Sierra Service Project
Sierra Service Project is a faith-based nonprofit founded in 1975 that runs service-learning home repair programs for underserved Native American, rural, and urban communities across the Western United States, engaging more than 1,500 youth and adults annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersSacramento, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sierra Service Project does
Sierra Service Project is a faith-based nonprofit organization founded in 1975 and headquartered in Sacramento, California. It operates service-learning programs that channel youth and adult volunteers into home repair and rehabilitation projects serving underserved communities — primarily Native American reservations, rural communities, and urban low-income neighborhoods — across the Western United States. The organization maintains a multi-site operational footprint (historically five Western sites, including California, Arizona, and Pacific Northwest locations) and an ecumenical Christian mission model that engages more than 1,500 youth and adults from over 125 church and community groups annually.
Its core programmatic offerings include multi-week Summer Programs (the historic service-trip format), the Sacramento Sustainability Academy (an urban energy-efficiency and workforce training program), a Free Tool Library in North Sacramento, year-round Leadership Programs, Online Programs delivered remotely, and a merchandise store. The technology surface is modest: a participant registration and account portal (MySSP), an e-commerce merchandise storefront, and online learning modules — with no disclosed AI/ML, data, or proprietary platform components. Program delivery relies on seasonal site staff, partner church networks, and coalition partners (e.g., Coalition for Home Repair, Safe Harbor, Via International) for volunteer recruitment, beneficiary referrals, and cross-border programming.
Revenue is generated through a mix of participant program fees (approximately $455 per participant), individual and church donations (including a recurring "12xSSP" monthly giving program), grant funding (notably California Volunteers' Service Corps / Climate Action Corps for the Sustainability Academy), scholarship contributions ($80,000 disbursed in 2019), and merchandise sales. The organization also runs periodic milestone fundraising campaigns, such as a $62,441 campaign tied to its 50th anniversary in October 2025. Staffing is small — a central office of approximately five personnel augmented by seasonal site leadership — consistent with a community-scale nonprofit rather than an enterprise-scale operation.
Sierra Service Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sierra Service Project
- Legal name
- Sierra Service Project
- Website
- https://sierraserviceproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sierra Service Project is a faith-based nonprofit founded in 1975 that runs service-learning home repair programs for underserved Native American, rural, and urban communities across the Western United States, engaging more than 1,500 youth and adults annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sierra Service Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Community Service Programs
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Educational Support Services (611710), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG), Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)
Keywords
Where Sierra Service Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sacramento
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sierra Service Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Program Participation Fees: Fees charged to youth groups, adult volunteers, and individual participants for summer service programs. Individual volunteer fee is $455 total ($60 deposit, $240 second payment, $155 final payment). Summer participant fees vary by location, with Chiloquin at $635 per person plus flat sign-up fees.
- Donations and Contributions: Individual donations, monthly giving (12xSSP program), vehicle donations, matching gifts, and church contributions. 50th Celebration raised $62,441. Building Fund and Leadership Development Fund are designated giving options.
- Merchandise Sales: Online store selling t-shirts, sweatshirts, stickers, hats, and 50th anniversary merchandise through Bonfire platform.
- Scholarship Funding: In 2019, awarded over $80,000 in scholarships to nearly 500 participants. Funded through donor contributions designated for scholarship programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Individual Volunteer Program |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Chiloquin Summer 2024 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Combined Program |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Intergenerational Sessions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Sierra Service Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sierra Service Project equips youth, young adults, and adult volunteers with home repair and community-building skills through faith-based service-learning programs. Its primary offerings are week-long summer service weeks at sites in Oregon, California, Arizona, and the Navajo Nation, supplemented by a year-round Sacramento Sustainability Academy, a free community tool library, virtual faith formation programs, and youth leadership development pathways. The organization serves approximately 1,500 youth and adults annually from 125+ church-affiliated and individual volunteer groups.
Product overview
Sierra Service Project operates a portfolio of service-learning programs centered around home repair and community building for underserved residents. The core offerings include Summer Programs (week-long youth service experiences at rural, Native American, and urban sites), Sacramento Sustainability Academy (year-round climate action workforce development), North Sacramento Free Tool Library (community tool access and skills training), and various leadership development programs (Youth Advisory Council, Leadership Academy). Additional offerings include virtual programs (Community Crossing, ZZP, Camino de San Diego), a staff employment pathway, alumni network, donation programs, and merchandise store. The organization connects youth and adults with partner communities through hands-on service that enables residents to safely age in place.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Summer Programs Week-long youth service-learning programs running June through August at sites throughout Oregon, California, Arizona, and the Navajo Nation. Includes High School, Middle School, Combined, Individual Youth, and Intergenerational tracks serving approximately 1,500 youth and adults from 125+ groups annually; participants need no prior home repair experience.
