Sihtasutus Loodushoiu Fond

What Sihtasutus Loodushoiu Fond does

Sihtasutus Loodushoiu Fond (The Nature Fund) is an Estonian non-profit foundation (sihtasutus) registered in 2021 and headquartered at Määre village, Lääne-Harju vald. Its core function is to channel funding, training, and coordination services toward voluntary nature conservation on private land in Estonia, addressing a gap left by the country's predominantly regulatory conservation regime. The primary constituencies are private landowners (farmers, forest owners, hunting societies), corporate partners seeking verifiable ESG-aligned conservation outcomes, and individual donors. As of the most recent disclosures, 254 landowners had committed to heritage tree protection across 123,533 hectares, and 220 landowners had been engaged in KIK-funded conservation planning against an initial target of 30.

The foundation's product portfolio combines several digital platforms and on-the-ground services. Core assets include the Põlispuude Register (Heritage Tree Register) hosted on the explorer.land mapping platform, the Looduse Hoidja crowdfunding platform for project-based conservation contributions, the Wildlife Estates Estonia two-tier certification programme coordinated through the European Landowners' Organization, and a Pood e-commerce storefront. Operational programmes include the WESEM Erasmus+ training project, afforestation and reforestation services, carbon credit sales (≈€40/tCO2eq via Ecobase under VERRA), power line corridor habitat design with Elering, and solar park biodiversity mapping with Kaamos Grupp. A notable data asset is the European record common aspen (45.5 metres) measured at Pärnumaa Nigula under expert Hendrik Relve's direction. Five regional departments covering Estonia's five NUTS III regions are staffed by curators and supported by referrals through farmer, forest owner, and hunter associations.

Revenue is generated from five broad streams: individual one-time and recurring donations (including a €1,200/year tax-deductible cap), project-based crowdfunding contributions ranging from €10 to multi-thousand euros, e-commerce sales, corporate partnerships and sponsorship fees (with greenwashing-prevention safeguards), and co-financing from international programmes including Interreg (Riforma), Erasmus+ (WESEM), and the Estonian Environmental Investment Centre (KIK). The foundation publicly commits to allocating 85% of designated donations to conservation activities and 15% to overhead. Governance is by a supervisory board (with Priit Põllumäe elected chair on 9 July 2025) and management board (with Pille Ligi as CEO); the foundation is registered as an Estonian tax-deductible non-profit entity.

Name

Sihtasutus Loodushoiu Fond

Legal name

Sihtasutus Loodushoiu Fond

Website

https://loodushoiufond.ee

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sihtasutus Loodushoiu Fond is an Estonian non-profit foundation that channels funding, training, and coordination services to support voluntary nature conservation on private land, serving landowners, corporate partners, and individual donors through crowdfunding, certification, and conservation projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nature Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Silviculture & Reforestation Services (Nurseries, Planting, Tending) (IMAMAJAC)

Keywords

• Voluntary nature conservation
• Private land stewardship
• Biodiversity habitat protection
• Environmental certification services
• Habitat restoration projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Määra village, Lääne-Harju vald

HQ country

Estonia

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring (monthly) donations from individuals. The fund is listed in the Estonian Tax and Customs Board registry of tax-deductible organizations, allowing individuals to receive income tax refunds on donations up to €1,200/year. One-time donation options include preset amounts of €5, €35, €175, or custom sums.
2. Crowdfunding Project Contributions: The 'Looduse hoidja' platform enables individuals and companies to fund specific conservation projects (e.g., nesting boxes, carbon credits, habitat creation). Contributors receive project updates and the 'Looduse hoidja' badge. Projects range from €10 contributions to multi-thousand euro initiatives.
3. E-commerce Sales: The fund operates an online store selling digital flower arrangements, plants, crafts, books, and species conservation contributions. Sales support the fund's conservation activities.
4. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Companies support the fund through donations, logo usage fees, and project sponsorship. The fund issues certificates and provides recognition for corporate supporters. Greenwashing prevention measures are in place to ensure genuine environmental commitment.
5. Project and Programme Funding: The fund receives funding from international programmes including Interreg (Riforma project), Erasmus+ (WESEM project), and co-financing from the Estonian Environmental Investment Centre (KIK). Funding supports regional office development, training platforms, and landowner conservation initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sihtasutus Loodushoiu Fond is a non-profit foundation (sihtasutus) that supports voluntary nature conservation in Estonia by engaging private landowners, individual donors, and corporate partners. It coordinates the Wildlife Estates Estonia certification program, runs the Looduse Hoidja crowdfunding platform, maintains the public Põlispuude (Heritage Tree) Register, delivers afforestation and species-protection projects, and operates an online store of conservation-themed products.

