Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology for the Environment

What Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology for the Environment does

CREATE! is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008 and headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, with field operations coordinated from Kaolack, Senegal. The organization implements climate-adaptive community development programs across four integrated sectors: water (well rehabilitation with solar-powered pumps and drip irrigation), cooperative community gardens (sustainable crop cultivation), renewable energy (clay-sand improved cookstoves reducing fuelwood by 60-70%, tree planting), and income generation (Voluntary Savings and Lending Associations and poultry production). Its primary beneficiaries are rural Senegalese women and their communities, served through a five-year graduation model where communities donate land, contribute capital and labor, and ultimately achieve self-sufficiency; eight communities have graduated to date.

Name

Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology for the Environment

Legal name

Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology for the Environment

Website

https://createaction.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CREATE! is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that partners with rural Senegalese communities to deliver integrated water, agriculture, renewable energy, and income-generation programs, using a graduation model aimed at long-term self-sufficiency.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA)

Keywords

• Rural development programs
• Water access projects
• Renewable energy solutions
• Sustainable agriculture training
• Microfinance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Eugene

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Over 50% of funds come from individual donors and private donations. Donors contribute at various levels from $10 grassroots support to $5,000 for major projects like solar-powered water pumps.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Addax & Oryx Foundation, Vibrant Village Foundation, Frankel Family Foundation, Susan A. and Donald P. Babson Charitable Foundation, and others for specific program support.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Support from corporate entities including LUSH Cosmetics Charity Pot (100% of Charity Pot proceeds), Acronis Cyber Foundation, SpawGlass Foundation, and CBT Nuggets NuggetLove (branding/communications).
4. Crowdfunding Platforms: Active on GlobalGiving with top-rated status, raising funds for specific projects like clean water access. Also uses Network for Good for donations.
5. Service Organizations: Funding from Rotary clubs including Bellevue Rotary Club, Rotary International, and Rotary Club Dakar Millénium for specific community projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

CREATE! is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that partners with rural Senegalese communities to deliver four integrated development programs: Water Projects (well rehabilitation with solar-powered pumps and drip irrigation), Cooperative Community Gardens (sustainable crop cultivation training), Renewable Energy & Appropriate Technology (improved cookstoves and tree planting), and Income Generation Programs (Voluntary Savings and Lending Associations and poultry production). Services are delivered through trained field technicians and a five-year graduation model that fosters community self-sufficiency.

Product overview

CREATE! is a nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) that does not offer a software product but rather implements community development programs in four core sectors: Water Projects (well rehabilitation, solar pumps, drip irrigation), Cooperative Community Gardens (sustainable agriculture training), Renewable Energy & Appropriate Technology (improved cookstoves, solar pumping, tree planting), and Income Generation Programs (VSLAs, poultry production). The organization works with rural communities in Senegal using a participatory approach and appropriate technologies to achieve self-sufficiency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Projects Water access projects including well rehabilitation, solar-powered pump installation, gravity-fed systems, and drip irrigation systems to provide clean, affordable water for rural communities in Senegal. Includes site assessment, well cleaning and wall rebuilding, installation of solar pumps into 5,000-liter elevated reservoirs, and gravity-fed or drip irrigation distribution.
• Cooperative Community Gardens Sustainable agriculture program establishing cooperative community gardens in partner Senegalese communities, providing training in year-round irrigated crop cultivation techniques and enabling cooperative groups to grow and sell produce in local markets.
• Renewable Energy & Appropriate Technology Renewable energy and appropriate technology solutions including construction of clay-sand improved cookstoves (reducing firewood consumption by 60-70%), solar-powered pumping systems, passive solar water heating, and tree-planting/nursery programs for reforestation.
• Income Generation Programs (VSLA) Microfinance and income generation activities including Voluntary Savings and Lending Associations (VSLAs) for group saving and lending, financial literacy training, and poultry production programs for women's cooperative groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,000 beneficiaries impacted (1,000 direct, 17,000 indirect)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GlobalGivingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational crowdfunding community connecting nonprofits, donors, and companies. CREATE! has top-rated status and raises funds for specific projects like clean water access for 1,500 people in Guinguineo District.
• Government of SenegalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREATE! partners with Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment, Department of Rural Development, and Department of Water and Forestry to conduct trainings in cookstove construction, tree planting, and sustainable agriculture.
• Global PDXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConnects Oregon-based global development community to magnify collective impact on UN Sustainable Development Goals. CREATE! supports seven SDGs through its programs.
• Mosaic Fair Trade CollectionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal fair-trade store in Eugene, Oregon. Loyal CREATE! partner hosting Annual Fair-Trade Fundraiser every year since 2015.
• CBT Nuggets NuggetLoveminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides branding and communications support to CREATE! through consulting services to help organizations with proven solutions grow and thrive.
• Entrepreneurs for KnowledgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree nonprofit service helping companies and individuals construct schools for underprivileged children worldwide. Alignment with CREATE!'s educational support initiatives.
• Future for FaratominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGambian NGO with whom CREATE! conducted its first improved cookstove training outside Senegal in January 2020, expanding the organization's geographic reach.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Solar Sister: Nonprofit enterprise empowering women in rural Africa with clean energy entrepreneurship. Overlaps with CREATE!'s women-led cooperative model and renewable energy focus, though focused on energy distribution rather than integrated programs.
• SolarAid: International nonprofit expanding access to solar energy and clean lighting in Africa. Closely comparable to CREATE!'s solar-powered water pumping and renewable energy deployment in rural communities, with a similar Africa focus.
• Heifer International: Global nonprofit focused on ending hunger and poverty through sustainable agriculture and livestock (including poultry). Direct overlap with CREATE!'s poultry production and community cooperative income-generation programs.
• One Acre Fund: Large nonprofit serving smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa with inputs, training, and market access. Comparable to CREATE!'s community garden / sustainable agriculture training model for rural farmers, though at far greater scale and across multiple countries.
• Self-Help International: NGO working on rural development, agriculture, and microfinance in West Africa (Ghana) and Central America. Comparable integrated rural livelihoods approach with strong community-ownership model.
• iDE (International Development Enterprises): International nonprofit that uses market-based approaches to lift rural incomes in developing countries. Closely comparable integrated model combining agriculture, water, and income generation in rural communities.

Broad incumbents

• BRAC: One of the largest international development NGOs, operating integrated programs (microfinance, agriculture, health, education) across multiple developing countries. Comparable integrated rural-livelihoods model, though at vastly larger scale.
• WaterAid: Large international NGO focused on water access and sanitation in developing countries, including West Africa. Overlaps with CREATE!'s well rehabilitation and solar-pump water access work but operates at much greater scale across multiple countries.

Regional players

• Engineers Without Borders: Volunteer-based organization engineering clean water, renewable energy, and sanitation solutions in developing communities. Comparable appropriate-technology approach to CREATE!'s solar pumps and well rehabilitation, though primarily US-volunteer driven.

Peers

• Green Empowerment: Nonprofit deploying renewable energy and clean water technologies in partnership with rural communities in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Notably, a former CREATE! communications coordinator now works here, indicating close organizational kinship. Highly comparable mission and integrated-technology approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CREATESenegal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@createcenterforrenewableen1854
• Facebookfacebook.com/CREATEActionOrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/create-center-for-renewable-energy-and-appropriate-technology-for-the-environment
• Instagraminstagram.com/CREATESenegal

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology for the Environment