Alliance for International Reforestation

What Alliance for International Reforestation does

Alliance for International Reforestation, Inc. (AIR; operating in Guatemala as AIRES — Alianza Internacional de Reforestación) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with field operations based in Chimaltenango, Guatemala, and an additional entity in Nicaragua. Founded in 1991 by Dr. Anne M. Hallum and operational since 1993, AIR implements a community-based five-year farmer training and reforestation program in rural Guatemalan departments (Chimaltenango, Sololá, and as of 2025, Quiché), delivered by eight Guatemalan professionals and field technicians who speak Kaqchikel, Quiche, and Spanish. The integrated service portfolio comprises regenerative farming training (Bocashi organic composting, terracing, polyculture, no-till methods), native pino triste pine planting for mudslide prevention, custom fuel-efficient brick stove construction, rural school educational programs and scholarships, and rural micro-business development around tree nurseries; the program also includes episodic emergency response (e.g., Volcán de Fuego 2018, COVID-19 food delivery 2020).

AIR's technology stack is agronomic and educational rather than software-based: it centers on the Bocashi organic composting recipe (originally published in Spanish by Japanese volunteer Yoshitaka Ota with DIGESA support and disseminated via radio programs in Mayan languages), custom-height fuel-efficient brick stoves with chimneys, native tree nurseries, and a forestry curriculum co-developed with Guatemala's Ministry of Education and BOPAZ. There are no public APIs, software products, or digital platforms other than the airguatemala.org website and the Kindful donation processing portal.

The business model is donation-funded. Revenue streams include individual donations via Kindful, foundation grants (e.g., ERM Foundation in 2016, DIGESA in 1996-1997), three corporate Forest Partner / Forest Advocate / Forest Supporter sponsorship tiers priced at $1,500 / $500 / $100, and individual school scholarship sponsorships at approximately $800 per year. The organization reports that 92% of funds and donations go directly to field implementation, and recognized outputs include 10.3 million-plus native trees planted since 1993, 6,500-plus farm families trained, 930 fuel-efficient stoves built, 41 rural schools served, and 864,000 trees planted in 2025 alone.

Name

Alliance for International Reforestation

Legal name

Alliance for International Reforestation

Website

https://airguatemala.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Alliance for International Reforestation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers community-based five-year regenerative farming, reforestation, and fuel-efficient stove programs to rural Guatemalan families through local Mayan-language-speaking technicians, funded primarily by individual donations, corporate Forest Partner sponsorships, and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation and Reforestation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Silviculture & Reforestation Services (Nurseries, Planting, Tending) (IMAMAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services (IMAMAJAM), Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF), Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering (EDAIAGAB)

Keywords

• Community-based reforestation
• Regenerative farming training
• Agroforestry services
• Tree planting programs
• Environmental conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: AIR relies on donations from individuals to fund reforestation, farmer training, stove construction, and scholarship programs. Donors can contribute via the Kindful donation platform.
2. Corporate Forest Partnership Sponsorships: Corporate partners pay for tree nursery sponsorships at various levels (Forest Partner $1,500/year, Forest Advocate $500, Forest Supporter $100) in exchange for recognition, logos, and photo documentation of their supported nurseries.
3. Foundation and Grant Funding: AIR receives grants from foundations such as the ERM Foundation (Environmental Resource Management, Inc.) for specific projects like curriculum updates, and from DIGESA for the Bocashi program.
4. Scholarship Sponsorships: Individual sponsors in the US sponsor Guatemalan students for approximately $800 per year, covering tuition, school supplies, bus transportation, and mentoring.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Alliance for International Reforestation (AIR) is a nonprofit that delivers a multi-dimensional, five-year, community-based program of regenerative farming training, native tree planting for mudslide prevention, custom fuel-efficient stove construction, rural school education and scholarships, and micro-business development to rural farm families in Guatemala. The organization's service offering combines agroforestry training methods (Bocashi composting, terracing, polyculture, no-till farming) with community-led reforestation, delivered free of charge to beneficiaries and funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants.