Product overview

Loodushoiu Fond operates as a multi-platform nature conservation organization offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services. The core offerings include the Põlispuude Register (Heritage Tree Register) and Põlispuu Hoidja (Heritage Tree Keeper) campaign for tree conservation, the Looduse Hoidja (Nature Keeper) crowdfunding platform for various conservation projects, and the Wildlife Estates märgis certification program for landowners. Supporting products include carbon credits, afforestation services, species protection projects (sea eagle nests, nest boxes), and an online store. The WESEM project provides educational resources. The organization coordinates conservation across five regional departments covering all of Estonia's NUTS III regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Looduse Hoidja: Crowdfunding platform connecting landowners who want to preserve biodiversity with private individuals and companies willing to support conservation efforts.
• Põlispuude Register
• Wildlife Estates Eesti

Products and services

• Põlispuude Register (Heritage Tree Register) An online public register documenting Estonia's most significant heritage trees, allowing landowners to submit notable trees with measurements, species, coordinates, and historical stories. Provides a searchable database of protected heritage trees across Estonian municipalities.
• Põlispuu Hoidja (Heritage Tree Keeper Campaign) A voluntary landowner commitment campaign to identify and preserve heritage trees on private properties; 254 landowners enrolled covering 123,533 hectares.
• Looduse Hoidja (Nature Keeper) Crowdfunding Platform A crowdfunding platform connecting landowners who want to protect biodiversity with private individuals and companies willing to fund conservation projects. Projects include budgets, timelines, SDG alignment, and impact updates.
• Wildlife Estates Label (Märgis) A two-tier European voluntary environmental certification program for landowners: principle-level membership and full accreditation. Recognizes sustainable land management for biodiversity across 19 European countries and over 2.1 million hectares.
• Süsinikukrediit (Carbon Credit) Carbon offset credits offered through VERRA-certified afforestation projects on Estonian land; supporters acquire tCO2eq units via the Looduse Hoidja platform in cooperation with Ecobase.
• Liinikoridori Kujundamine (Power Line Corridor Habitat Design) A habitat creation project converting power line corridors into semi-natural meadows. Includes cattle grazing, mowing, species inventory, and project management within a defined budget per hectare.
• Asenduspesa Merikotkale (Sea Eagle Replacement Nest) A species-protection project constructing artificial sea eagle nests with camera/video monitoring and ongoing habitat maintenance across multiple hectares.
• Metsamaale Istutamine (Planting on Forest Land) Replanting service for previously forested land covering seedling procurement and planting labor for ~10 hectares per project.
• Uusmetsastamine (New Afforestation)

