TREES Inc.

What TREES Inc. does

TREES Inc. is a Terre Haute, Indiana-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in January 1990 by Joy Sacopulos, focused on urban forestry through tree planting, maintenance, education, and commemorative tree programs across Vigo County. The organization is entirely volunteer-run with no paid staff and operates from a P.O. Box mailing address, holding monthly membership meetings at the reTHink community space. Its core programs include large-scale community planting events (nearly 1,600 trees planted and distributed in 2025 alone), a Memorial & Commemorative Tree Program at $250 per tree planted in Deming or Collett Park with a one-year replacement guarantee, the 101 Trees of Indiana Walking Trail encircling Indiana State University's Memorial Stadium, free sapling giveaways, and a Big Tree Registry of Vigo County's largest native trees.

Revenue is generated through four streams: tax-deductible individual donations, $20 annual membership dues, $250 commemorative tree sales, and government grants — most notably a $75,000 Inflation Reduction Act grant and $25,000 matching Community Urban Forestry Assistance grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, plus an additional $75,000 from the DNR Urban Forestry Division for Fall 2025 plantings. The organization serves local residents as its primary segment, with secondary engagement from local businesses (corporate volunteer teams), educational institutions (Indiana State University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Sarah Scott Middle School), and government agencies (Vigo County Parks and Recreation, RiverSCAPE). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: outreach occurs through monthly meetings with guest speakers, large volunteer planting events, Earth Day and Arbor Day celebrations, sapling giveaways, and a modest social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. There is no proprietary technology, software platform, or digital product; the organization's competitive position rests on 35 years of accumulated community trust, institutional partnerships, and the brand equity associated with Terre Haute's TREE CITY USA designation earned in 1999.

Name

TREES Inc.

Legal name

TREES Inc.

Website

https://treesinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Forestry Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Landscaping Services (56173)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tree Planting & Establishment Services (Manual/Mechanized) (AFAMACAE), Tree Pruning & Crown Management (HSAIADAA), Tree Health Care (Diagnosis, Treatment, Fertilization) (HSAIADAD)

Keywords

• Urban forestry services
• Tree planting programs
• Community tree planting
• Memorial tree planting
• Nonprofit environmental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Terre Haute

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals supporting tree planting and urban forestry efforts. Every dollar goes to planting trees and distributing saplings.
2. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues of $20 per year to cover administrative costs and provide member benefits including monthly meeting access, networking, and volunteer opportunities.
3. Commemorative Tree Sales: Sale of commemorative and memorial trees at $250 each. Trees are planted in Deming Park or Collett Park as living tributes. Includes one-year replacement guarantee.
4. Government Grants: Funding from government sources including Indiana Department of Natural Resources Community Urban Forestry Assistance program, Indiana DNR Urban Forestry Division, and Inflation Reduction Act grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TREES Inc. is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit that plants and distributes trees throughout Terre Haute and Vigo County, Indiana. It organizes volunteer planting events in streets, parks, and neighborhoods, sells commemorative/memorial trees at $250 each planted in Deming Park or Collett Park, distributes free saplings, maintains the 101 Trees of Indiana Walking Trail and Big Tree Registry, and offers an annual membership program for $20 covering administrative costs and providing access to monthly educational meetings.

Product overview

TREES Inc. is an all-volunteer urban forestry nonprofit offering a portfolio of tree-related programs: core tree planting services for streets, parks, and neighborhoods; a Memorial & Commemorative Trees Program for $250 per tree planted in Deming or Collett Park with signage and replacement guarantee; the 101 Trees of Indiana Walking Trail educational asset; a Big Tree Registry tracking Vigo County's largest native trees; volunteer membership for $20 annually with meeting access and networking; and seasonal sapling giveaway programs. These offerings work together to advance the organization's mission of growing a stronger, greener, more sustainable Terre Haute.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tree Planting Services Community tree planting events organized by trained volunteers using professional planting methods along streets, in parks, and throughout neighborhoods; offered at no cost to homeowners in Terre Haute and Vigo County.
• Memorial and Commemorative Tree Program Living tribute trees planted in Deming Park or Collett Park to honor loved ones or mark special occasions; cost is $250 per tree and includes a high-quality native Indiana hardwood, professional planting, and a one-year replacement guarantee if the tree fails to leaf out or dies. The family is notified of the tree location after planting and a sign is placed the summer following planting. Submission deadline is October 1st for planting in the same calendar year.
• 101 Trees of Indiana Walking Trail A one-mile educational walking trail encircling Indiana State University's Memorial Stadium, showcasing native Hoosier tree species with educational signage; created in partnership with ISU and the Terre Haute City Park Department.
• Big Tree Registry A registry maintained by the Big Tree Committee of the largest native Indiana trees in Vigo County, supporting preservation and public awareness of local tree canopy diversity.
• Volunteer Membership Program Annual individual membership for $20 covering administrative costs and providing member benefits including access to monthly meetings with guest speakers, networking with environmentally conscious individuals, and volunteer opportunities.
• Sapling Giveaway Program Distribution of free saplings to community members through community events such as the Arbor Day Sapling Giveaway at Baesler's Market, promoting individual tree planting and environmental stewardship.