Product overview

AIR (Alliance for International Reforestation) operates as a nonprofit offering an integrated portfolio of community-based reforestation and regenerative farming programs in Guatemala. The core offering consists of a five-year community-based training approach combining Farmer Training in regenerative agriculture methods (Bocashi composting, terracing, polyculture), Mudslide Prevention through native tree planting, and Environmental Restoration. Supporting services include Educational Programs and School Scholarships for rural youth, Fuel-Efficient Stove Construction to prevent lung disease, Rural Micro-Business Development for sustainable income, and Emergency Response capabilities. AIR also offers Recognition Tree Sponsorship programs (Forest Partner, Forest Advocate, Forest Supporter) as donation tiers that fund specific quantities of tree seedlings in AIR's nurseries. The programs are delivered by Guatemalan technicians speaking native Mayan languages and are designed to become self-sustaining within communities after the initial training period.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regenerative Farmer Training Program A five-year community-based training program teaching rural Guatemalan families regenerative farming methods including Bocashi organic composting, terracing, polyculture, no-till farming, and farming with trees to improve soil health and nutrition without chemical fertilizers. Delivered on farmers' own land by AIR's Guatemalan technicians.
• Mudslide Prevention Tree Planting Planting of native pino triste pine trees — chosen for their deep, strong tap roots and rapid growth — on vulnerable mountain slopes to prevent erosion and mudslides, protecting communities and water sources from climate-intensified rainfall.
• Fuel-Efficient Stove Construction Custom-built fuel-efficient brick stoves with chimneys, designed for each woman's height and featuring a large food preparation area. Reduces indoor smoke inhalation and lung disease while conserving approximately 900 tons of firewood per year.
• Rural School Educational Programs Environmental education curriculum delivered at 41 rural schools, including hands-on Bocashi composting workshops, vegetable gardens, school tree nurseries, and student showcases featuring skits, drawings, poetry, and traditional dances. Curriculum available in Spanish and English and developed with the Guatemalan Ministry of Education and BOPAZ.
• High School Scholarship Program Annual scholarship sponsorships (approximately $800 per student per year) covering tuition, school supplies, bus transportation, and mentoring for rural Guatemalan high school students, who in return agree to study hard and work in tree nurseries and plant trees around their schools and communities.
• Rural Micro-Business Development Support for trained farming families to convert community tree nurseries into income-generating micro-businesses, selling seedlings locally and developing nature-based products such as aloe vera shampoo and menthol cream. Example outcome: Don Sebastian's family nursery producing 40,000 trees at a time sold at 15 cents each to farmers across three Guatemalan departments.
• Environmental Restoration Program Large-scale native tree planting on steep slopes, stream banks, and impoverished land to prevent erosion, improve water quality, sequester CO2, and create wildlife habitat corridors in Central America's biodiversity hotspot.
• Emergency Response Support Short-term disaster and emergency assistance leveraging AIR's long-term community relationships, including food aid to farmers after the Volcán de Fuego eruption, firefighting equipment for 20 volunteer fire departments, and weekly food kit delivery during the COVID-19 lockdown.
• Forest Partner Tree Nursery Sponsorship Corporate sponsorship of one full AIR tree nursery producing approximately 10,000 native tree seedlings per year, at $1,500 per year with a minimum two-year commitment. Includes dedicated nursery sign with sponsor logo, photographs of seedlings, location information, AIR logo for partner use, and website recognition with logo link.
• Forest Advocate Grove Sponsorship One-time/perpetual sponsorship of $500 funding a grove of 1,000 tree seedlings in an AIR nursery, with printed logo or image recognition displayed alongside a picture of the sponsored seedlings.
• Forest Supporter Stand Sponsorship One-time/perpetual sponsorship of $100 funding a stand of 100 tree seedlings, with the supporter receiving a digital picture of the tree nursery where the trees are growing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10.3 million+ native trees planted since 1993
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Equator InitiativecoreOthers · 1 January 2017United Nations-supported initiative that awarded AIR the Equator Prize 2017, recognizing exceptional sustainable development work.
• Arbor Day FoundationminorOthers · 1 January 2011Recognized AIR as top tree planters and conservation groups for improving quality of life through tree-planting.
• CNN HeroesminorOthers · 1 January 2011Featured AIR as a CNN Hero for extraordinary humanitarian efforts.
• DIGESA (Guatemalan Ministry of Agriculture)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Provided small grant to Japanese volunteer Yoshitaka Ota who published a 'Guide to Bocashi' in Spanish. This led to AIR producing radio programs in Mayan languages to reach more farmers with the organic composting recipe.
• EcoMatcherminorGTM or Marketing PartnerForest Partner that integrates transparent tree-planting into their business model.
• Embue CacaominorGTM or Marketing PartnerForest Partner sharing the love through their business operations.
• Motivo InsightsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerForest Partner supporting AIR's reforestation work.
• A Gust of Sun WineryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSmall-batch, limited release winery Forest Partner.
• Presbyterian Answer to HungerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerForest Partner focused on addressing hunger.
• Threadfast ApparelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerForest Partner apparel company.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WeForest: International reforestation nonprofit partnering with local communities to restore forest landscapes. Comparable community-based, science-driven reforestation model with corporate sponsorship tiers similar to AIR's Forest Partner program.
• Eden Reforestation Projects: Large-scale reforestation nonprofit employing local community members to plant native trees in deforested areas. Directly comparable to AIR's nursery operation, native species focus, and employment of local technicians, with broader geographic reach.
• Trees for the Future: Nonprofit running community-based agroforestry training programs with smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Closely matches AIR's model of long-duration farmer training, tree nursery establishment, and regenerative techniques, though geographically distinct.
• One Tree Planted: Nonprofit focused on global reforestation with corporate partnership programs and per-dollar tree planting tiers. Comparable donation-tiered sponsorship model (Forest Partner-like offerings) and tree nursery sponsorship structure.
• Sustainable Harvest International: Nonprofit working with rural Central American farming families on agroforestry, sustainable agriculture, and reforestation. Near-identical model to AIR with homegardens, tree planting, and multi-year farmer training in Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, and Panama.
• Taking Root: Reforestation nonprofit combining community tree planting with verified carbon credit issuance for smallholder farmers. Comparable to AIR's nursery and micro-business model, with added carbon market monetization that AIR has not yet pursued.
• Plant With Purpose: Faith-based nonprofit addressing root causes of poverty and deforestation through farmer training, regenerative agriculture, and tree planting in Latin America and Africa. Comparable community-led, multi-dimensional model similar to AIR's 5-year approach.

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Global environmental NGO working on climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development with corporate partnerships. A much larger incumbent addressing similar themes (reforestation, climate mitigation, Indigenous community partnerships) where AIR operates.
• Arbor Day Foundation: Largest nonprofit dedicated to planting trees, with nationwide US programs and international partnerships. A former AIR recognition body and broad-incumbent peer with overlapping tree-planting mission and far greater scale.
• Rainforest Alliance: Major international NGO working on biodiversity conservation and sustainable land use across tropical regions. Operates at much broader scale than AIR but shares the tropical reforestation, sustainable agriculture, and certification focus areas.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alliance-for-international-reforestation-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Alliance for International Reforestation