What GreenRoots, Inc. does

GreenRoots, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental justice organization founded in 1995 and headquartered in Chelsea, Massachusetts. It operates as a member-driven, grassroots community organizing entity that engages and empowers residents in the frontline communities of Chelsea and East Boston to address disproportionate environmental and public health burdens. The organization delivers a portfolio of interconnected programs across nine core areas: Climate Justice & Resiliency, Waterfront Access & Revitalization, Food Justice, Youth Leadership (Environmental Chelsea Organizers), Health Equity, Energy Democracy, Transit Justice, Green Space & Beautification, and Anti-Displacement & Land Sovereignty (via the spun-off Comunidades Enraizadas Community Land Trust). GreenRoots runs physical facilities including the Teaching Kitchen, Urban Farm, community gardens, and supports infrastructure projects like the solar-powered microgrid.

GreenRoots' business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue structure combining individual donations (via Give Lively), foundation grants (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation $60,000, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), government grants (EPA, FEMA, state MVP program), institutional partnerships (Beth Israel Lahey Health, City of Boston $200,000 Clean Air Grant, Mass Audubon), and modest membership fees. It operates with 11-50 employees and a leadership team of long-time Chelsea and East Boston residents. The organization monetizes impact through advocacy outcomes (ethanol train moratorium, asphalt ban, 1,627 LED streetlights, 2,000+ trees planted, 112 home weatherizations) rather than commercial products, and does not rely on proprietary technology. Its core operating assets are community trust, multilingual organizing capacity, academic research partnerships, and policy wins accumulated over 30 years.

The organization's go-to-market is community-led: acquiring members through direct outreach, community events, and word-of-mouth, and influencing policy through coalitions such as the Chelsea Creek Action Group and the Green Justice Coalition. Technology plays a supporting role limited to digital communications, donor processing, and a Spanish-language website, with no proprietary platform or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

GreenRoots, Inc.

Legal name

GreenRoots, Inc.

Website

https://greenrootsej.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GreenRoots is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental justice organization founded in 1995 that uses community organizing, advocacy, and direct programming to advance environmental justice, public health, and quality of life for residents of Chelsea and East Boston, Massachusetts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Justice Community Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Climate Resilience & Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (BPAGABAK), Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL), Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL)

Keywords

• Environmental justice advocacy
• Community organizing services
• Climate resilience programs
• Food justice programs
• Waterfront revitalization

Headquarters

HQ city

Chelsea

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: GreenRoots relies on individual contributions from supporters. The organization uses Give Lively for online donations at secure.givelively.org/donate/greenroots-inc. Donations are a primary revenue stream enabling their environmental justice work.
2. Foundation Grants: GreenRoots receives grants from foundations including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation ($60,000 for Racial Justice in Health program) and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These grants support specific programs and initiatives.
3. Government Funding: GreenRoots has received federal and state funding for environmental projects including EPA grants and FEMA grants (though $50M flood barrier grant was canceled). They also receive funding through state programs like MVP grants ($5.7M for Chelsea).
4. Membership Fees: GreenRoots charges a modest membership fee for non-residents or those not attending enough events. Membership provides benefits including influence over organizational direction and access to gathering spaces.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

GreenRoots is a member-driven environmental justice nonprofit that organizes residents of Chelsea and East Boston, Massachusetts to advance public health, climate resilience, and quality of life through community campaigns and programs. The organization delivers direct services such as cooking classes, urban farming, and a farmers market, while also running advocacy and organizing campaigns on transit, energy, land, and waterfront access.

Product overview

GreenRoots, Inc. is a community-based environmental justice nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include Climate Justice & Resiliency, Waterfront Access & Revitalization, Food Justice (Teaching Kitchen, Urban Farm, Chelsea Farmers Market), Youth Leadership (Environmental Chelsea Organizers - ECO), Health Equity, Energy Democracy, Transit Justice, Green Space & Beautification, and Anti-Displacement through the Comunidades Enraizadas Community Land Trust. Supporting facilities include the Teaching Kitchen on Pearl Street, Urban Farm, community gardens, and the Cool Block initiative. Infrastructure projects include the solar-powered microgrid. These programs collectively engage and empower residents in Chelsea and East Boston to achieve environmental justice and improved public health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Teaching Kitchen
• Chelsea Farmers Market
• Urban Farm and Community Gardens
• Environmental Chelsea Organizers (ECO) Youth Leadership Program
• Urban Hydroponic Farm (Freight Farm)