Quantifiable outcome

• 220 landowners engaged in conservation planning (vs. target of 30)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eesti Erametsaliit (Estonian Forest Owners' Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner in private forest conservation. Jointly organizes the heritage tree campaign ('Põlispuu hoidja') and co-hosts landowner events. Represents Estonian private forest owners in conservation planning projects.
• Luua Metsanduskool (Luua Forestry School)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the heritage tree campaign and partner in the WESEM Erasmus+ project. Hosts the 'Põlispuude lood' events and provides forestry training expertise for landowner education.
• Eesti Maaülikool (Estonian University of Life Sciences)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for scientific research and conservation planning. Collaborates with university researchers on biodiversity monitoring and habitat assessment.
• Eesti Põllumajandus-Kaubanduskoda (Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the KIK-funded private land conservation project, representing agricultural producers and landowners in dialogue on voluntary conservation agreements.
• Eestimaa Talupidajate Keskliit (Estonian Farmers' Central Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the KIK conservation project, representing family farms in negotiations on contractual nature conservation.
• Eesti Jahimeeste Selts (Estonian Hunters' Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the KIK project, managing agreements with hunting societies covering 100,008 hectares to eliminate lead ammunition and protect both wildlife and human health.
• European Landowners' Organization (ELO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational coordination body for the Wildlife Estates label. Loodushoiu Fond serves as the Estonian national coordinator for Wildlife Estates, and CEO Pille Ligi sits on the label's Steering Committee. The network spans 450+ estates across 19 European countries covering over 2.1 million hectares.
• Eurosite (European Land Conservation Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network of landowners and conservationists. Loodushoiu Fond was invited to present at Eurosite events on new conservation cooperation models.
• EleringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstonia's electricity transmission system operator. Cooperating with the fund on power line corridor management, including habitat creation for natterjack toads at Kuklase (electrical infrastructure protection zone) and semi-natural grassland creation under power line corridors.
• Kaamos GruppminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to map 10 solar parks and develop biodiversity-enhancing activities in inter-panel spaces, including native plant restoration for pollinators.
• EcobaseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon credit project developer providing VERRA-certified afforestation credits through the fund's crowdfunding platform. Supports the fund's carbon sequestration projects under the Verified Carbon Standard (VERRA) ARR methodology.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Trust (UK): Major conservation charity focused on preserving private land, heritage, and natural environments through ownership and stewardship. Comparable in mission and landowner-engagement model, though UK-focused and asset-heavy.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global leader in private land conservation using voluntary, market-based and contractual mechanisms. Operates at vastly larger scale but shares the underlying philosophy of working with landowners to achieve conservation outcomes.
• WWF Estonia (Eesti Metsaselts / World Wildlife Fund): Larger, globally backed conservation organization active in Estonia. Broader mandate (species, habitats, policy) but overlaps with Loodushoiu Fond in private forest and biodiversity work, and competes for the same donor pool.

Regional players

• Baltic Environmental Forum (BEF): Estonia-anchored environmental NGO working on cross-Baltic nature conservation, sustainable land use, and EU project delivery. Comparable in scale, regional scope, and reliance on EU programme funding.
• Lithuanian Fund for Nature (Lietuvos gamtos fondas): Lithuanian counterpart focused on biodiversity and habitat protection on private and public land. Operates in an adjacent Baltic market with similar landowner-engagement challenges.
• Latvian Fund for Nature (Latvijas Dabas fonds): Latvian environmental NGO focused on private land conservation and habitat protection. Most directly comparable Baltic peer, operating under similar regulatory and market conditions but with a different funding mix.

Others

• Wildlife Estates (European network): Pan-European certification label coordinated by ELO across 19 countries. Loodushoiu Fond is the Estonian national coordinator; comparable in certification logic and landowner-recognition framework, with sister organizations in other countries.
• European Landowners' Organization (ELO): Umbrella body coordinating the Wildlife Estates label and broader sustainable land management advocacy across Europe. Strategic partner and platform for Loodushoiu Fond; comparable in facilitating private landowner conservation at a continental level.

Direct peers

• Estonian Fund for Nature (Eesti Loodusfond): Estonia's other major environmental foundation, focused on land purchases for nature protection. Closely comparable in mission, jurisdiction, and donor base, with complementary rather than overlapping approaches (purchase vs. contractual conservation).
• The Woodland Trust: UK-based charity dedicated to woodland conservation, including heritage tree protection and private landowner engagement. Closely comparable in forest/landowner focus, though operating at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/loodushoiufond
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-nature-fund
• Instagraminstagram.com/loodushoiufond

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Sihtasutus Loodushoiu Fond