustainabilitymn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alliance-for-sustainability
• Instagraminstagram.com/theallianceforsustainability

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Alliance For Sustainability