The Conservation Alliance
The Conservation Alliance is a nonprofit business coalition of roughly 270 companies across North America that funds grassroots conservation organizations and conducts corporate advocacy to protect public lands, waters, and outdoor spaces.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersWindsor, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Conservation Alliance does
The Conservation Alliance (TCA) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit business coalition founded in 1989 by Patagonia, The North Face, REI, and Kelty to protect North America's lands and waters. Headquartered in Windsor, Colorado, TCA unites roughly 270 member companies across the outdoor industry and adjacent verticals (gear, apparel, footwear, packaging, cannabis, photography) to fund and advocate for conservation. Its programmatic surface spans grassroots grantmaking (Member Collective Grants, the five-year-old Confluence Program, and direct grants totaling $34.9 million to date), priority advocacy campaigns on national monuments, the Roadless Rule, Boundary Waters, and USFS restructuring, and member engagement programs including the Business Advocacy Network, annual DC Fly-In, TCA Summit, and Backyard Collective volunteer events.
The organization is funded through a tiered membership model with a disclosed $100,000 Pinnacle tier (held by 9+ brands including Patagonia, REI, The North Face, KEEN, Osprey, Peak Design, Wyld, Atlantic Packaging, and Clif Family Foundation), the recurring We Keep It Wild campaign (member companies donate 5% of online sales twice yearly), individual donations processed via Give Lively, and the Land & Water Defense Fund for rapid response. Cumulative environmental impact since 1989 is reported at over 125 million acres protected and nearly 5,000 river miles. TCA operates the Brands for Public Lands sub-coalition of 130+ companies focused on opposing industrial extraction on public lands.
TCA is led by Executive Director Paul Hendricks (appointed July 2024, formerly Director of Community Sustainability at Rivian and eight years at Patagonia in social/environmental impact), with additional leadership including Senior Director of Membership and Partnerships Conor McElyea, Grant Program Director Kim Paymaster, and Vice President of Public Affairs Shoren Brown. Operating geographies cover the US, Canada, and Mexico under a unified North America framework. TCA positions itself as a dual top-down/bottom-up model pairing Washington D.C. corporate advocacy with on-the-ground grantmaking through grantee partners.
The Conservation Alliance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Conservation Alliance
- Legal name
- The Conservation Alliance
- Website
- https://conservationalliance.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Conservation Alliance is a nonprofit business coalition of roughly 270 companies across North America that funds grassroots conservation organizations and conducts corporate advocacy to protect public lands, waters, and outdoor spaces.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Conservation Alliance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Conservation Advocacy and Grantmaking Services
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)
Keywords
Where The Conservation Alliance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Windsor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Conservation Alliance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from member companies at various tiers including Pinnacle Membership level
- We Keep It Wild Campaign: Member companies donate 5% of online sales during campaign periods to support conservation efforts
- Direct Donations: Individual donations through website giving platform (Give Lively)
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
The Conservation Alliance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Conservation Alliance operates as a business membership coalition that pools dues from outdoor and purpose-driven companies to fund grassroots conservation organizations and run corporate advocacy campaigns protecting North American public lands and waters. Members receive access to grantmaking programs (Member Collective Grants, Confluence Program, Land & Water Defense Fund), priority issue campaigns, advocacy training, and an annual summit, with higher-tier Pinnacle Memberships requiring roughly $100,000 in annual commitments.
Product overview
The Conservation Alliance operates as a business coalition for conservation rather than a traditional product company. Its core offerings center on grantmaking to grassroots conservation organizations, corporate advocacy leveraging member companies' collective voice, and member engagement programs. The main programs include the Grants Program (encompassing Member Collective Grants, Confluence Grants, and direct grants), Priority Campaigns (focused advocacy on specific conservation issues), Brands for Public Lands coalition, We Keep It Wild fundraising campaigns, Backyard Collective volunteer events, Business Advocacy Network, Pinnacle Membership (premium tier), annual TCA Summit, DC Fly-In advocacy events, and the Land & Water Defense Fund for rapid response.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Grants Program A grantmaking service that funds grassroots conservation organizations across North America working to protect lands, waters, and outdoor spaces. Funded primarily through member company dues and delivered via Member Collective Grants, the Confluence Program, and direct grants to conservation organizations.
- Corporate Advocacy Business-led advocacy service that leverages member companies' collective voice to influence public policy and protect public lands and waters, including lobbying Congress, responding to federal agency actions, and mobilizing businesses on conservation issues.
- Confluence Program A grant program supporting community-led conservation and philanthropy initiatives across North America, awarding grants to grassroots organizations working on land and water protection.
- Land & Water Defense Fund A defensive fund supporting rapid-response advocacy when public lands and waters face immediate threats, enabling quick action beyond regular grant cycles.
