Green Infrastructure Center Inc.

What Green Infrastructure Center Inc. does

Green Infrastructure Center Inc. (GIC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 and headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, with offices across four states and staff of more than 23 full-time and 15 part-time employees. The organization provides conservation mapping, green infrastructure planning, urban forest master plans, tree canopy assessments, and climate resiliency/sustainability plans for federal, state, and local government agencies, conservation organizations, land trusts, and civic groups. GIC's core technical capability centers on GIS-based spatial analysis, land cover classification, tree canopy mapping, ecosystem services modeling, and habitat modeling using sophisticated computer models for land planning. Its deliverables include city- and state-specific assessments (e.g., South Carolina Statewide Green Infrastructure Plan, Resilient Coastal Forests of Virginia, Norfolk Green Infrastructure Plan, Richmond Green Infrastructure Assessment) and proprietary tools such as the Trees to Offset H2O Stormwater Calculator, TSW Codes Ordinances Review Tool, and an Urban Forestry Program Self-Assessment Tool.

GIC monetizes primarily through government grants and contracts funded by USDA Forest Service, EPA, the Inflation Reduction Act, and state forestry agencies, supplemented by individual and corporate donations (tax-deductible under 501(c)(3) status) and publication sales via PayPal e-commerce and Island Press distribution. The organization maintains a sales-led go-to-market motion in which it is directly hired by government clients for consulting engagements, supported by a content marketing and training channel mix including free publications, webinars (offering ISA continuing education credits), workshops, and conference presentations. Publications such as the national guide Strategic Green Infrastructure Planning ($49 via Island Press) and the Georgia Urban Tree Standards Manual complement the consulting business.

Recent strategic activity is dominated by an Inflation Reduction Act-funded expansion to hire 12 additional staff and deliver urban canopy services to more than 100 cities and towns across Virginia, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi over a three-year horizon, executed through partnerships with state forestry commissions (Mississippi Forestry Commission's TREES MS program, Rhode Island DEM's Urban Forests for Rhode Island). The organization has also deepened its position in the Esri ecosystem by co-publishing a GIS methodology book and supporting national-scale wildlife corridor mapping. Administrative overhead runs approximately 30% of total budget, and the organization reports no parent company, subsidiaries, or external equity ownership.

Name

Green Infrastructure Center Inc.

Legal name

Green Infrastructure Center, Inc.

Website

https://gicinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Green Infrastructure Center Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses GIS-based mapping and spatial analysis to create green infrastructure plans, urban forest master plans, and tree canopy assessments for federal, state, and local government agencies across the U.S.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting and Conservation Planning Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure Planning, Capital Programs & Project Delivery Offices (PMOs) (BPAIALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL), Asset Management & Infrastructure Resilience Agencies (State of Good Repair, Climate Adaptation) (BPAIALAK), Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

Keywords

• Green infrastructure planning
• Urban forest consulting
• Tree canopy mapping
• Wildlife corridor planning
• Conservation GIS services

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlottesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary funding source from federal and state government grants and agency contracts. Projects funded by USDA Forest Service, EPA, Inflation Reduction Act, and state forestry agencies.
2. Donations and Gifts: Corporate gifts and individual donations support conservation mission. GIC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit with tax-deductible donations.
3. Publications Sales: Sale of planning guides, books, and reports. Some publications sold through e-commerce checkout (PayPal), others through Island Press distribution. Administrative overhead approximately 30% of total budget.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Green Infrastructure Center provides consulting services that map natural assets and develop green infrastructure plans for communities and governments, including green infrastructure natural landscape plans, urban forest master plans, tree canopy mapping, resiliency/sustainability plans, conservation development plans, and wildlife corridor plans. It also develops and distributes spreadsheet-based planning tools and a library of published guides and reports for local governments, conservation groups, and civic organizations.