- Sacramento Sustainability Academy (SSA) Year-round workforce development program introducing young Sacramento residents to climate action and community resilience work, operating seasonally through California Volunteers' Service Corps funding with cohorts in Urban Agriculture, Community Building, and Design/Manufacturing.
- North Sacramento Free Tool Library Free tool lending library in North Sacramento offering hands-on tool workshops for community members, teaching home repair skills and power tool usage, with volunteer-supported operations.
- Online Programs (Community Crossing, ZZP with SSP, Camino de San Diego) Virtual service-learning and faith formation programs including Community Crossing sessions, ZZP (Zero Pressure Zone youth fellowship gatherings on Zoom), Camino de San Diego borderlands justice program in partnership with Via International, and Choose An SSP Adventure discussion series.
- Leadership Programs (Youth Advisory Council, Leadership Academy, Community Advisory Council) Youth and emerging-leader development pathways including Youth Advisory Council (teen leadership and program input), Leadership Academy (staff and emerging leader cultivation), and Community Advisory Council (partner community voice).
- Summer Staff Program Young adult staff employment program where staff members train for 10 days in leadership, conflict resolution, youth ministry, cultural sensitivity, and job-specific skills before serving at summer program sites.
- Staff-in-Training Program Pre-staff preparation program for young adults interested in future summer staff positions, providing leadership development and program familiarity.
- SSP Alumni Association Network connecting former staff and volunteers for professional development, networking, and continued community connection through a private Facebook group, reunions, and ongoing events.
- Donation Programs Multiple giving options supporting SSP's programs, including one-time donations, monthly giving (12xSSP), vehicle donations, matching gifts, Building Fund, and Leadership Development Fund.
- SSP Merch Store (Bonfire) Online merchandise store featuring T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, stickers, program journals, and anniversary merchandise sold through the Bonfire platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2,500 volunteers hosted in Chiloquin since 2004 with 138 projects completed
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sierra Service Project
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sierra Service Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sierra Service Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Coalition for Home Repair (formerly ReFrame Association)coreFounding member of the Coalition for Home Repair, the premier nonprofit organization promoting and supporting home repair and rehabilitation partners nationwide. Coalition provides funding, advocacy, and educational resources. In 2021, 89 member organizations repaired 6,953 homes for 16,041 residents in 38 states. SSP participates annually in ReFrame Conference.
- Friends of International Friendship Park & Border ChurchcorePartnership with Friends of International Friendship Park to maintain and expand the satellite garden at Tijuana River Valley Community Garden. SSP volunteers created mural, shade structure, and replicated elements from original border garden destroyed by fences. Eagle puppet collaboration symbolizes indigenous legend of eagle and condor.
- Hope Rising (Project Restoration)coreLake County partnership with Hope Rising's Project Restoration initiative, which provides wrap-around services to vulnerable residents including those who are homeless or inadequately housed. Project Restoration unites community partners through innovative case management to empower neighbors experiencing poverty, poor health, and housing instability.
- North Coast OpportunitiescorePartnership with North Coast Opportunities, a Community Action Agency serving Lake and Mendocino Counties and parts of Humboldt, Sonoma, Del Norte, and Solano Counties. Founded in 1968 as part of War on Poverty, NCO assists low-income people to become self-reliant with approximately 250 employees and $22 million annual budget.
- Klamath TribescorePartnership with Klamath Tribes (Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin) in Chiloquin, Oregon. SSP has completed 138 home repair and community projects for tribal members since 2004. Services open to entire Chiloquin community.
- Via InternationalminorPartnership with Via International for Camino de San Diego program, offering participants opportunity to learn from borderlands leaders engaged in 'journeys toward justice' in San Diego and Tijuana.
- Enterprise Rent-A-CarminorDiscounted van rental rates for volunteer groups traveling to SSP summer sites. Corporate Account Number: 30C2900. SSP facilitates this arrangement between groups and Enterprise; groups contact Enterprise directly at 1-800-Rent-A-Car.
- Safe Harbor (WEforce Inc.)corePartnership with Safe Harbor, a faith-inspired emergency tiny home community for unhoused families in Sacramento. Since December 2021, Safe Harbor has housed 51 families (132 individuals). Sacramento Sustainability Academy has partnered since first cohort in 2023.
- International Garden of Many ColorsminorPartnership with community garden that has been tended since the 1990s by residents from Ukraine, Russia, Laos, US, and Latin America in an undevelopable greenbelt area. SSP helps maintain common spaces and plots, including staff alumni volunteer events.
- California Volunteers' Service CorpscoreCity funding through California Volunteers' Service Corps enables Sacramento Sustainability Academy seasonal operations. SSP participates in CA Climate Action Corps Fellows program placements.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sierra Service Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- VolunteerMatch: The largest online volunteer recruitment platform in the US. Comparable in serving the volunteer-recruitment function but operates as a technology platform connecting volunteers to nonprofits, not as a direct service provider. Represents an alternative channel that competes for SSP's target volunteer demographic's attention.
Direct peers
- Global Volunteers: A nonprofit running short-term volunteer service trips including home repair and community development. Closely comparable service-trip format, faith-rooted values, and target demographic of mission-driven volunteers, though Global Volunteers operates internationally.
- Rebuilding Together: A national nonprofit focused on repairing homes for low-income homeowners, particularly elderly and disabled residents. Highly comparable mission around critical home repairs enabling aging in place, though with a broader affiliate network model rather than youth-volunteer service-learning. SSP is a member alongside Rebuilding Together in the Coalition for Home Repair.
- Service Civil International (SCI): A volunteer-based peace and service-learning organization running short-term volunteer projects globally. Highly comparable service-learning methodology and youth engagement model, though international in scope and broader in activity types than SSP's home repair focus.
- Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC): A national youth service organization engaging young people in meaningful volunteer projects. Highly comparable youth-development focus and service-learning model, though with broader volunteer domains beyond home repair. Both organizations target youth volunteer recruitment and leadership development through structured programs.
- Mennonite Disaster Service: A faith-based volunteer organization performing home repair, rebuilding, and disaster response. Highly comparable in faith-rooted identity, volunteer-driven home repair focus, and commitment to serving vulnerable communities. MDS extends SSP's faith-based service model into disaster response contexts.
- Appalachian Service Project: The original parent organization from which SSP was founded as a California satellite in 1975. Both run faith-based home repair service-learning programs for youth and adults, with similar summer program models, denominational church recruitment, and intergenerational volunteer structures. SSP and ASP remain sister organizations with closely aligned operations across different geographies.
Broad incumbents
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: A large youth-development nonprofit operating club facilities nationwide. Comparable youth-development mission and engagement of underserved young people, though focused on after-school programming rather than service-learning travel experiences. Competes for the same youth and family demographic for charitable giving.
- United Way Worldwide: A massive civic and fundraising nonprofit with local affiliates addressing community needs including housing. Comparable in nonprofit scale and community-improvement mission, but operates through fundraising and grantmaking rather than direct home repair service delivery.
- Habitat for Humanity International: The dominant nonprofit in affordable housing and home construction. While focused on new builds rather than repair, Habitat's volunteer-driven model and faith-affiliated origins overlap with SSP's mission. Their vastly larger scale and brand recognition set the competitive ceiling for home repair advocacy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sierra Service Project social profiles
Digital presenceSierra Service Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sierra Service Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Sierra Service Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sierra Service Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sierra Service Project
What does Sierra Service Project do?
Sierra Service Project equips youth, young adults, and adult volunteers with home repair and community-building skills through faith-based service-learning programs. Its primary offerings are week-long summer service weeks at sites in Oregon, California, Arizona, and the Navajo Nation, supplemented by a year-round Sacramento Sustainability Academy, a free community tool library, virtual faith formation programs, and youth leadership development pathways. The organization serves approximately 1,500 youth and adults annually from 125+ church-affiliated and individual volunteer groups.
Is Sierra Service Project a public or private company?
Sierra Service Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sierra Service Project founded?
Sierra Service Project was founded in 1975. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sierra Service Project based?
Sierra Service Project is headquartered in Sacramento, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sierra Service Project make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Program Participation Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Contributions, merchandise Sales and scholarship Funding.
Who are Sierra Service Project's main competitors?
VolunteerMatch is listed as an others. Direct peers are Global Volunteers, Rebuilding Together, Service Civil International (SCI), Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC), Mennonite Disaster Service and Appalachian Service Project. Broad incumbents are Boys & Girls Clubs of America, United Way Worldwide and Habitat for Humanity International.
Does Sierra Service Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sierra Service Project.
What industry is Sierra Service Project in?
Sierra Service Project's product category is Nonprofit Community Service Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAI, Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDALAHAG, Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service. Its NAICS code is 8134 and its SIC code is 8300.