Sustainable JC
Sustainable Jersey City is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit catalyst organization founded in 2011 that educates, empowers, and activates Jersey City, NJ community stakeholders through sustainability programs, environmental justice advocacy, and community-led events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersJersey City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sustainable JC does
Sustainable Jersey City (SJC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit catalyst organization founded in 2011 by Debra Italiano and Ashwani Vasishth, headquartered in Jersey City, NJ. The organization educates, empowers, and activates community stakeholders through a four-tiered membership model (Honorary Charter Members, Volunteer Team Members, Core Team Leads, and Board Members) and a portfolio of demonstration, education, and advocacy programs. Core programs include the award-winning Trees & Trash Action Campaign (TTAC), an Environmental Health & Justice Stewardship Program, a Green Infrastructure & Rain Gardens initiative targeting 11,000 rain gardens citywide, and an annual Urban Sustainability Certificate Program. SJC also runs recurring community events including the JC Valentine's Day Half Marathon (annual fundraiser tied to cardiovascular and air quality awareness), the JC Green Fall Half Marathon (respiratory health), and monthly SJC Green Drinks networking gatherings. Underlying 'technology' consists of digital communications, ArcGIS-based interactive mapping (SJC Maps), and curated third-party sustainability apps rather than proprietary software.
SJC's business and revenue model is nonprofit and donation-driven. Following 501(c)(3) recognition in August 2020, the organization gained access to tax-deductible donations (via PayPal Giving Fund and credit/debit) and grant funding. Additional revenue comes from event-based fundraising (half marathons with bronze sponsors like Impact3P and NJCU, executed with CityTri), crowdfunding campaigns (ioby for The Sharing Place food pantry), and in-kind partnerships. Distribution is community-led: volunteer networks, charter signings, project teams, and partnerships with Healthier JC, NJEJA, Tishman Center, PowerMarket, Hartz Mountain Industries, the Eastern Environmental Law Center, and NYC Tutoring (pro bono translation). Programs and educational services are free; pricing is not disclosed and there are no product fees. The served customer base is Jersey City residents and community stakeholders, with secondary segments including community organizations, environmental justice communities, volunteers, and local partners. No revenue figures are publicly disclosed.
Sustainable JC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sustainable JC
- Legal name
- Sustainable Jersey City
- Website
- https://sustainablejc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sustainable Jersey City is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit catalyst organization founded in 2011 that educates, empowers, and activates Jersey City, NJ community stakeholders through sustainability programs, environmental justice advocacy, and community-led events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sustainable JC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Sustainability Services
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL), Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL), Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation) (EDAMABAD)
Keywords
Where Sustainable JC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jersey City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sustainable JC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Sponsorship: SJC accepts tax-deductible donations through PayPal Giving Fund and direct credit/debit card donations. They offer various sponsorship opportunities for their events and programs. The organization was recognized as a 501(c)(3) educational organization in August 2020, enabling access to grant funding and tax-deductible donations.
- Event Fundraising: SJC generates revenue through organized fundraising events including the annual JC Valentine's Half Marathon and the JC Green Fall Half Marathon. Events include sponsorship packages sold to local businesses and community partners.
- Grant Funding: Following 501(c)(3) designation in August 2020, SJC gained access to grant funding opportunities to support sustainability programs and educational initiatives.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Sustainable JC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sustainable Jersey City educates, empowers, and activates community stakeholders in Jersey City through sustainability programs, demonstration projects, and advocacy. Core offerings include the Trees & Trash Action Campaign, Environmental Health & Justice Stewardship Program, Green Infrastructure & Rain Gardens initiative, the annual Urban Sustainability Certificate Program, community fundraising events, and educational resources such as mapping tools and curated sustainability apps.
Product overview
Sustainable Jersey City (SJC) is a collaborative network and catalyst organization that operates as a community-driven sustainability initiative rather than a traditional product company. The organization functions through a unified platform of interconnected programs including the award-winning Trees & Trash Action Campaign (TTAC), Environmental Health & Justice Stewardship Program, Green Infrastructure & Rain Gardens initiative, and an annual Urban Sustainability Certificate Program. SJC engages the community through recurring events including the JC Valentine's Day Half Marathon and JC Green Fall Half Marathon, monthly SJC Green Drinks networking gatherings, and educational resources including a curated list of sustainability apps and interactive maps. The organization also advocates for environmental justice issues such as opposition to the Van Keuren waste facility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Trees & Trash Action Campaign (TTAC) An award-winning program focused on restoring Jersey City's tree canopy through community volunteer action and tree planting initiatives, targeted at Jersey City residents and community groups.
- Environmental Health & Justice Stewardship Program A program focused on environmental justice advocacy, including work on issues like the Van Keuren Waste Facility opposition and cumulative impacts in overburdened Jersey City communities.
- Green Infrastructure & Rain Gardens Initiative Demonstration projects including rain gardens and green infrastructure installations for stormwater management and flood mitigation across Jersey City, with a goal of installing 11,000 rain gardens citywide.
- Urban Sustainability Certificate Program An annual flagship educational program that engages Jersey City residents on urban sustainability issues and solutions.
- JC Valentine's Day Half Marathon | 10K | 5K Annual fundraising running event held during National Heart Health Month to raise awareness about air quality and cardiovascular health, hosted with partner CityTri.
- JC Green Fall Half Marathon | 10K | 5K Annual fundraising running event held during National Healthy Lung Month to raise awareness for respiratory health, hosted with partner CityTri.
- SJC Green Drinks Monthly networking events for environmental advocacy and community connection, typically themed around sustainability topics.
- SJC Maps Interactive mapping tools including green infrastructure maps and environmental data visualizations for Jersey City, built on ArcGIS.
Quantifiable outcome
- 250,000 gallons diverted from sewer system annually through Washington Park permaculture project
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sustainable JC
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sustainable JC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sustainable JC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Tishman CentercoreThe Tishman Center works with SJC on environmental justice initiatives. Tishman Center staff provided support and research at the Van Keuren Public Hearing, standing with Jersey City residents in fighting cumulative impacts of pollution.
- CityTricoreSJC partners with CityTri to host annual running events including the JC Valentine's Half Marathon | 10K | 5K and JC Green Fall Half Marathon. These events serve as fundraisers to support SJC's sustainability work.
- Impact3PminorBronze sponsor for the JC Valentine's Day Half Marathon, supporting cardiovascular health and environmental justice awareness.
- New Jersey City University (NJCU)minorBronze sponsor for JC Valentine's Half Marathon. SJC's Core Team Member Suhas Vittal is a graduate of NJCU where he received his BA in Marketing & Public Relations.
- New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA)coreNJEJA is a key partner in environmental justice advocacy. Together with SJC, they organized opposition to the Van Keuren Waste Facility and hosted screenings of 'The Sacrifice Zone' film to educate the community about environmental justice issues.
- Eastern Environmental Law CentercoreSJC retained the Eastern Environmental Law Center to assist in pushing back on the Van Keuren Waste Facility proposal. The center provides legal insights and talking points to educate the public on environmental justice law.
- NYC TutoringminorNYC Tutoring provides pro bono translation services to SJC to help expand outreach to multilingual communities in Jersey City, translating content into Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese among other languages.
- PowerMarketcoreSJC partnered with PowerMarket to offer Jersey City residents an opportunity to participate in community solar projects. SJC provides educational outreach and helps get residents signed up for community solar programs, while PowerMarket manages subscriber acquisition and billing services for community solar installations.
- Hartz Mountain IndustriescoreHartz Mountain Industries partnered with PowerMarket to bring community solar projects to Northern New Jersey, including projects in Hudson County. SJC partnered to promote these initiatives to Jersey City residents.
- Healthier JCcoreHealthier JC is a community partner that works with SJC on health and environmental initiatives. SJC serves as a partner in their efforts to provide healthy food access and environmental health programs.
- SALT FoundationminorSALT Foundation partnered with Healthier JC and SJC on mobile food pantry distributions to address food insecurity in Jersey City during COVID-19. SJC helped raise funds through ioby crowdfunding platform for The Sharing Place food pantry.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sustainable JC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- C40 Cities: Global network of 100+ mayors addressing climate change and urban sustainability. Comparable urban sustainability focus but operates at significantly larger scale and serves large global cities rather than mid-sized U.S. municipalities.
- EarthShare: National federation coordinating workplace giving campaigns for environmental nonprofits. Touches SJC's funding model through workplace donation channels, though as an umbrella organization rather than direct community operator.
- The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit creating parks and protecting land for communities, with urban green space programs. Comparable focus on urban green infrastructure and community environmental benefit, though with significantly larger resources and national scope.
Direct peers
- Groundwork USA: National network of local Trusts delivering environmental improvement projects in underserved communities through community engagement. Closely comparable model of grassroots, place-based urban environmental work with volunteer mobilization.
- Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN): Network of municipal sustainability directors from peer cities collaborating on urban sustainability practices. Comparable focus on city-level sustainability strategy and peer learning, though serves government staff rather than community advocates.
- Sustainable Jersey: Statewide New Jersey certification and incentive program for municipalities pursuing sustainability. Highly comparable mission (community sustainability in NJ) and overlapping geographic focus, though operating at state rather than city scale.
- Center for Environmental Health: Nonprofit working to protect public health from chemical pollution through advocacy, community engagement, and corporate campaigns. Comparable as a community-driven environmental health and justice advocacy organization.
- ICLEI USA: Local Governments for Sustainability network supporting cities on climate action, sustainability planning, and community engagement. Comparable in mobilizing municipal and community stakeholders around urban sustainability, though broader geographic scope.
- New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA): Statewide NJ coalition addressing environmental justice in overburdened communities. Direct peer as an existing SJC partner, with overlapping mission around EJ advocacy, cumulative impacts, and community organizing in NJ.
Emerging players
- GreenCityForce: Nonprofit training young adults from underserved communities for careers in urban sustainability and green infrastructure. Comparable urban sustainability focus with environmental justice undertones, though workforce-development oriented.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sustainable JC social profiles
Digital presenceSustainable JC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sustainable JC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Sustainable JC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sustainable JC 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 Sustainable JC
What does Sustainable JC do?
Sustainable Jersey City educates, empowers, and activates community stakeholders in Jersey City through sustainability programs, demonstration projects, and advocacy. Core offerings include the Trees & Trash Action Campaign, Environmental Health & Justice Stewardship Program, Green Infrastructure & Rain Gardens initiative, the annual Urban Sustainability Certificate Program, community fundraising events, and educational resources such as mapping tools and curated sustainability apps.
Is Sustainable JC a public or private company?
Sustainable JC is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sustainable JC founded?
Sustainable JC was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sustainable JC based?
Sustainable JC is headquartered in Jersey City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sustainable JC make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Sponsorship is the primary driver. The others are event Fundraising and grant Funding.
Who are Sustainable JC's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are C40 Cities, EarthShare and The Trust for Public Land. Direct peers are Groundwork USA, Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN), Sustainable Jersey, Center for Environmental Health, ICLEI USA and New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA). GreenCityForce is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sustainable JC have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sustainable JC.
What industry is Sustainable JC in?
Sustainable JC's product category is Community Sustainability Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAH, Environmental Education & Outreach, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAL, Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health. Its NAICS code is 813312.