Product overview

Green Infrastructure Center Inc. (GIC) is a nonprofit organization that provides consulting services, planning tools, and educational publications rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include: (1) Spreadsheet-based analytical tools including the Trees to Offset H2O (Stormwater Calculator) Tool, TSW Codes Ordinances Review Tool, and Urban Forestry Program Self-Assessment Tool; (2) City-specific Tree Canopy Plans and assessments for urban forestry management; (3) State Planning Guides for green infrastructure evaluation across multiple states; (4) Specialized publications including Strategic Green Infrastructure Planning (Island Press), Resilient Coastal Forests reports, and Storm Planning for the Urban Forest guide series; (5) Technical assistance programs including tree canopy mapping, policy review, and ecosystem services modeling. GIC also conducts workshops and webinars and publishes research reports on urban forestry, stormwater management, and landscape connectivity. The organization operates primarily through downloadable tools, PDFs, and direct consulting engagements rather than a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trees to Offset H2O (Stormwater Calculator Tool) A spreadsheet-based calculator tool that evaluates how much stormwater trees take up for different storm events. Requires classified land cover data to calculate inputs. Distributed as a free downloadable resource for communities and planners.
• TSW Codes Ordinances Review Tool A policy and practices audit tool for evaluating urban codes, policies, and practices to determine which practices make a city more impervious or pervious for stormwater management. Distributed as a free downloadable resource.
• Urban Forestry Program Self-Assessment Tool An interactive self-assessment tool that evaluates a community's urban forestry program based on tree care standards across six categories (Data and Tracking, Staffing, Tree Codes, Plans, Community Engagement, Funding), producing a five-tier ranking from 'roots' to 'tree'. Distributed as a free interactive resource.
• City Tree Canopy Plans and Assessments City-specific tree canopy assessments and strategic plans that map urban forest cover, analyze ecosystem benefits, evaluate policies, and develop strategies for tree retention and planting. Delivered as a consulting service to municipalities across multiple states.
• TREES MS Assistance Program Three-year comprehensive technical assistance program for urban forest planning and tree planting support to six Mississippi communities (Gulfport, Laurel, Natchez, Amory, Kosciusko, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians). Funded through Inflation Reduction Act via USDA Forest Service and delivered in partnership with the Mississippi Forestry Commission.
• Urban Forests for Rhode Island Technical Assistance Program Comprehensive technical assistance grants program for urban and community forests in Rhode Island municipalities, delivered in partnership with the Rhode Island DEM Division of Forest Environment.
• Strategic Green Infrastructure Planning (Book) National guide published by Island Press presenting a six-step process for creating and implementing green infrastructure plans at various scales from urban to rural landscapes. Available in paperback and ebook for $49.00.
• Green Infrastructure: Map and Plan the Natural World with GIS Book published by Esri Press explaining how to utilize the national green infrastructure model built using GIC's methodology through Esri's platform.
• South Carolina Statewide Green Infrastructure Plan Statewide green infrastructure strategic plan created for the South Carolina Forest Commission, including a statewide map of large habitat cores and connecting corridors covering all 10 planning regions to conserve highest-value landscapes for wildlife and people.
• Resilient Coastal Forests of Virginia Study Joint study with the Virginia Department of Forestry mapping coastal forests and evaluating threats and benefits across six coastal counties, six towns, and two cities in Virginia.
• Richmond Green Infrastructure Assessment Assessment for the City of Richmond identifying vacant parcels that could add value to the city's open space portfolio through a green infrastructure network for habitat, recreational access, and water quality improvement.
• Green Infrastructure Plan for Norfolk Strategic plan mapping and evaluating Norfolk's green infrastructure and creating strategies for resilience against climate change, sea level rise, and extreme weather events.
• Georgia Urban Tree Standards Manual Manual completed for the Georgia Forestry Commission to be adopted by towns and cities in Georgia to guide tree planting and protection standards in their municipalities.
• A Guide to Urban Forest Plans Guide written to assist local governments and tree advocacy groups in understanding what to request and what should be expected when undertaking a planning process for their urban forest.
• Storm Planning for the Urban Forest Guide Series Three-module guide series covering Tree Risk Assessment, Standing Contracts, and Debris Management Sites to help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters affecting urban forests.
• Technical Training, Workshops and Webinars Educational workshops and webinars on topics including urban forest management, storm preparedness, and green infrastructure planning, with ISA continuing education credits offered. Hands-on workshops are delivered to communities and local governments.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 100 green infrastructure projects and plans completed in two decades
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Mississippi Forestry CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Partnership for Trees for Restoration, Ecology, Economy, and Society in Mississippi (TREES MS) Assistance Program. Funded from Inflation Reduction Act through USDA Forest Service. Provides three years of comprehensive technical assistance in six Mississippi communities (Gulfport, Laurel, Natchez, Amory, Kosciusko, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians).
• Rhode Island DEM Division of Forest EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Partnership for Urban Forests for Rhode Island Technical Assistance Program. GIC and Rhode Island DEM provide comprehensive technical assistance grants for urban and community forests in Rhode Island municipalities.
• South Carolina Forest CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Statewide Green Infrastructure Plan partnership. GIC created statewide habitat model and maps for all 10 planning regions to conserve highest value landscapes for wildlife and people.
• Virginia Department of ForestrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Joint study on benefits and threats facing Virginia's coastal forests - 'Resilient Coastal Forests of Virginia'. Study area includes six coastal counties, six towns and two cities.
• USDA Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple partnerships for funding and project support. Funded Southern Region work on coastal forests, National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council participation.
• EsriflagshipTechnology or IntegrationGIC helped Esri map green infrastructure wildlife corridors for the entire United States using GIC's methodology. Published book 'Green Infrastructure: Map and Plan the Natural World with GIS' with Esri Press.
• Community GreeningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit grassroots tree planting organization that funded tree canopy assessments for 'Glades' cities in Florida (Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay).
• Arlington Consortium for Tree Sustainability (ACTS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitizen consortium that hired GIC to analyze Arlington County's tree canopy cover in Fall 2022.
• State Forestry Agencies (6 states)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama forestry agencies for Trees to Offset Stormwater project studying how urban trees mitigate stormwater runoff in 12 communities.
• U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Green Infrastructure Collaborative convened by EPA and White House Council on Environmental Quality. Previously funded New York Planning Guide through Healthy Watersheds Initiative.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• HDR Inc. Large global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with a dedicated green infrastructure and resilience practice serving municipal clients. Comparable in municipal-facing green infrastructure consulting, but at vastly larger scale and as part of a broader portfolio.
• The Nature Conservancy: Largest global conservation nonprofit with significant state-level green infrastructure and resilience planning capabilities. Comparable mission and state agency relationships, but operates at vastly larger scale and broader scope than GIC.

Direct peers

• PlanIT Geo: Technology company offering cloud-based urban forestry and green infrastructure software (Tree Plotter, Canopy); competes for the same municipal tree canopy assessment RFPs as GIC. Comparable as a tech-enabled urban forestry analytics provider.
• American Forests: National nonprofit focused on urban forestry and forest restoration; develops tree equity scoring and urban canopy tools. Most direct comparable to GIC in mission, nonprofit structure, and government-facing green infrastructure work.
• Earth Economics: Nonprofit research and consulting firm specializing in ecosystem services valuation and green infrastructure economics for municipalities. Comparable in providing GIS-based analysis and policy guidance to public sector clients.
• Davey Resource Group: Commercial urban forestry and natural resource consulting arm of The Davey Tree Expert Company; performs tree canopy assessments and urban forest management for municipalities. Comparable in delivering GIS-based urban forestry consulting to local governments.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit working on land conservation and park creation with significant green infrastructure and urban tree canopy programs (e.g., Climate Smart Cities). Comparable in government-facing conservation planning services and federal/state partnerships.
• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit that combines conservation planning with environmental services, including green infrastructure work for states and municipalities. Comparable in nonprofit structure, federal partnerships, and conservation planning services.
• Biohabitats: Ecological restoration and green infrastructure consulting firm with similar services in habitat connectivity, stormwater, and conservation planning. Comparable as a peer consulting firm competing for municipal and state green infrastructure contracts.

Others

• ICLEI USA: Network of local and regional governments committed to sustainability; provides climate planning frameworks and tools to municipalities. Adjacent enabler that channels demand toward organizations like GIC for implementation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL55c7Rv8NZMi7ahSWeJ3Mm8EkkD4ctrO_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/green-infrastructure-center-inc.

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 Green Infrastructure Center Inc.