Speak for the Trees Boston

What Speak for the Trees Boston does

Speak for the Trees Boston (operating as Tree Boston) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2018 and headquartered in Dorchester, Massachusetts, with a mission to expand the urban tree canopy in environmentally marginalized Boston neighborhoods. The organization delivers community-based tree planting, tree stewardship, youth workforce development, and environmental education programs, supported by approximately 18 staff and a network of board and advisory members. To date, it has planted 871 trees, distributed 5,025 free trees to residents, and engaged more than 7,500 community members.

The organization's core programs include NeighborWoods Tree Plantings, the Teen Urban Tree Corps (a paid youth summer employment program), Community TreeKeepers volunteer training, Tree Giveaways, Education & Outreach, Community Tree Walks, and the Big Old Trees of Boston heritage initiative. Its technology stack is operational rather than digital-product-led: Tree Equity Maps provide interactive Boston-specific canopy and equity visualizations, while the Green Jobs Solution Map project, built on US Forest Service STEW-MAP tools, identifies green career pathways across metro Boston in collaboration with American Forests and PowerCorpsBOS.

Tree Boston operates a diversified non-profit revenue model combining individual donations (tiered from $25 to $5,000 plus monthly sustaining options), corporate sponsorships (event tiers from $2,500 to $15,000+ for the annual Branching Out event), foundation and government grants, and an affiliate-style partnership with Jet-Set Offset that converts flyer carbon offsets into ongoing donations. The organization published a 2024-2026 strategic plan titled 'Guiding Our Growth' targeting annual revenue growth of approximately 10%, with a stated goal of $1.45 million in annual revenue by the end of 2026.

Name

Speak for the Trees Boston

Legal name

Speak for the Trees Boston

Website

https://treeboston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tree Boston is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2018 that plants, preserves, and advocates for trees in environmentally marginalized Boston neighborhoods through community engagement, youth workforce programs, and individual and corporate giving.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Forestry & Community Environmental Services

NAICS

Landscaping Services (561730), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tree Planting & Transplanting (HSAIADAE), Tree Health Care (Diagnosis, Treatment, Fertilization) (HSAIADAD)

Keywords

• Urban tree planting
• Tree canopy equity
• Community forestry
• Youth environmental programs
• Volunteer tree stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly sustaining donations from individuals, with specific giving levels from $25 to $5,000. Donors can give online or by check, with optional anonymous giving and annual report recognition.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate partnerships including team volunteer events, educational sessions, and annual event sponsorship (Branching Out). Event sponsorship tiers range from $2,500 to $15,000.
3. Foundation and Government Grants: Grant funding from foundations and government entities including Department of Conservation and Recreation, American Forests, and others. Strategic priority to increase government, corporate, and foundation grants by 10% annually through 2026.
4. Jet-Set Offset Partnership: Partnership with Jet-Set Offset where flyers donate one cent per mile flown to the organization, generating ongoing revenue from travel-related carbon offset donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Speak for the Trees Boston (operating as Tree Boston) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that works with community members to plant, preserve, care for, and advocate for trees in environmentally marginalized Boston neighborhoods. It delivers community-based tree planting events, free tree giveaways, volunteer tree-care training, and a paid youth workforce program, and it partners with corporations on volunteer outings and event sponsorships to fund the work.

