Trees for Survival

Name

Trees for Survival

Legal name

Trees for Survival Charitable Trust

Website

https://tfsnz.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education and Conservation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (1132)

SIC

Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nature-Based / Forest School Early Learning Programs (EDACADAD), Tree Planting & Establishment Services (Manual/Mechanized) (AFAMACAE)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Native tree planting
• School community programmes
• Riparian restoration
• Charitable conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-off and regular donations from individuals supporting native tree planting. Tree donations start at $7, with regular donations from $7/month. Donations can be gifted on behalf of someone else.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Principal partners and corporate sponsors provide funding and support to schools in the programme. Includes Gallagher Insurance, Fonterra, Crombie Lockwood, and other businesses.
3. Legacy Bequests: Will bequest programme (Kahikatea - Leave your legacy) allowing donors to leave enduring gifts through will.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Trees for Survival Charitable Trust runs a school-based environmental education programme in which students grow native seedlings in custom-built, irrigated shade houses (Plant Growing Units) at their schools and plant them on private landowner properties to restore waterways and vulnerable land. The trust supplies shade houses, eco-sourced native seedlings (~230,000 annually), potting mix, facilitator support, and coordinates annual planting days, serving over 220 schools and 6,000+ students each year across New Zealand.

Product overview

Trees for Survival is a charitable trust offering a school-based environmental education programme centred on growing and planting native trees. The core programme provides schools with custom-built irrigated shade houses (Plant Growing Units), delivers eco-sourced native plant seedlings, and facilitates annual planting days where students plant on landowner properties. Schools receive approximately 900 seedlings per year, growing them in shade houses before planting 800+ trees annually. The programme is supported by 22 regional facilitators who coordinate 229-230 schools nationwide. Donation products include one-off tree donations ($7), regular monthly donations ($7+), and legacy bequests. The trust operates an ambitious 'One Million by 2030' campaign to plant another million native trees beyond the 2 million already achieved since 1991.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trees for Survival School Environmental Education Programme Full-year school-based programme where primary and intermediate schools (Years 4-8) receive shade houses, native seedlings, facilitator support and curriculum resources to grow seedlings and plant them on local landowner properties for environmental restoration.
• Shade House / Plant Growing Unit (PGU) Custom-built irrigated shade house installed at participating schools, providing the physical infrastructure for students to grow native seedlings, including automated irrigation (Toro Tempus DC with rain sensor and phone App control in upgraded schools).
• Seedling Delivery Service Annual September distribution of approximately 230,000 eco-sourced native plant seedlings and 4,560 bags of potting mix to participating schools, germinated by partner nurseries (Nga Rakau, Te Whangai) from locally-collected seed.
• Planting Day Facilitation Facilitator-coordinated planting events at landowner sites where students plant the native trees they have grown, including site assessment, health and safety briefings, planting demonstrations, and two-year post-planting monitoring.
• Donate a Native Tree Today (One-off Donation) One-off charitable donation starting at NZ$7 per tree, payable online via PayPal, bank transfer or Stripe, supporting native tree growing and planting by New Zealand schools. Can be gifted on behalf of someone else with gift certificate.
• Regular Donation Subscription Recurring monthly donation subscription (minimum NZ$7/month) with monthly or annual billing options, providing ongoing funding for the programme plus exclusive updates and insights into projects for donors.
• Kahikatea - Leave Your Legacy (Bequest Programme) Planned-giving / will bequest programme through which donors leave a lasting legacy gift supporting the trust's environmental education and native planting work, coordinated via [email protected].
• One Million Trees by 2030 Donation Campaign-specific online donation product supporting the One Million Native Plants by 2030 initiative, allowing donors to fund native trees grown and planted by participating schools.
• Teacher Resources and Instructional Videos Curriculum-aligned educational resources for participating schools covering Potting Up, Plant Maintenance, Planting Day, and Safety at Planting Sites, including instructional videos, downloadable checklists, and a Year 4-6 and 7-8 Education Resource developed with Core Education.
• Site Assessment and Monitoring Service Facilitator assessment of potential planting sites for suitability, safety and long-term restoration potential, plus a two-year post-planting monitoring programme tracking plant survival (averaging 85%) and ecological impact.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% average plant survival rate at TfS sites
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered principal, core, founding, regional and pilot.

• FonterraprincipalGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Fonterra joined as a principal partner in 2023. Together they support 21 schools through Fonterra's Hapori programme which has 10 committees across New Zealand offering support to regional projects.
• Trees that CountcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Trees for Survival became Trees that Count's #1 all-time planter since the partnership began in 2022. The school programme has planted 75,000 native plants with Trees that Count over three years.
• Rotary Club of PakurangafoundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrees for Survival was established by the Rotary Club of Pakuranga in 1991 as a response to Rotary International's 1990 year theme of 'Preserve Planet Earth'. The club designed the prototype Plant Growing Unit (shadehouse) and developed the programme. Ongoing support from Rotary clubs continues with club members regularly helping at planting days.
• Gallagher InsuranceprincipalGTM or Marketing PartnerGallagher Insurance partnered with Trees for Survival for Matariki celebrations and events, including the 2024 Matariki event at Maungatautari.
• Crombie LockwoodprincipalGTM or Marketing PartnerCrombie Lockwood is a principal partner that partnered with Trees for Survival for the Matariki 2023 event and ongoing programme support.
• Environment Network ManawatūregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironment Network Manawatū delivers the Trees for Survival programme in the Manawatū region, coordinating local schools, landowners, and corporate partners.
• Nga Rakau and Te Whangai NurseriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTfS works closely with these specialist nurseries for germination of eco-sourced native plant seed. Seed is collected, cleaned, sorted, and sent to nurseries for germination before seedlings are distributed to schools.
• Department of ConservationregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents in Waikato had the opportunity to work alongside Department of Conservation staff and Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, gaining insight into the bigger picture of conservation work.
• Birds NZpilotStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrees for Survival is collaborating with Birds NZ on a pilot project to monitor changes in bird numbers and species at several Trees for Survival planting sites.
• Raapua CollectiveregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Trees for Survival and Gallagher Insurance for Matariki 2024 celebration event at Maungatautari.
• Auckland CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuckland City Council became interested early in the programme and assisted with planning the location of the first native tree crop. The partnership has been a cornerstone of the Trees for Survival programme. Auckland facilitators deliver the programme through partnership with Auckland Council.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Trees that Count: New Zealand-wide charity coordinating native tree planting; TfS is Trees that Count's #1 all-time planter (75,000 plants since 2022 partnership). Directly comparable mission and partner ecosystem.
• One Tree Planted: Global non-profit planting trees across multiple countries; comparable donation model ($1/tree) and corporate partnership structure, though operating at much larger international scale.
• Eden Reforestation Projects: Global reforestation non-profit employing local communities and workers to plant trees; comparable mission of large-scale native reforestation with donation-driven funding.
• Enviroschools: New Zealand programme embedding environmental education across schools; closest peer on the education/curriculum side, with overlapping school-segment customer base and sustainability mission.
• Project Crimson: NZ charitable trust focused on native forest restoration, particularly pōhutukawa and rātā; directly comparable as a non-profit driving native species revegetation across New Zealand.

Broad incumbents

• Arbor Day Foundation: Largest tree-planting non-profit globally; comparable donation model and tree-planting mission, though operating at much greater scale and with a broader portfolio beyond native reforestation.
• Forest & Bird (Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand): Largest New Zealand conservation NGO; broader environmental remit but overlapping in native habitat restoration advocacy and conservation education — Gary Langford (TfS Board Chair) is a former Trustee of Predator Free NZ Trust, indicating ecosystem overlap.

Regional players

• Trees for Life (Scotland): Scottish charity focused on native woodland restoration and education; structurally comparable as a non-profit driving native reforestation with volunteer engagement, though operating in a different geography.
• Sustainable Coastlines: NZ non-profit focused on coastal restoration and environmental education; comparable mission and youth volunteer engagement, but distinct coastal/habitat niche versus TfS's riparian/land restoration focus.

Others

• Predator Free New Zealand Trust: NZ conservation trust working on predator control and ecosystem restoration; overlapping conservation mission and TfS Board Chair (Gary Langford) is a former Trustee. Adjacent ecosystem rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/treesforsurvivalnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/treesforsurvival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 for Survival