Confluence Environmental Center

What Confluence Environmental Center does

Confluence Environmental Center is a Portland, Oregon-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that operates a federally funded AmeriCorps program placing service members with environmental partner organizations for structured 9-month terms. The organization acts as an intermediary between the Corporation for National and Community Service, which provides the federal pass-through funding for member living allowances and education awards, and a network of host sites across the Portland metropolitan area including schools, community colleges, watershed councils, and environmental nonprofits. Since inception, Confluence has supported more than 200 AmeriCorps members through environmental service placements.

The organization's operating model centers on recruiting, training, and supporting member cohorts, then matching them to partner-driven projects in environmental stewardship, education, and community resilience. Partner host sites contribute matching resources and supervision, while Confluence handles federal compliance, member support, and program administration. Programmatic oversight is split across an Executive Director and Program Director roles, with a small staff of approximately 9 employees.

Revenue mechanics combine federal AmeriCorps funding administered through the Corporation for National and Community Service, partner host-site fees, and philanthropic contributions including the new Come Together for Confluence event and Spring Raffle. Because the funding base depends heavily on federal appropriations and grant cycles, program continuity is tied to renewal of those awards. Geographic operations remain concentrated in the Portland metro area, with no publicly disclosed expansion into new regions.

Name

Confluence Environmental Center

Legal name

Confluence Environmental Center

Website

https://confluencecenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Confluence Environmental Center, a Portland-based nonprofit founded in 2011, operates an AmeriCorps program that places members with schools, watershed councils, and environmental nonprofits across the Portland metro area for 9-month service terms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Environmental service programs
• AmeriCorps service program
• Community environmental education
• Watershed restoration services
• Environmental justice programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Federal AmeriCorps Funding: Confluence Environmental Center operates as a federally funded program through the Corporation for National and Community Service. The organization receives federal funding to operate its AmeriCorps program, which supports living allowances and education awards for members. The program also charges partner organizations fees, with discounts available for culturally specific organizations impacted by health crises.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts individual donations to support organizational goals including expanding professional development opportunities for members and staff and offsetting partner fees for eligible community-based organizations. Fundraising events such as raffles are conducted to raise funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Confluence Environmental Center is a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit that operates an AmeriCorps program placing service members with partner nonprofits, schools, and government agencies for 9-month terms of environmental service. Programs focus on environmental education, watershed restoration, and environmental justice delivered through place-based stewardship projects across the Portland metropolitan area. The organization is supported by federal AmeriCorps funding, charitable donations, and partner cost-share arrangements.

Product overview

Confluence Environmental Center operates a single unified AmeriCorps program that catalyzes environmental justice in the Portland area. The core offering is a 9-month service learning opportunity where AmeriCorps Members are placed at partner organizations to address environmental needs in low-income communities and communities of color. The program includes three integrated components: monthly Team Meetings for professional development, National Service Days (MLK Day and Dolores Huerta Day) for community engagement, and a Leadership Development Series for skill certification. The organization also manages a Partner Host program through which eligible organizations apply annually to host AmeriCorps Members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Confluence AmeriCorps: The AmeriCorps program operated by Confluence Environmental Center that places members with partner organizations for 9-month environmental service terms.

Products and services

• AmeriCorps Environmental Service Program A 9-month AmeriCorps service-member placement program for partner nonprofits, schools, and government agencies in the Portland region, providing trained service members to support environmental education, watershed restoration, and environmental justice projects.
• Environmental Education Programs School- and community-based environmental education programming delivered through AmeriCorps member service and aimed at K-12 students and community participants in the Portland metropolitan area.
• Watershed Restoration Programs Field-based watershed restoration projects delivered through AmeriCorps member service in partnership with regional environmental organizations and public agencies in the Portland metropolitan area.
• Environmental Justice Programs Community-facing environmental justice initiatives delivered through AmeriCorps member service and partner collaborations in the Portland region, focused on equity-centered environmental outcomes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 33,485 hours of community service completed by a single AmeriCorps cohort (19-20)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

