What Nature-Based Solutions Foundation does

Nature-Based Solutions Foundation (NBSF) is a registered Canadian charity (Registration Number 743624538 RR 0001) founded in December 2021 and operating remotely from British Columbia. NBSF fills conservation financing gaps for land-embedded communities — primarily First Nations — to establish Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) and transition to sustainable economies that thrive alongside functioning ecosystems. Its core method is end-to-end: providing capacity grants, acquiring private inholdings within proposed IPCAs, registering conservation covenants on title, gifting the land back to the Indigenous community, and establishing stewardship endowments set at 30% of land value for long-term care. NBSF also co-develops science-based methodologies, including the Biodiversity Protection Standard with TELUS and conservation biologists, to prioritize protection of Canada's most at-risk ecosystems.

The organization's two flagship projects are the Kanaka Bar IPCA (320 sq km, ~120 sq km of old-growth forest, 42 species at risk) with the Kanaka Bar Indian Band, and the Salmon Parks Initiative (650 sq km, ~311 sq km of old-growth coastal temperate rainforest) with the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation. Across both projects NBSF and partners have helped secure major public funding, including a $15 million federal grant for Salmon Parks, and private grants via the Government of Canada's Natural Heritage Conservation Program and the BC Hydro Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program. The Old-Growth Solutions Initiative (OGSI) is delivered jointly with the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance (whose Executive Director chairs NBSF) and the Ancient Forest Alliance (whose co-founder is NBSF's Board Secretary).

NBSF's revenue model is donation-based: tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals and high-net-worth donors (e.g., Cole Sprouse, Johnny Rodgers, Dennis Pilarinos), corporate grants (TELUS, Patagonia Vancouver, Riverside Natural Foods), 1% for the Planet member-business contributions, donor-advised funds, and event-based fundraising (e.g., an annual Art Auction for Old Growth raising CAD 35,000 in 2023). The organization accepts donations via its website, Stripe, Benevity, Bloomerang, CanadaHelps, PayPal, and the King Baudouin Foundation's Transnational Giving network. Operating overhead is supported by a small team led by National Conservation Director Emilie Carrière and National Coordinator Hania Peper, under Board Chair Ken Wu.

Name

Nature-Based Solutions Foundation

Legal name

Nature-Based Solutions Foundation

Website

https://naturebasedsolutionsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nature-Based Solutions Foundation is a Canadian conservation charity that fills conservation financing gaps for First Nations communities to establish Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, acquire private inholdings, and build stewardship endowments protecting Canada's most endangered ecosystems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA), Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

Keywords

• Conservation financing services
• Environmental nonprofit services
• Indigenous protected areas
• Old-growth forest protection
• Ecosystem conservation funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: NBSF generates revenue primarily through tax-deductible donations from individuals and businesses. Donors include private philanthropists, celebrities (e.g., Cole Sprouse, Johnny Rodgers), and corporate supporters. The organization is a registered Canadian charity (Number: 743624538 RR 0001).
2. Corporate Partnerships and Grants: Funding from corporate partners such as TELUS, Patagonia Vancouver, Riverside Natural Foods, and others, as well as environmental partnerships such as 1% for the Planet membership fees from businesses.
3. Government Funding for Conservation Projects: NBSF helps direct public and private financial support toward conservation efforts, including funding from the Government of Canada's Natural Heritage Conservation Program (NHCP), BC Hydro Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP), and federal contributions for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Nature-Based Solutions Foundation provides conservation financing and community support to establish protected areas in endangered Canadian ecosystems. It works directly with land-embedded First Nations communities to fund capacity, acquire private inholdings, register conservation covenants, and build long-term stewardship endowments, primarily through the Old-Growth Solutions Initiative (OGSI). Its two flagship projects — the Kanaka Bar IPCA (320 sq km) and the Mowachaht/Muchalaht Salmon Parks Initiative (650 sq km) — together cover approximately 970 sq km of proposed protected area.

Product overview

The Nature-Based Solutions Foundation (NBSF) is a Canadian conservation charity, not a technology company. It operates as a single unified charitable mission focused on protecting Canada's most endangered ecosystems by filling critical conservation funding gaps. The core offering centers on the Old-Growth Solutions Initiative (OGSI), a provincial program implemented through flagship projects including the Kanaka Bar IPCA (320-square km) and the Salmon Parks Initiative (650-square km), along with land acquisition services that return private properties to Indigenous communities with conservation covenants. NBSF also develops a Biodiversity Protection Standard in partnership with TELUS to measure conservation value. All offerings fall under conservation financing and are delivered through partnerships with Indigenous communities, government programs, and environmental organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Old-Growth Solutions Initiative (OGSI): NBSF's province-wide program working to safeguard endangered old-growth forests in BC by co-creating new protected areas, with emphasis on supporting Indigenous Protected & Conserved Areas. Undertaken in partnership with Endangered Ecosystems Alliance and Ancient Forest Alliance.

