Friends of Sausal Creek

What Friends of Sausal Creek does

Friends of Sausal Creek (FOSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization founded in 1996 and headquartered in Oakland, California. It conserves, restores, and enhances the 2,656-acre Sausal Creek Watershed, a designated biodiversity hotspot in the East Bay Hills, through habitat restoration, native plant propagation, invasive species removal, creek restoration, trail stewardship, and youth environmental education. The organization operates an on-site native plant nursery that grows more than 100 native plant species and propagates approximately 8,000 plants annually, including regionally endemic species such as Pallid Manzanita.

FOSC runs a portfolio of six core programs: Habitat Restoration, the Native Plant Nursery, the Annual Native Plant Sale (held in late October via an online webstore), Environmental Education Programs (including school field trips, classroom presentations, and the paid Spring Stream Team internship for Oakland high school students), a Volunteer Program, Community Events (monthly tours, bio blitzes, walk-and-talks), and a Trail Map product for public recreation access. The underlying technology is largely operational and ecological: nursery propagation, watershed restoration methods, and field-based stewardship rather than software or digital platforms. No apps, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

The business model is donation-driven. Revenue streams comprise individual donations (with corporate matching), grants from federal, state, county, regional utility, and private foundation partners, an annual native plant sale, limited merchandise sales (crewneck tees and caps at $75+ and $125+ donation tiers), tax-smart gifts (stock, Donor Advised Funds, IRA distributions), and legacy giving through the Confluence Circle and the For the Future endowment. The organization is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors, led by Board President Robert Leidy, PhD, and staffed by a seven-person team headed by Executive Director Nicki Alexander. It is funded as a nonprofit rather than through equity investment.

Name

Friends of Sausal Creek

Legal name

Friends of Sausal Creek

Website

https://sausalcreek.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Friends of Sausal Creek is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 that conserves, restores, and enhances the 2,656-acre Sausal Creek Watershed in Oakland, California through native plant propagation, habitat restoration, and youth environmental education funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Restoration Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA), Riparian & Watershed Reforestation (Streambank Stabilization) (AFAMACAK)

Keywords

• Watershed restoration
• Native plant nursery
• Environmental education
• Volunteer stewardship
• Habitat conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

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, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations form the backbone of organizational funding, supported by corporate matching programs and workplace giving campaigns.
2. Annual Plant Sale: Nursery sells native plants to the public once a year in late October, with the sale funding restoration efforts and making local native plants available to the community.
3. Merchandise Sales: Limited edition FOSC crewneck tees ($75+) and baseball caps ($75+) sold as donation incentives, with both items available for $125+ donations.
4. Stock, DAF, and IRA Gifts: Tax-smart gifts from stock, Donor Advised Funds, and qualified IRA distributions for watershed health and resilience.
5. Legacy Giving and Endowment: Estate planned gifts through the Confluence Circle program and the For the Future endowment fund for long-term organizational sustainability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Friends of Sausal Creek is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conserves, restores, and enhances the 2,656-acre Sausal Creek Watershed in Oakland, California through habitat restoration, a native plant nursery growing 100+ species, environmental education programs for schools, and a community-led volunteer stewardship model. It funds these programs primarily through donations, with supplementary revenue from an annual plant sale and donation-tied merchandise.