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

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Portland Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner hosting AmeriCorps members for climate justice and sustainability projects. Members serve as Climate Justice Community Engagement Coordinator and Sustainability Community Engagement Coordinator positions.
• Portland Community College, Sylvania CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost partner for Learning Gardens Specialist and Systems Outreach Coordinator positions. Members support the Learning Garden, sustainable agriculture practices, and food security initiatives.
• Housing Authority of Clackamas CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecurring partner hosting Community Food Security Coordinators. Members work on community gardens, food security programs, and wellness education for housing residents.
• City of Portland, Bureau of Environmental ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner hosting Outreach and Education Coordinators for environmental services projects.
• Johnson Creek Watershed CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental nonprofit partner for watershed restoration. Hosted Outreach and Riparian Specialist positions.
• National Wildlife Federation & Association of Northwest SteelheaderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership with NWF and ANWS hosting Education & Outreach Coordinators for conservation and fisheries education programs.
• National Wildlife FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational environmental organization partner with Affiliate of the Year recognition. Programs include Fish Eggs to Fry and Family Fish Camp.
• Solar OregoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean energy nonprofit partner for Community Education Specialists focused on increasing solar awareness in underserved communities.
• Washington County, Solid Waste & RecyclingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner hosting Waste Prevention Educators for recycling and sustainability programs.
• Trash for PeacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability education nonprofit partner hosting Education Coordinators for youth and community programs.
• Reynolds Learning AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool partner hosting Environmental Program Specialists for bilingual environmental education.
• Sandy River Watershed CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWatershed restoration partner organization.
• VerdeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental justice nonprofit partner collaborating on community environmental initiatives.
• United WayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity support organization partner in the 2021-2022 cycle.
• The Nature ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization partner in the 2020-2021 cycle.
• Bonneville Environmental FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean energy and environmental foundation partner in the 2020-2021 cycle.
• City of Gresham, Environmental ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal environmental services partner in the 2020-2021 cycle.
• Clackamas County, Sustainability & Solid WastecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government partner for sustainability and waste reduction initiatives.
• Clackamas Community College - Environmental Learning CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampus partner hosting Watershed Health Educator. The Environmental Learning Center includes forest and wetland environments created around the headwaters of Newell Creek.
• Greater Oregon City Watershed CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWatershed restoration nonprofit partner for community outreach, native plantings along Singer Creek, and stewardship activities. Hosted Willow and Derek as AmeriCorps members.
• Cottonwood School of Civics and SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharter school partner hosting Outdoor Learning Coordinator for environmental education programs.
• Mt. Hood Community College, Barney's PantrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity college partner hosting Garden to Pantry Educator for food security initiatives.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Student Conservation Association: National nonprofit that places young adults in conservation service terms, very analogous to Confluence's AmeriCorps model but operating at significantly larger national scale across trail building, habitat restoration, and environmental education.
• EarthCorps: Seattle-based nonprofit training young adults in environmental leadership through term-of-service positions and ecological restoration, structurally and programmatically similar to Confluence's AmeriCorps model.
• SOLVE: Oregon-based nonprofit mobilizing volunteers for cleanup and restoration across the state, overlapping with Confluence on community engagement, volunteer recruitment, and environmental stewardship in the same Pacific Northwest geography.
• Verde: Portland-based environmental justice nonprofit focused on community-led environmental and economic equity, explicitly named as a Confluence partner and operating with directly comparable equity-first environmental mission in the same metro area.
• Groundwork USA: National network of local Groundwork trusts running AmeriCorps environmental programs focused on community-based environmental justice and urban restoration — directly mirrors Confluence's equity-first, place-based service model.
• Friends of Trees: Portland-based nonprofit that plants trees and engages volunteers in urban greening, closely overlapping with Confluence's reforestation, watershed restoration, and community planting work in the same metro region.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (Oregon Chapter): Major international conservation organization with active Oregon programming and a documented partner relationship with Confluence, providing broader conservation infrastructure and funding context for comparison.
• Public Allies: National AmeriCorps program developing emerging leaders through nonprofit placements — shares the AmeriCorps service-term model with Confluence but targets broader civic leadership rather than environmental specialization.
• City Year: Large national AmeriCorps program placing young adults in schools for near-peer mentoring and student success support — same AmeriCorps/9-month service structure as Confluence but focused on education rather than environment.

Regional players

• Oregon Environmental Council: Statewide policy advocacy organization advancing environmental protection in Oregon, operating in the same geography as Confluence but focused on policy rather than direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/confluenceamericorps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/confluence-environmental-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Confluence Environmental Center