Quantifiable outcome

• Planted and distributed nearly 1,600 trees in 2025 alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RiverSCAPEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2025Partnership with RiverSCAPE on Bicentennial Park planting project. Organizations shared a decade-long dream of beautifying the area west of the bridge. RiverSCAPE volunteers participated in planting 75 native hardwood and understory trees, with goal of restoring the historic 'emerald necklace' greenway designed by George Kessler in the 1920s.
• Vigo County Parks and Recreation DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2025Collaborative partnership on Bicentennial Park planting project. The department provided staff support for the planting event where 75 native trees were planted in and around new parking areas and walkways of Bicentennial Park, as well as along the route connecting the park to the Wabashiki Trail.
• GE AviationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 November 2025Employee volunteers participated in Bicentennial Park planting event as part of corporate community engagement.
• ElancominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 November 2025Employee volunteers participated in Bicentennial Park planting event as part of corporate community engagement.
• Gartland FoundryminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Local business that provided five volunteer teams for Union Hospital neighborhood planting event. Helped mobilize employee volunteers for tree planting activities.
• Baesler's MarketminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Local sponsor that helped fuel and equip volunteers throughout Union Hospital neighborhood planting. Hosted Arbor Day Sapling Giveaway event.
• Square DonutsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Local sponsor that helped fuel volunteers throughout the Union Hospital neighborhood planting event.
• Rose Hill LandscapingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Local sponsor that helped fuel and equip volunteers throughout the Union Hospital neighborhood planting event.
• Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Students regularly volunteer at tree planting events including Bicentennial Park, Union Hospital neighborhood, and 13th & Chestnut plantings. Contributed volunteer hours that helped match grant funding.
• Arbor Day FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025TREES Inc. supports the Arbor Day Foundation's Right Tree Right Place initiative to help residents successfully plant trees in their yards. Provides tools and guidance for tree planning and selection.
• reTHinkminorOthers · 1 January 2025Community space at 1544 S. 13th St. serves as the regular meeting location for TREES Inc. monthly membership meetings.
• The StationminorOthers · 1 January 2025Workspace at 900 Wabash, Suite 102 serves as the regular meeting location for TREES Inc. Board of Directors meetings.
• Art SpacesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Art Spaces commissioned 'Tree' sculpture by artist Mark Wallis to honor the native trees and shrubs planted by TREES Inc. along the 101 Trees of Indiana Walking Trail.
• Indiana State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Partnered with ISU to create 101 Trees of Indiana Walking Trail encircling Memorial Stadium at 3300 Wabash Avenue. ISU students volunteer regularly at planting events. ISU Grounds Building (960 Spruce St) used for sapling wrapping activities. Earth Day events hosted on ISU quad.
• Terre Haute City Park DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Partnered with city parks department to complete the 101 Trees of Indiana Walking Trail. Department provided support for the trail completion and ongoing maintenance.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Keep America Beautiful: National nonprofit with affiliate network running community beautification, tree planting, and green space programs across the U.S. Operates as an adjacent community environmental stewardship nonprofit with broader scope than TREES Inc.
• Arbor Day Foundation: National nonprofit focused on tree planting and stewardship that partners directly with TREES Inc. on the Right Tree Right Place initiative and awarded Terre Haute its TREE CITY USA designation. Operates as the dominant national brand in the same urban/community forestry space.
• American Forests: National conservation nonprofit that runs urban forestry and tree equity programs across multiple U.S. cities. Operates as a broader, multi-region umbrella organization in the same urban forestry category.

Others

• Indiana Department of Natural Resources - Division of Forestry: State government funder and partner that provides Community Urban Forestry Assistance grants to TREES Inc. and oversees urban forestry policy across Indiana. Serves as both funding source and strategic partner rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Sacramento Tree Foundation: Regional nonprofit coordinating urban tree planting, forestry master plans, and volunteer stewardship across the Sacramento region. Operates a comparable mission-driven urban forestry model with strong municipal and institutional partnerships.
• Friends of the Urban Forest: San Francisco-based nonprofit that plants and maintains street trees through volunteer-led planting events, neighborhood programs, and homeowner engagement. Mirrors TREES Inc.'s street tree planting, community forestry, and yard-tree planting model.
• Tree Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh-based urban forestry nonprofit focused on tree planting, maintenance, and community education across a defined metro region. Comparable in volunteer mobilization, regional urban canopy focus, and nonprofit grant-driven operating model.
• Casey Trees: Washington D.C.-based nonprofit focused on urban tree planting, maintenance, and education for the D.C. region. Closely comparable in mission, volunteer-driven planting model, tree giveaway programs, and educational trail initiatives.

Regional players

• City of Indianapolis - Keep Indianapolis Beautiful: Indianapolis-based nonprofit focused on urban beautification, tree planting, and greening initiatives across the Indianapolis metro. Represents an in-state peer operating a similar volunteer-driven urban forestry and beautification model at a larger city scale.
• Heartland Tree Alliance: Kansas City-based urban forestry program under Heartland Alliance that plants and stewards trees in underserved neighborhoods through volunteer events. Shares TREES Inc.'s focus on tree equity, neighborhood-level canopy improvement, and volunteer-driven planting.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TREESInc1990
• Facebookfacebook.com/TerreHauteTREES
• Instagraminstagram.com/treesinc_th

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 TREES Inc.