Products and services

• Old-Growth Solutions Initiative (OGSI)

Quantifiable outcome

• ~970 square km of proposed protected area across two flagship projects (Kanaka Bar 320 sq km + Mowachaht/Muchalaht 650 sq km)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• TELUScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 November 2023TELUS partnered with NBSF for a one-year partnership to support science-based protection for endangered ecosystems in Canada, with a special focus on old-growth forests in BC. The partnership involves developing a Biodiversity Protection Standard designed to measure and grade conservation value of protected areas, providing key environmental metrics to support decision-making. TELUS is also supporting Indigenous data collection for Traditional Ecological Knowledge and exploring carbon offset projects. Geoff Pegg, Head of Sustainability at TELUS, leads the partnership.
• Endangered Ecosystems Alliance (EEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBSF partners with the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance (EEA) as part of the Old-Growth Solutions Initiative (OGSI), a province-wide program to safeguard endangered old-growth forests in BC. EEA's Executive Director Ken Wu is also the Board Chair of NBSF. EEA helps provide funds to qualified charitable recipients to support expansion of protected areas.
• Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBSF partners with the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) as part of the Old-Growth Solutions Initiative (OGSI). AFA co-founder TJ Watt serves as Board Secretary of NBSF. The partnership aims to protect old-growth forests across BC by filling key funding gaps needed to ensure logging deferrals followed by permanent protection.
• 1% for the PlanetcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNBSF became a certified environmental partner of 1% for the Planet, a global network of businesses, individuals, and environmental partners committed to tackling pressing environmental issues. 1% for the Planet members can count their contributions to NBSF against their 1% commitment.
• Nature UnitedsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNature United is listed as a supporting organization for the Kanaka Bar IPCA and Mowachaht/Muchalaht Salmon Parks Initiative, providing expertise and resources for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area development.
• Cole SprouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerActor Cole Sprouse donated 100% of proceeds from his print 'Fallen Tree' to support both the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance and NBSF, providing high-profile celebrity endorsement and media coverage during COP26.
• Kanaka Bar Indian BandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBSF's primary community partner for the flagship T'eqt'aqtn IPCA project. NBSF has been providing end-to-end support since 2022, including $30,000 for land-use planning, purchasing private inholdings (Old Man Jack's property, Jackass Mountain, Across the River parcels), establishing stewardship endowments, and fundraising for the Crown lands stewardship fund. The partnership is governed by a stewardship funding agreement signed November 20, 2023.
• Mowachaht/Muchalaht First NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBSF collaborates with the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation to support their Salmon Parks Initiative, helping complete a strategic plan and providing resources for community-based stewardship, land-use planning, and sustainable economic development linked to conservation. NBSF helped the Nation secure $15 million in federal funding.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y): A continental-scale conservation initiative focused on connecting and protecting habitat from Yellowstone to Yukon, with significant work in BC. Y2Y overlaps with NBSF in landscape-level protected-area strategy, Indigenous partnership, and donor-supported land conservation in the same region.
• Wilderness Committee: A BC-based conservation organization focused on protecting old-growth forests and wilderness areas. It is thematically aligned with NBSF's Old-Growth Solutions Initiative and shares donor and public-engagement audiences in the BC conservation ecosystem.
• Land Conservancy of British Columbia: A BC-based land trust that secures conservation covenants and acquires private lands for ecological protection. It is the most direct provincial peer to NBSF in terms of conservation-easement / covenant-registered private land transactions within endangered ecosystems.
• EcoTrust Canada: A Vancouver-based charity building conservation economy solutions on Canada's west coast, including Indigenous-led land and marine protection, climate finance, and impact investing. EcoTrust's blended-finance and community-anchored model is closely comparable to NBSF's conservation-financing work in BC.
• Rainforest Trust: A US-based conservation charity that finances the purchase and permanent protection of threatened rainforests globally. Its model of community-anchored, science-prioritized land acquisition for permanent protection is structurally similar to NBSF's IPCA financing approach.
• Nature United: The Canadian affiliate of The Nature Conservancy, Nature United works directly with Indigenous communities to advance large-scale conservation and is a listed supporting organization for NBSF's Kanaka Bar IPCA and Salmon Parks projects — making it a directly comparable Indigenous-led conservation peer operating in the same geographies.
• Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS): CPAWS is a national conservation charity focused on establishing and managing new protected areas in Canada, including in BC's old-growth forests. It overlaps with NBSF in policy advocacy, protected-area creation, and donor mobilization for landscape-scale conservation.

Broad incumbents

• Ducks Unlimited Canada: One of Canada's largest habitat conservation organizations, Ducks Unlimited acquires and manages private land for conservation and stewards substantial endowments. While focused on wetlands and waterfowl, its scale, endowment structure (30%-of-value stewardship), and conservation-financing model are directly comparable to NBSF's approach.
• World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada): A national affiliate of the WWF network focused on species conservation, habitat protection, and Indigenous-led conservation initiatives across Canada. It operates at significantly larger scale but overlaps with NBSF in species-at-risk protection, private land conservation, and policy advocacy for endangered ecosystems.
• The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC): Canada's largest land conservation charity, NCC acquires private lands and secures conservation agreements nationwide. It operates the Natural Heritage Conservation Program that funds NBSF's acquisitions, making it both a key partner and the dominant incumbent comparable in the conservation-financing and land-protection niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Nature-Based-Solutions-Fdn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naturebasedsolutionsfoundation

Compliance2 records

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 Nature-Based Solutions Foundation