Product overview

Friends of Sausal Creek is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization offering a portfolio of conservation programs and community engagement services. The organization operates core programs including habitat restoration across the Sausal Creek Watershed, a native plant nursery that grows over 100 species and conducts an annual plant sale, environmental education programs for schools, volunteer stewardship opportunities, and trail maps for public recreation. These programs work together to conserve, restore, and enhance the watershed through community involvement and education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Habitat Restoration Programs Environmental restoration activities including invasive species removal, creek restoration, and habitat enhancement across the 2,656-acre Sausal Creek Watershed, delivered in partnership with community volunteers.
• Native Plant Nursery A nursery that grows over 100 native plant species (8,000 plants annually) to support the ecological health of the watershed; sells plants to the public at the annual sale and donates surplus to schools and nonprofits.
• Annual Native Plant Sale Annual fundraiser held in late October at which the FOSC nursery sells locally propagated native plants to Oakland residents, with online sales via the Square storefront.
• Environmental Education Programs Educational programs for schools including field trips, classroom presentations, and hands-on stewardship projects led by experienced staff; includes the Spring Stream Team paid internship for Oakland high school students.
• Volunteer Program Community stewardship opportunities including restoration activities, plant propagation at the nursery, invasive species removal, and trail stewardship, contributing 8,840 hours annually.
• Trail Map Trail maps and guides including a high-resolution PDF map for exploring the Sausal Creek Watershed for public recreation.
• Community Events Regular volunteer days, monthly tours, community walk and talks, bio blitzes, and other events to engage the public with watershed conservation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70,000 native plants propagated and outplanted in the watershed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• Alameda County Clean Water ProgramsupportingOthersAgency supporter contributing to watershed conservation and water quality initiatives.
• Alameda County Fish & Game CommissionsupportingOthersAgency supporter for fish and wildlife conservation in the watershed area.
• Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation DistrictsupportingOthersAgency partner supporting flood management and water conservation efforts.
• California Coastal CommissionsupportingOthersState agency supporting coastal resource protection and watershed management.
• California Department of Fish and WildlifesupportingOthersState agency partner for wildlife conservation and habitat protection.
• California Department of Water ResourcessupportingOthersState agency supporting water resource management and conservation.
• California Natural Resources AgencysupportingOthersState agency supporting natural resource conservation and management.
• California State Coastal ConservancysupportingOthersState agency supporting coastal and watershed restoration projects.
• East Bay Municipal Utility DistrictsupportingOthersRegional utility district partner supporting watershed health and water quality.
• U.S. Environmental Protection AgencysupportingOthersFederal agency supporting environmental protection and restoration efforts.
• Bill Graham Memorial FoundationsupportingOthersFoundation supporter for environmental and community projects.
• The Kenneth Rainin FoundationsupportingOthersFoundation supporting environmental programs and community initiatives.
• The Joseph & Vera Long FoundationsupportingOthersFoundation supporting environmental conservation and community projects.
• Rose Foundation for Communities and the EnvironmentsupportingOthersFoundation supporting community-based environmental initiatives.
• Save the Redwoods LeaguesupportingOthersConservation organization partner for redwood and forest protection.
• Schwemm Family FoundationsupportingOthersFamily foundation supporting environmental conservation efforts.
• Silicon Valley Community FoundationsupportingOthersCommunity foundation providing grant support for watershed projects.
• The Strong Foundation for Environmental ValuessupportingOthersFoundation supporting environmental values and conservation.
• Dimond Improvement AssociationsupportingOthersLocal neighborhood organization partner for community improvement.
• Hillside Gardeners of MontclairsupportingOthersLocal gardening organization partner for native plant initiatives.
• HDR FoundationsupportingOthersFoundation supporting engineering and environmental projects.
• The Grand Lake Veterinary HospitalsupportingOthersLocal business supporter for community environmental initiatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Student Conservation Association: National nonprofit engaging young adults in conservation service, internships and crew-based restoration work. Comparable in youth-internship and environmental stewardship programming, though operating at much larger national scale.
• Save the Bay: One of the largest San Francisco Bay-focused environmental nonprofits, working on wetland restoration and policy advocacy. A broader incumbent in the same regional Bay Area conservation space with overlapping habitat-restoration work.
• Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy: Major Bay Area nonprofit supporting stewardship, education and habitat work in national parks including coastal habitat. Broad incumbent in regional conservation with overlapping volunteer-day and habitat restoration programming.
• California Native Plant Society: Statewide nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of California native plants through advocacy, education and native plant gardens. Comparable on the native plant propagation and education axes, though operating at much larger scale and statewide.

Direct peers

• Friends of the LA River: Los Angeles-based nonprofit dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Los Angeles River through community advocacy, education and habitat projects. Comparable urban watershed nonprofit model though serving a larger river system.
• Oakland Creeks Council: Local Oakland-based council coordinating watershed advocacy across Oakland's many creeks. Closely comparable given shared geography and watershed restoration focus, though primarily an advocacy umbrella rather than a hands-on restoration group.
• EarthCorps: Seattle-based nonprofit focused on environmental restoration through young adult volunteer crews and community programs. Comparable restoration-through-volunteer model, though serving Pacific Northwest rather than Bay Area.
• Friends of Five Creeks: Berkeley-based all-volunteer watershed advocacy and restoration group working on five creeks in the East Bay. Direct peer to Friends of Sausal Creek given shared urban creek restoration mission, volunteer model, and East Bay geography.
• The Watershed Project: Richmond, CA-based nonprofit restoring Bay Area watersheds through community action, education and habitat projects. Closely comparable in mission, Bay Area footprint, and volunteer-driven watershed stewardship.

Regional players

• Sacramento Valley Conservancy: Northern California land trust focused on conservation of natural and agricultural lands in the Sacramento Valley. Regional peer in watershed/conservation nonprofit space, though operating on private-land stewardship rather than urban creek restoration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sausal_creek
• Facebookfacebook.com/FriendsOfSausalCreek
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friendsofsausalcreek
• Instagraminstagram.com/friends_of_sausal_creek

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Friends of Sausal Creek