Product overview

Tree Boston is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of community-based urban forestry programs. Its core offerings include NeighborWoods Tree Plantings, the Teen Urban Tree Corps youth workforce program, Community TreeKeepers volunteer training, and Tree Giveaways. The organization also provides educational resources including Community Tree Walks and Tree Equity Maps. For corporate partners, Tree Boston offers team volunteering events, educational sessions, and event sponsorships. All programs work together toward the mission of expanding tree canopy in environmentally marginalized Boston neighborhoods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NeighborWoods Tree Plantings Community-based tree planting program that empowers Boston residents to become neighborhood tree stewards by organizing planting events in under-canopied areas.
• Teen Urban Tree Corps Paid summer youth workforce development program that builds the next generation of environmental advocates and tree stewards through tree planting, care, and career exploration.
• Community TreeKeepers Volunteer training program that educates community members on proper tree care and ongoing stewardship practices.
• Tree Giveaways Program that distributes free trees to Boston residents for planting in their yards, expanding the urban canopy one household at a time.
• Education & Outreach Educational initiatives that raise awareness about the importance of urban trees and the role residents can play in planting and caring for them.
• Community Tree Walks Guided walking tours that teach participants to identify trees and learn about urban forestry, including nine place-based tree walks for Boston Public School students.
• Corporate Team Outings Customized corporate volunteer events where employee teams plant trees, mulch, water, or host tree giveaways in Boston neighborhoods.
• Annual Branching Out Event Sponsorship Annual fundraising event sponsorship with tiered packages (Sapling $2,500 to Forest $15,000+) for the Branching Out celebration.
• Individual Donations & Monthly Sustaining Membership One-time and recurring donations program with tiered giving levels ($25 to $5,000) and monthly sustaining member options supporting the organization's programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 871 trees planted and 5,025 trees given away to date
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• American ForestscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational urban forestry organization; partner on tree planting programs and the Green Jobs Solution Map project. Collaborates on urban forest research and advocacy at national level.
• Arbor Day FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational tree planting organization; provides support for tree distribution and planting initiatives. Part of Alliance for Community Trees network.
• Massachusetts Department of Conservation and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency managing conservation and recreation lands; key government partner for urban forestry initiatives and policy advocacy.
• Boston Parks and Recreation DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity department overseeing Boston's parks; primary partner for tree plantings in public spaces and community engagement through recreation facilities.
• Boston University URBAN ProgrammoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research support and student involvement in urban forestry studies and community programs.
• PowerCorps BOScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkforce development program for Boston youth; co-manages Green Jobs Solution Map project with American Forests and leads youth hiring for tree care programs.
• USDA Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency providing STEW-MAP tools and urban forestry expertise for the Green Jobs Solution Map project identifying green career pathways.
• HERO Nurturing CentermoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal environmental organization; co-develops programs and community engagement initiatives in Boston neighborhoods.
• Codman Square Neighborhood Development CorporationmoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity development organization in Dorchester; helps distribute trees and engage residents in tree planting programs.
• The American City CoalitionmoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHousing and community development organization; partner for neighborhood-based tree planting and community engagement.
• Neighborhood of Affordable HousingmoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHousing organization; helps deliver tree planting programs to residents in affordable housing communities.
• TreeEastiemoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEast Boston neighborhood tree organization; community partner for tree planting and education in Eastie.
• Boston Youth Engagement and Employment (BYEE)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity youth employment program; connects teen programs with workforce development opportunities.
• Greening Youth FoundationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit connecting underserved youth to environmental careers; supports Teen Urban Tree Corps program.
• Boston PICmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoston Private Industry Council; connects youth to career opportunities including green economy jobs.
• Historic BostonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric preservation organization; partner for tree planting in historic neighborhoods and spaces.
• Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerState clean energy agency; supports green jobs and environmental initiatives in Massachusetts.
• Boston Tree AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity program coordinated by Boston's Climate Resilience team; supports urban forest management and tree planting across Boston.
• Jet-Set OffsetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTravel carbon offset company; enables flyers to donate one cent per mile to Tree Boston, generating ongoing donations.
• Boston Urban Forest Friends (BUFF) CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition bringing together people, organizations, and resources to expand awareness about trees and advance climate resiliency in Boston. Tree Boston leads this initiative.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Forests: National oldest urban and rural forestry nonprofit; sets policy, runs national tree-planting campaigns, and partners with Tree Boston on the Green Jobs Solution Map. Operates at a much broader geographic and policy scale than Tree Boston.
• Mass Audubon: Massachusetts-based statewide conservation nonprofit operating wildlife sanctuaries and running education programs. Overlaps with Tree Boston on environmental education and conservation advocacy but at a much larger organizational scale.
• Arbor Day Foundation: National nonprofit running the largest tree-planting programs in the U.S. and home to the Alliance for Community Trees network (which Tree Boston is part of). Provides distribution and advocacy support but operates nationally across many cities.
• Keep America Beautiful: National nonprofit running community beautification and tree-planting programs through a national affiliate network. Comparable community-engagement and volunteer-driven tree programs but operates at much larger national scale.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit creating parks and protecting land, including urban greening and tree-canopy initiatives across many U.S. cities. Operates a broader portfolio than Tree Boston but shares urban-environmental-equity and tree-planting missions.

Direct peers

• TreePeople: Los Angeles-based environmental nonprofit focused on urban forestry, tree planting, and climate resilience through community engagement and youth programs. Highly comparable mission and program mix including youth workforce development and volunteer plantings.
• Casey Trees: Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit focused on planting, caring for, and advocating for the urban tree canopy in the DC metro area. Directly comparable mission, program structure (plantings, giveaways, education), and city-focused model to Tree Boston.
• Friends of the Urban Forest: San Francisco nonprofit dedicated to growing and maintaining the city's urban forest through community planting, tree care, and education programs. Same metro-scale urban forestry model, comparable donor/grant funding structure, and volunteer-driven GTM.

Regional players

• The Food Project: Boston-area nonprofit engaging youth in sustainable agriculture and food justice with overlapping youth-workforce and environmental-equity themes. Listed as a Tree Boston community partner; comparable regional focus and youth-development model.
• Emerald Necklace Conservancy: Boston-area nonprofit conserving the Emerald Necklace park system through tree care, restoration, and volunteer programs. Overlapping geography and tree-care focus, with more emphasis on park stewardship than residential canopy equity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/speak-for-the-trees-boston

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Speak for the Trees Boston