TENNESSEE ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

What TENNESSEE ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL does

Tennessee Environmental Council (TEC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1970 as an umbrella environmental advocacy group and headquartered at One Vantage Way, Nashville, Tennessee. The organization serves all 95 Tennessee counties through a portfolio of seven core environmental stewardship programs: the Tennessee Tree Program (including the annual Tennessee Tree Day event and the Tennessee Chestnut Project), a Pollinator Initiative, a Composting Initiative, a Recycling Roundup program, a Watershed Initiative (encompassing stream restoration, litter cleanup, and fee-based consulting), an Environmental Justice program, and a Zero Waste education effort. Since launching the Tennessee Tree Program in 2007, TEC has coordinated the planting of over 1,142,764 native trees across the state in partnership with the Tennessee Division of Forestry and UT Extension, and in 2024 it achieved the milestone of its 1,000,000th ceremonial native tree planted while also delivering 80,900 trees in that single year, 10,000 pounds of litter removed from creeks since 2023, and 150,000 square feet of pollinator habitat.

TEC is not a technology company; its core digital assets are a website (tectn.org), donation portals (qgiv, FlipCause), a YouTube channel, the Critical Root Zone podcast, and an online merchandise storefront for native wildflower seeds and sustainable products. Its revenue model is split across three diversified streams: individual donations solicited online via its qgiv donation portal (with a $2 suggested per-tree donation at Tree Day events), corporate and agency sponsorships (Nissan, Mars Petcare, MathWorks, LKQ, Tennessee Concrete Association, plus municipalities including Franklin, Gallatin, Hendersonville, Jackson, Lebanon, and Spring Hill), and grants from foundations such as the Bonnaroo Works Fund and the Dan and Margaret Maddox Charitable Fund. The organization has won four Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards (2009, 2012, 2016, 2024), and its historical legal work includes successful Clean Air Act litigation against TVA in 1977 and a $1.125 million Clean Water Act settlement against the Dana Corporation in 1995.

Name

TENNESSEE ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

Legal name

Tennessee Environmental Council

Website

https://tectn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tennessee Environmental Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1970, headquartered in Nashville, that operates statewide environmental stewardship programs — including a Tennessee Tree Program (1M+ trees planted since 2007), recycling roundups, watershed restoration, composting, and pollinator habitat initiatives — serving all 95 Tennessee counties through community volunteers, corporate sponsors, municipal partners, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Stewardship Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH), Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK), Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL), Pollution Prevention & Toxics Reduction (BPAGAGAJ)

Keywords

• Environmental stewardship programs
• Tree planting initiatives
• Watershed restoration services
• Recycling programs
• Composting initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from supporters via the organization's website donation portal (qgiv platform). Donations fund program operations, tree procurement, event logistics, and staff.
2. Corporate & Agency Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors (businesses like Nissan, MathWorks, LKQ, etc.) and agency sponsors (municipalities, stormwater groups, civic organizations) provide funding and in-kind support for Tennessee Tree Day and other programs. Sponsors receive trees, promotional recognition, and other benefits.
3. Grants: TEC receives grant funding from foundations and government agencies for specific programs such as watershed restoration, recycling initiatives, and environmental education. Notable funders include Bonnaroo Works Fund, Dan and Margaret Maddox Charitable Fund, and community foundations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Tennessee Environmental Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1970 that coordinates statewide environmental stewardship programs across all 95 Tennessee counties. It runs programs including tree planting (Tennessee Tree Day and the Tennessee Tree Program), pollinator garden creation, composting and recycling roundups, watershed restoration, environmental justice advocacy, zero-waste events, and the Tennessee Chestnut Project. The organization mobilizes volunteers, accepts donations and grants, and partners with municipalities, schools, and corporate sponsors to deliver measurable environmental outcomes across Tennessee.

Product overview

Tennessee Environmental Council operates as a non-profit environmental organization with a portfolio of environmental stewardship programs rather than a technology product. The core offerings include the Tennessee Tree Program (including Tennessee Tree Day annual planting events), Pollinator Initiative (Generate Some Buzz), Composting Initiative (Come Post Your Compost), Recycling Initiative (Recycling Roundup), Watershed Initiative with stream restoration and consulting services, Environmental Justice program, Zero Waste education, and the Tennessee Chestnut Project. These programs work together to advance TEC's mission of helping people and communities improve Tennessee's environment through hands-on conservation, education, and advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tennessee Tree Day & Tennessee Tree Program Statewide tree planting initiative that distributes free seedlings each spring through volunteer-led events across all 95 Tennessee counties, enabling individual residents, schools, and municipalities to plant native trees.
• Pollinator Initiative ("Generate Some Buzz") Statewide initiative that educates Tennessee residents on pollinator conservation and helps establish pollinator-friendly gardens at homes, schools, and community sites.
• Composting Initiative ("Come, Post Your Compost") Program that teaches Tennessee households and small businesses how to compost food waste and yard trimmings, providing education, resources, and community engagement to reduce landfill-bound organic waste.
• Tennessee Recycling Roundup Initiative Recycling event series including the Nashville Recycling Roundup, Bordeaux Recycles, Chattanooga Recycles, and Nissan Franklin Recycles, providing convenient drop-off recycling collection for residents of partner municipalities.
• Watershed Initiative Multi-project effort to restore Tennessee waterways and watersheds, including the Grassy Branch Creek Restoration Project, Lytle Creek Restoration Project, and Duck River Opportunities Project.
• Stream Support & Consulting Consulting service that advises Tennessee state and local government agencies, schools, and private property owners on best practices for protecting streams and waterways within their jurisdictions and properties.
• Environmental Justice Program Program that identifies and addresses environmental inequities affecting Tennessee communities, advocating for equitable access to clean air, water, and green space.
• Zero Waste Program Program that helps Tennessee event organizers, festivals, and venues design zero-waste events with waste-sorting stations, vendor coordination, and post-event waste audits.
• Tennessee Chestnut Project Restoration partnership with the American Chestnut Foundation working to reintroduce blight-resistant American chestnut trees to Tennessee landscapes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,142,764 native trees planted since 2007, providing 2,920 acres of new tree canopy, 11 million tons of CO2 captured, 26 billion gallons of rainwater filtered, and enough oxygen for 2+ million Tennessee residents annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, significant and minor.