- Priority Campaigns A portfolio of focused advocacy campaigns on specific conservation priorities, including protecting national monuments, defending the Roadless Rule, preventing mining near Boundary Waters, and opposing USFS restructuring.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 125 million acres protected
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Conservation Alliance
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Conservation Alliance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Conservation Alliance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- RivianflagshipPartner in Mobilizing for Monuments campaign, providing electric vehicles for road trip to promote national monument designations across the western US. Partnership included storytelling and campaign support.
- FlickrcorePartner in Mobilizing for Monuments campaign, providing photography, filmmaking, and storytelling support to document campaign landscapes and conservation efforts.
- Nuestra Tierra Conservation ProjectcorePartner in Mobilizing for Monuments campaign, enabling community-centered conservation work and ground-level connections in monument communities.
- Brands for Public LandscoreA coalition of over 130 companies focused on protecting public lands and opposing industrial extraction. The Conservation Alliance serves as a founding/backing organization for this initiative.
- 1% for the PlanetcoreEnvironmental partnership allowing member companies to donate 1% of sales to approved nonprofits including The Conservation Alliance.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Conservation Alliance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Conservation International: Conservation International is a broad incumbent global conservation organization that partners with corporations on conservation programs. It serves as an alternative destination for corporate ESG and conservation funding that might otherwise flow to TCA.
- The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is a broad incumbent in the conservation nonprofit space, operating at vastly greater scale with land acquisition, scientific research, and policy advocacy. It competes for philanthropic attention and corporate conservation partnerships that TCA also pursues.
- National Wildlife Federation: The National Wildlife Federation is a broad incumbent environmental nonprofit with a much larger donor base and advocacy footprint. It overlaps with TCA on public lands advocacy and competes for similar corporate conservation grants.
Direct peers
- Sustainable Apparel Coalition: The Sustainable Apparel Coalition is a direct peer: a business-led coalition of apparel and footwear brands using membership dues to fund the Higg Index and collective sustainability advocacy — same constituency as TCA's outdoor apparel members.
- B Lab (B Corporation): B Lab is a direct peer operating a global business coalition that certifies and mobilizes companies around social and environmental performance. Like TCA, it monetizes through tiered corporate membership/certification and aggregates business voice for advocacy.
- EarthShare: EarthShare is a direct peer as a workplace-giving federation that aggregates employee donations to environmental nonprofits, including many TCA grantees. It competes for the same corporate partnership dollars and member-company employee engagement programs.
- Outdoor Industry Association: OIA is a direct peer as the trade association for outdoor industry companies, using membership dues to fund advocacy, research, and community programs. TCA and OIA share many of the same member companies (Patagonia, REI, The North Face) and overlap on policy advocacy.
- 1% for the Planet: 1% for the Planet is a direct peer: it operates a membership-based business coalition that channels corporate donations (1% of sales) to vetted environmental nonprofits. TCA is itself an approved recipient via this program, and the two share network members and a similar coalition-funding model.
- Ceres: Ceres is a direct peer as a coalition of businesses, investors, and policymakers working on environmental and sustainability advocacy. It uses a similar collective-action model, charging membership dues and mobilizing corporate voices on policy issues like climate and land use.
Emerging players
- Net Impact: Net Impact is an emerging player network mobilizing professionals and corporations around social and environmental impact. It overlaps with TCA in mobilizing business-community advocacy and competes for corporate ESG engagement budgets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Conservation Alliance social profiles
Digital presenceThe Conservation Alliance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Conservation Alliance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Conservation Alliance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Conservation Alliance 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 The Conservation Alliance
What does The Conservation Alliance do?
The Conservation Alliance operates as a business membership coalition that pools dues from outdoor and purpose-driven companies to fund grassroots conservation organizations and run corporate advocacy campaigns protecting North American public lands and waters. Members receive access to grantmaking programs (Member Collective Grants, Confluence Program, Land & Water Defense Fund), priority issue campaigns, advocacy training, and an annual summit, with higher-tier Pinnacle Memberships requiring roughly $100,000 in annual commitments.
Is The Conservation Alliance a public or private company?
The Conservation Alliance is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Conservation Alliance founded?
The Conservation Alliance was founded in 1989. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Conservation Alliance based?
The Conservation Alliance is headquartered in Windsor, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Conservation Alliance make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are we Keep It Wild Campaign and direct Donations.
Who are The Conservation Alliance's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy and National Wildlife Federation. Direct peers are Sustainable Apparel Coalition, B Lab (B Corporation), EarthShare, Outdoor Industry Association, 1% for the Planet and Ceres. Net Impact is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Conservation Alliance have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Conservation Alliance.
What industry is The Conservation Alliance in?
The Conservation Alliance's product category is Conservation Advocacy and Grantmaking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAA, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAM, Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 8600.