North Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council

What North Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council does

North Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit founded in 2002 and operating under the trade name "Conservation Works," headquartered in the Windsor/Sebastopol/Santa Rosa area of Sonoma County, California. The organization delivers environmental education, stewardship, and youth workforce programming across Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties. Its program portfolio spans Bee Patches, Rain Catchers, Worm Wizards, Fire Resiliency, Turkey Tail & Tanoak, the Willits Watershed initiative, the 180 Studios Project, and Cultivating Commerce — collectively covering pollinator habitat, water conservation, vermiculture, fire mitigation, applied mycology and forest health, post-fire watershed restoration, and youth employment and reentry pathways.

The underlying "technology" is a community-based, field-delivered service model rather than a software or hardware platform: programs rely on in-person instruction, demonstration sites, partnerships with Resource Conservation Districts, and grant-funded project management. There is no proprietary product, platform architecture, or AI/data component; value is created through local relationships, grant capture, and labor-intensive environmental interventions on farms, schools, and public lands.

The revenue model is a diversified nonprofit stack: individual donations, foundation grants, fiscal sponsorships, and corporate giving. The organization historically depended on USDA NRCS funding but lost that anchor in 2011 and subsequently restructured around grassroots fundraising; it rebranded to "Conservation Works" in 2020 to broaden public identity. Customer/beneficiary segments include K-12 and reentry youth, small farms and agricultural producers, watershed stakeholders, and fire-affected communities, with go-to-market conducted through county agencies, school districts, conservation districts, and community partners rather than direct commercial sales.

Name

North Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council

Legal name

North Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council

Website

https://ncrcanddc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Conservation Works is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 that delivers environmental education, watershed restoration, fire resiliency, and youth workforce programs across California's Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH), Biodiversity Conservation & Habitat Banking (AFAMAMAC), Avoided Conversion & Ecosystem Protection (REDD+, Blue Carbon Conservation) (EUABABAC)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Conservation programs
• Watershed restoration
• Pollinator habitat
• Sustainable agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Windsor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations at various levels, memorial gifts, annual gifts, planned giving through bequests and charitable trusts, endowments, and fund naming opportunities. Accepts checks, credit cards, PayPal, stock gifts, land or property gifts, life insurance policies, and pledges.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Funding from government agencies including CalFire, USDA NRCS (historical), and private foundations such as Jackson Family Wines, Clif Bar Family Foundation, Exchange Bank Foundation, Strong Foundation for Environmental Values, Joseph and Vera Long Foundation, George & Ruth Bradford Foundation, Community Foundation of Mendocino County, Impact 100 Sonoma, JW & HM Goodman Family Foundation, Captain Planet Foundation.
3. Fiscal Sponsorships: Diversified funding through fiscal sponsorships in addition to direct grants and individual donations.
4. Corporate Giving and Sponsorships: Support from corporate sponsors including JFW Innovative Wealth Solutions, Recology, Amy's Organic, La Tortilla Factory, Landmark Vineyards, and PG&E Exchange Bank.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Conservation Works (DBA North Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council) is a grassroots non-profit 501(c)(3) that delivers environmental education and on-the-ground conservation action programs to youth and rural communities across Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties. Its portfolio includes pollinator habitat planting (Bee Patches), rainwater collection systems (Rain Catchers), vermicomposting education (Worm Wizards of Waste), fire resiliency planning, watershed restoration, sustainable forestry research, and business skills support for underserved farmers (Cultivating Commerce).

Product overview

Conservation Works (DBA North Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council) is a grassroots non-profit organization that offers a portfolio of environmental education and action programs rather than a unified technology product. The core programs include Bee Patches (pollinator habitat), Rain Catchers (rainwater collection), and Worm Wizards of Waste (vermicomposting), which work together as interconnected conservation initiatives. Additional programs cover Fire Resiliency, Sustainable Communities, Agriculture and Forestry, and Cultivating Commerce. The organization emphasizes hands-on, multi-generational involvement with youth and community members to create on-the-ground change in pollinator protection, water conservation, climate change mitigation, and sustainable farming across Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties in California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bee Patches A pollinator habitat planting program that creates on-the-ground habitat for bees and other pollinators through community youth engagement in the four-county North Coast region.
• Rain Catchers A rainwater collection, storage, and reuse program that builds rooftop collection systems at schools, teaching students water conservation.
• Worm Wizards of Waste A vermicomposting education and action program that works with students to turn school food waste into compost, reducing landfill waste and greenhouse gases.
• Fire Resiliency Projects Educational outreach and community-wide fire safety planning program helping residents understand defensible space measures, fire hardening techniques, and develop fire action plans.
• Cultivating Commerce A business education program helping underserved ranchers and farmers develop skillsets to better position them for success, particularly those disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
• Willits Watershed Project A watershed restoration project in Mendocino County focused on rehabilitating burned riparian and oak woodland areas in the Davis Creek Watershed following the 2017 Mendocino Complex fires.
• Turkey Tail & Tanoak A forestry research project evaluating alternative brush control methods using native turkey tail mushrooms (Trametes versicolor) to inhibit tanoak sprouting as an alternative to herbicide treatments.
• 180 Studios Project (Oasis) A three-way conservation demonstration project combining Bee Patches, Rain Catchers, and Worm Wizards at the organization's office headquarters, designed as a hands-on STEM education site.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gold Ridge Resource Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular partner in conservation activities including pollinator habitat conservation. Working together on Fire Prevention Planning and Community Engagement Project in Camp Meeker, funded by CalFire.
• Sonoma Resource Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular partner in conservation activities across the four-county region.
• Marin Resource Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular partner in conservation activities across the four-county region.
• Mendocino County Resource Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular partner in conservation activities including pollinator habitat conservation outreach.
• Lake County Resource Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular partner in conservation activities across the four-county region.
• Girl ScoutscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth organization partner in conservation and environmental education programs.
• Social Advocates for YouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 180 Studios Project bringing students from Elsie Allen High School for environmental education and construction projects.
• California Native Plant Society (local chapters)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in conservation activities and pollinator habitat projects.
• 180 Studios MakerspacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost partner for office headquarters and location for the Oasis demonstration project.
• Russian River ConfluenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in conservation activities.
• The Living RoomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in community programs.
• Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity service partner in conservation activities.
• School Garden NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in school-based environmental education and composting programs.
• Noyo Food ForestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in sustainable agriculture and food systems.
• Jughandle Creek Farm and Nature CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in sustainable farming and environmental education.
• West CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in community sustainability initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sustainable Conservation: A California-based non-profit advancing sustainable resource management across water, land, and air. Comparable in California-focused conservation mandate and engagement with corporate and government funders, though broader in scope and larger in scale.
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: A national non-profit focused on invertebrate and pollinator conservation, including pollinator habitat programs directly comparable to Bee Patches. Larger and broader in scope, but competes for the same pollinator-focused grants and partner schools.
• Pollinator Partnership: A national non-profit dedicated to pollinator health and habitat education programs. Highly comparable in pollinator habitat focus and educational outreach, but operates at significantly larger scale and competes for similar foundation funding.

Direct peers

• Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District: A Sonoma County-based Resource Conservation District delivering fire prevention, habitat conservation, and watershed programs. Directly comparable as a co-executing partner on the Camp Meeker Fire Prevention Project and pollinator habitat work in the same North Coast region.
• Mendocino County Resource Conservation District: A Mendocino-based RCD delivering forestry, watershed, and conservation education programs. Comparable in mandate and geography, particularly around forestry and post-fire riparian restoration work overlapping with the Willits Watershed Project.
• Marin Resource Conservation District: A Marin County RCD engaged in conservation education and habitat work across the same four-county footprint. Comparable in program types, partnership-driven delivery model, and rural California focus.
• California Native Plant Society: A California-based native plant and habitat conservation organization with active local chapters that partner directly with Conservation Works on pollinator habitat projects. Comparable in conservation education, habitat restoration focus, and grassroots volunteer-driven model.
• Sonoma Resource Conservation District: A Sonoma County Resource Conservation District providing conservation education, habitat restoration, and sustainable agriculture programming. Closely comparable in mission, geography, and partner-network structure, with overlapping board representation.

Regional players

• Audubon Canyon Ranch: A Northern California-based conservation organization focused on habitat stewardship, environmental education, and nature-based programs in the San Francisco Bay Area and North Coast. Comparable in environmental education and habitat conservation delivery, with overlapping regional geography.
• The Watershed Project: A Bay Area-based non-profit delivering community watershed education and restoration programs. Directly comparable in mission and Rain Catchers-style water conservation programming, though focused on urban/ Bay Area rather than rural North Coast communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ncrcanddc
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCRCDC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 North Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council