• Tennessee Division of ForestrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Long-standing partnership with the Tennessee Division of Forestry for the Tennessee Tree Program. The Division assists with tree procurement, distribution logistics, and planting coordination across all 95 Tennessee counties. This partnership has been essential to TEC's ability to distribute over 1 million native trees since 2007.
• UT ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UT Extension supporting the Tennessee Tree Program since 2007. UT Extension provides technical agricultural and environmental science support for tree planting and care across the state.
• American Chestnut FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Tennessee Chestnut Project, in which the American Chestnut Foundation provides blight-resistant genetic modifications and expertise for restoration chestnut tree groves planted at five Tennessee State Parks.
• Tennessee State ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTennessee State Parks hosts chestnut demonstration groves at Bledsoe Creek, Cumberland Mountain, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Montgomery Bell, and Panther Creek State Parks. Parks provide land and public access for the restoration project.
• Mars PetcaresignificantGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Tennessee Tree Day and tree planting events. Mars Petcare has partnered with TEC on multiple tree plantings including at the Trails at Fontanel (175 trees along Whites Creek) and other locations. Employees participate in volunteer tree-planting events.
• NissansignificantGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Tennessee Tree Day. Also partnered on the Nissan Franklin Recycles initiative as part of TEC's recycling roundup program.
• Friends of Henry Horton State ParksignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner for Duck River watershed education and restoration. Co-recipient of the 2012 Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award for the Watershed Education project. Partnership has engaged over 500 students in watershed studies and restoration.
• Sierra ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Conservation Education Day and collaborated on advocacy efforts including opposition to mountaintop removal coal mining, TVA issues, and environmental policy.
• Tennessee Concrete AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner for tree planting events and annual Green Tie Affair sponsorship. Partnered to plant or give away trees from Memphis to Knoxville.
• TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)minorOthersTEC has engaged with TVA on multiple policy matters including advocacy for solar energy, opposition to nuclear waste dumping, and negotiation for the Cumberland River Aquatic Center relocation. Relationship involves policy advocacy rather than formal partnership.
• Tennessee Stormwater AssociationsignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew collaboration promising to reach all 95 counties with watershed restoration plans and projects through the stormwater association's network of municipal members.
• Root NashvillesignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerTEC partners with the Root Nashville campaign, a city-wide initiative to plant 50,000 trees in Davidson County by 2050. TEC's pre-2022 Tennessee Tree Day plantings are eligible to count toward Root Nashville's goal.
• Tennessee Waste To Jobs ActminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTEC Communications Director Maris Masellis volunteers as Communications Director for this policy initiative, demonstrating organizational commitment to waste reduction legislation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (Tennessee Chapter): National conservation organization with active Tennessee operations in land preservation, watershed protection, and reforestation, drawing on the same donor pool and competing for similar corporate and foundation grants across the state.
• Sierra Club (Tennessee Chapter): Major national environmental advocacy organization with an active Tennessee presence; already co-hosts Conservation Education Day with TEC and shares overlapping advocacy, policy, and volunteer constituencies.

Others

• Tennessee Stormwater Association: Tennessee municipal membership organization for stormwater management; TEC has a new collaboration promising watershed restoration reach across all 95 counties through this network, making it an enablement partner for TEC's watershed scale.

Direct peers

• Cumberland River Compact: Tennessee-based nonprofit focused on watershed restoration and clean water across the Cumberland River basin, directly comparable in programmatic mission, restoration services, and donor/grant overlap.
• Tennessee Wildlife Federation: Statewide Tennessee nonprofit advocating for wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, and outdoor recreation, with comparable statewide reach, donor base, and policy advocacy footprint.
• American Chestnut Foundation: National nonprofit restoring the American chestnut through blight-resistant breeding; TEC's Tennessee Chestnut Project is a direct partnership, with overlapping science, restoration, and volunteer constituencies.
• Root Nashville: Davidson County urban tree canopy initiative aiming to plant 500,000 trees by 2050; TEC is an active partner whose pre-2022 Tree Day plantings count toward Root Nashville's goal, creating programmatic and donor overlap.

Emerging players

• Appalachian Mountain Advocates: Regional nonprofit focused on environmental justice and protection of Appalachian ecosystems, with overlapping priorities around mining, energy policy, and community environmental health in Tennessee.

Regional players

• Harpeth Conservancy: Tennessee-based nonprofit focused on water quality and conservation of the Harpeth River, with overlapping donor base, watershed restoration expertise, and shared staff alumni (TEC's Director of Operations previously worked at Harpeth Conservancy).
• Tennessee Conservation Voters: State-focused environmental policy and advocacy organization pursuing overlapping legislative priorities in Tennessee, sharing sponsors, board members, and donors with TEC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@tennesseeenvironmentalcoun3701
• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/367770864770897
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tennessee-enviromental-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 TENNESSEE ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL