Fundación El Árbol

What Fundación El Árbol does

Fundación El Árbol (legal name Fundación Sembrando Cambio A.C.) is a Mexican non-profit civil association founded in 2016 and headquartered in Valle de Bravo, Estado de México. It operates a portfolio of rural community development programs across the Valle de Bravo and Amanalco municipalities, serving marginal rural populations, women, children, and local producers. Its core programs include Biofábras Comunitarias (community agroecological biofactories), CASA (food sovereignty through family agroecological gardens), LAV STEAM (environmental STEAM education in 13 rural schools reaching 1,040+ children), the Academia de Formación en Oficios Rurales (vocational training in agroecology, ecological gardening, and horsemanship with nationally endorsed credentials), and IMPULSAR (women-led savings and productive groups). The Semilla Viva collective, comprising rural women from 4 communities in Amanalco, markets artisanal foods via a monthly subscription basket and regional retail, while the Bolsa de Trabajo job board connects Academy graduates with employers.

The foundation generates revenue through individual donations collected via its website, corporate social responsibility partnerships with 15+ companies, and the Semilla Viva subscription/retail channel. Its GTM motion is community-led, relying on grassroots engagement, volunteer networks, and word-of-mouth within rural communities, complemented by organic social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) and a dedicated impact report. The organization is lean (6 employees) and is governed by an advisory council that includes executives from regional hospitality, analytics, social enterprise, and venture capital. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations are human-delivered across field programs, with a Wix-based donation portal and a Netlify-hosted impact report.

Customer concentration risk is low, as programs serve a wide base of smallholder families (333 families/1,301 individuals across 20 communities) and a diversified set of corporate CSR allies. Constructora ValleW is named as the most detailed case-study partner, suggesting it may be a relatively important strategic relationship, but no single corporate appears to dominate funding. The business model is philanthropy-first, with the Semilla Viva subscription serving as a small but symbolically important earned-income layer supporting the women-led collective.

Name

Fundación El Árbol

Legal name

Fundación Sembrando Cambio A.C.

Website

https://elarbolmx.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fundación El Árbol is a Mexican non-profit foundation operating in Valle de Bravo and Amanalco, Estado de México, delivering rural community development programs in food sovereignty, agroecological training, STEAM education, and women's economic empowerment for marginalized rural families, women, and children.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Community Development & Social Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Rural community development
• Agroecological training programs
• Food sovereignty initiatives
• STEAM environmental education
• Women empowerment Mexico

Headquarters

HQ city

Valle de Bravo

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The primary revenue stream comes from donations made by individuals and organizations through the foundation's website. Donation campaigns focus on specific themes: gender equity, closing the gap for rural women, social justice, educational opportunities, and food sovereignty.
2. Semilla Viva Product Sales: Semilla Viva, a collective of rural women, produces and sells artisanal food products (sauces, jams, dehydrated products, Mexican snacks, breads, and nut butters) through a monthly subscription basket or individual orders, reaching customers directly and through selected regional stores.
3. Corporate Social Responsibility Partnerships: The foundation partners with companies to implement CSR programs. The model allows companies to elevate social impact, connect with customers, and attract and retain talent aligned with sustainable business, without requiring large investments or adding operational burden to the partner companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fundación El Árbol is a Mexican nonprofit that delivers integrated rural community development programs in the State of Mexico, including agroecological training (Biofábricas Comunitarias), food sovereignty initiatives (CASA, IMPULSAR), environmental STEAM education (LAV STEAM), a rural professional training academy (Academia de Formación Profesional Rural), and the Semilla Viva women-led artisanal food collective. The foundation is funded primarily by individual donations and corporate social responsibility partnerships, and supplements its mission through subscription-based artisanal food sales.

Product overview

Fundación El Árbol operates as a multi-program NGO offering an integrated portfolio of rural development initiatives. The core offerings include Biofábricas Comunitarias for agroecological transition, CASA for food sovereignty, LAV STEAM for environmental education, the Academia de Formación Profesional Rural for vocational training, IMPULSAR for women's economic empowerment, and Semilla Viva as a women-owned food production collective. The Bolsa de Trabajo job board complements these programs by connecting trained graduates with employment opportunities. Together, these programs address sustainable agriculture, education, economic development, and community resilience in rural Mexico.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Semilla Viva: Collective of rural women from 4 communities in Amanalco, Estado de México producing artisanal healthy foods including sauces, jams, sun-dried products, Mexican snacks, breads, and nut butters.
• Biofábricas Comunitarias
• CASA Comunidades Autosustentables con Soberanía Alimentaria
• LAV STEAM (Laboratorio Ambiental de Vida)
• Academia de Formación Profesional Rural
• IMPULSAR