Quantifiable outcome

• 112 Chelsea homes weatherized, resulting in monthly utility bill savings
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• City of BostonmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025GreenRoots awarded $200,000 through Boston's 2025 Community Clean Air Grant Program to expand community-informed air quality monitoring in East Boston, including deployment of new ultrafine particulate monitors.
• Boston University School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Partnership on Chelsea STAR (Science To Achieve Results) study funded by US EPA from 2010-2014. 15 bilingual staff trained to recruit and interview over 350 Chelsea residents. Findings on park use, neighborhood conditions, and health outcomes. Ongoing C-HEAT (Chelsea & East Boston Heat) study partnership since 2020 investigating health effects of extreme heat.
• Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvened Chelsea Creek Action Group (CCAG), a coalition of Chelsea, East Boston, and Revere residents implementing cross-Creek projects including Chelsea Creek Community Vision Plan, Chelsea Creek Comparative Risk Assessment, Chelsea River Revel 5K Race and Festival, and campaigns for waterfront parks.
• Chelsea Creek Action Group (CCAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition convened by GreenRoots and NOAH to holistically address Chelsea Creek waterfront from multiple communities. Coordinates Chelsea Creek Business Roundtable for improved communication between community and industrial neighbors.
• Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with GreenRoots on the No Ethanol Campaign to stop Global Oil's proposal to bring 100-150 ethanol trains annually through Chelsea Creek. Joint legal strategies resulted in state legislature moratorium.
• Community Labor UnitedmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenRoots is a member of Green Justice Coalition (GJC) coordinated by Community Labor United. Through this coordination, Chelsea was selected as one of five pilot communities for massive weatherization and energy efficiency work.
• Beth Israel Lahey HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch freight farm (urban hydroponic farm) in Chelsea to provide fresh, affordable produce year-round, addressing food insecurity and promoting community health.
• MassportminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOngoing engagement through Chelsea Creek Business Roundtable. Worked collaboratively on environmental improvements at facilities including New England Produce Center diesel emission reduction project.
• New England Produce CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuccessfully won federal and state funding matched by private dollars to implement diesel emission reduction projects. Replaced 113 high sulfur content diesel engines, retrofitted 19 trucks, resulting in annual reduction of 2,000 tons pollutants and 400,000 gallons fuel usage. Saved facility $500,000 annually.
• City of ChelseacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership on multiple initiatives including tree planting (2,000+ trees), urban farm, microgrid project, flood resilience planning, and park development. City provides support and collaboration for environmental justice initiatives.
• Massachusetts Department of Conservation and RecreationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Great Tree Planting Push, planting over 2,000 trees in Chelsea on private and public properties. ECO youth members developed outreach materials and conducted door-to-door outreach.
• Stoss Landscape UrbanismminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Cool Block experiment, which includes planting trees, painting rooftops white, and using lighter street surfaces. Designer of Boston's Urban Forest Plan collaborated on cooling solutions.
• Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on C-HEAT occupational heat study pilot project enrolling workers in hot environments to understand heat experience and identify cooling strategies.
• The TrusteesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Chelsea Farmers Market. The Trustees work with GreenRoots and the City of Chelsea to make the market possible.
• La ColaborativamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChelsea-based nonprofit partner. Both received $60,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation grants for Racial Justice in Health program. La Colaborativa empowers Latinx immigrants while GreenRoots focuses on environmental justice.
• Mass AudubonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMass Audubon is purchasing a long-abandoned 17-acre industrial site on Chelsea Creek to transform into conservation land, community space, and up to 225 units of affordable housing. GreenRoots supports this waterfront transformation project focused on climate resilience.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Mystic River Watershed Association: Watershed advocacy organization for the Mystic River, which Chelsea Creek feeds into. Awarded GreenRoots the Ripple Award (2022); comparable as a regional water-quality and habitat advocacy nonprofit with overlapping Chelsea/East Boston focus.
• Mass Audubon: Massachusetts' largest nature conservation nonprofit. Partner on the 17-acre Chelsea Creek conservation and affordable housing project; comparable as a regional environmental/conservation organization with overlapping geographic scope but a different programmatic focus on land conservation.

Regional players

• Save the Harbor/Save the Bay: Greater Boston harbor and bay advocacy nonprofit. Awarded GreenRoots the Founders Award; comparable as a waterfront access and water-quality advocacy nonprofit serving adjacent regional waters.
• Environmental League of Massachusetts: Statewide environmental policy advocacy organization that awarded GreenRoots an American Climate Leadership Award. Comparable as a Massachusetts environmental advocacy organization, but operates at the state legislative level rather than community organizing.

Direct peers

• La Colaborativa: Chelsea-based nonprofit empowering Latinx immigrants through health, education, and economic justice programs. Direct peer with overlapping Chelsea geography; both received $60K Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Racial Justice in Health grants and collaborate locally.
• Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH): East Boston/Chelsea affordable housing and community development nonprofit. Direct peer that co-convenes the Chelsea Creek Action Group with GreenRoots and works on overlapping housing, displacement, and waterfront access issues.
• Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE): Boston-area environmental justice nonprofit using community organizing and legal strategies to combat pollution in Roxbury, Dorchester, and greater Boston. Directly comparable to GreenRoots as a frontline-community organizing peer that partnered on the successful ethanol train moratorium campaign.
• Community Labor United: Massachusetts-based coalition coordinating the Green Justice Coalition (GJC), of which GreenRoots is a member. Coordinates cross-organizational environmental justice campaigns and selected Chelsea as one of five weatherization pilot communities.

Others

• The Trustees of Reservations: Massachusetts conservation and farmland nonprofit that collaborates with GreenRoots on the Chelsea Farmers Market. Comparable as a regional conservation/food access organization with overlapping Massachusetts geography but a different core focus on land stewardship.
• Boston University School of Public Health: Academic partner running the EPA-funded STAR and C-HEAT research studies with GreenRoots. Functions as an enabling research partner rather than a peer organization, but provides data capacity for GreenRoots' advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GreenRootsEJ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greenroots
• Instagraminstagram.com/greenrootsej
• Xx.com/GreenRootsEJ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 GreenRoots, Inc.