Quantifiable outcome

• 1040+ children educated through environmental STEAM programs across 13 schools
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Constructora ValleWcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerConstructora ValleW partnered with Fundación El Árbol to conduct social responsibility programs in the communities where they build real estate developments. The company evaluated creating its own foundation but recognized the complexity of genuinely helping vulnerable communities, choosing instead to leverage the foundation's professionalism and expertise to identify community needs and implement effective strategies.
• Universidad del Medio Ambiente (UMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Universidad del Medio Ambiente provides endorsement for the Gardener (Jardinero) training program at the Academia de Formación en Oficios Rurales, giving graduates nationally recognized credentials in ecological gardening.
• Federación Ecuestre Mexicana y Federación Mexicana de CabalgatascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThese federations provide endorsement for the Caballerango (horseman) training program at the Academia de Formación en Oficios Rurales, ensuring graduates receive nationally and internationally recognized credentials in equestrian services.
• TrascontinentalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrascontinental is listed among the foundation's corporate allies, supporting the foundation's social programs through the corporate social responsibility model.
• BARRIO 28minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBARRIO 28 is listed among the foundation's corporate allies, participating in the CSR partnership model.
• TEACORPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTEACORP is listed among the foundation's corporate allies.
• IPSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIPS is listed among the foundation's corporate allies.
• FEM (Fundación EM)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFEM is listed among the foundation's corporate allies.
• FMCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFMC is listed among the foundation's corporate allies.
• American SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe American School is listed among the foundation's corporate allies.
• IBBYminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIBBY is listed among the foundation's corporate allies.
• SeloteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSelote is listed among the foundation's corporate allies.
• Ad AstraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAd Astra is listed among the foundation's corporate allies.
• United Way MéxicominorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnited Way México is listed among the foundation's corporate allies, supporting the foundation's social impact programs.
• CaponetominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCaponeto is listed among the foundation's corporate allies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Root Capital: Global nonprofit financier of rural small and growing businesses in sustainable agriculture. Comparable thematically as a rural livelihoods enabler that complements El Árbol's producer development work.
• Fundación Compartamos: Mexican foundation connected to Compartamos Banco, focused on financial inclusion and rural entrepreneurship. Adjacent to El Árbol's economic empowerment work via women's collectives and savings groups.

Emerging players

• Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity: International nonprofit promoting food sovereignty, traditional food systems, and small-scale artisanal producers. Conceptually aligned with Semilla Viva's women-led artisanal food collective and El Árbol's food sovereignty mission.
• Reforestamos México: Mexican NGO focused on forest restoration and ecosystem services. Adjacent to El Árbol's Biofábricas and CASA programs that promote ecosystem regeneration and sustainable land management.

Broad incumbents

• Heifer International: Global nonprofit working to end hunger and poverty through sustainable agriculture and rural livelihoods. Comparable through its agroecology training, women's empowerment, and rural enterprise development focus areas.
• Pronatura México: One of Mexico's largest environmental NGOs, working on conservation, sustainable land use, and community-based natural resource management. Comparable as a broader Mexican sustainability nonprofit with rural community engagement.

Direct peers

• Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda I.A.P. Mexican nonprofit operating integrated conservation, sustainable agriculture, and rural livelihood programs in Sierra Gorda, Querétaro. Shares El Árbol's integrated approach to community resilience and agroecology.
• Alternare, A.C. Mexican NGO working on rural community development, sustainable agriculture, and environmental education in rural Mexico. Closely comparable mission and beneficiary model to Fundación El Árbol's CASA and Biofábricas programs.
• United Way México: Mexican arm of United Way, raising corporate and individual funds to support community programs. Already a corporate ally of El Árbol; comparable as a Mexican fundraising and grant-distribution platform for social programs.

Regional players

• Fundación Haciendas del Mundo Maya: Mexican foundation working with rural communities on sustainable development, cultural preservation, and economic opportunities. Comparable as a Mexican rural-focused foundation with community-driven programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtbhaiGkk_x_ZoHwiDVHp9w/videos?disable_polymer=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/elarbolac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elarbolmx
• Instagraminstagram.com/elarbolmx

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 Fundación El Árbol