craighead institute

What craighead institute does

Craighead Institute is a Bozeman, Montana-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1964 by pioneering grizzly bear researcher Dr. Frank C. Craighead Jr. The organization conducts applied ecological research and conservation planning focused on wildlife, habitats, and human communities, with an explicit mission to maintain healthy populations of native plants and animals alongside human communities in sustainable, functioning ecosystems. Its program portfolio is anchored by large-scale conservation area design using GIS, focal species habitat suitability modeling, least-cost-path connectivity analysis, and LIDAR-based landscape mapping, with flagship research programs on grizzly bears, American pikas, and wolverines in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Rockies ecosystems.

The Institute generates outputs across multiple categories: research services delivered to government agencies (U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Montana Department of Transportation, British Columbia Government), wilderness study area reports, international conservation planning projects (including British Columbia, eastern Tibet, and Mongolia), the published book 'Conservation Planning: Shaping the Future' (ESRI Press, 2013), documentary films, and educational outreach including the Montana's Threatened and Endangered Species Mural Project and citizen science programs. Its revenue model is non-commercial, funded through tax-deductible donations (including the symbolic Adopt-a-Pika program at $50–$100), foundation grants from organizations such as the Maki Foundation, New-Land Foundation, Charlotte-Martin Foundation, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, and Cinnabar Foundation, government research contracts, corporate sponsorships (Patagonia, Esri, SciGaia, Alaska Biological Research), and modest merchandise sales through an online store.

Name

craighead institute

Legal name

Craighead Institute

Website

https://craigheadresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Craighead Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1964 that conducts applied ecological research and conservation planning using GIS, habitat modeling, and LIDAR, serving government agencies, conservation NGOs, and foundations in the Northern Rockies and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Research and Planning Services

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (BPAGAIAI)

Keywords

• Conservation planning services
• Wildlife corridor mapping
• Habitat suitability modeling
• Applied ecological research
• Endangered species conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bozeman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, processed through PayPal or check. Also accepts donations through Amazon Smile program.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sales of branded merchandise including books, DVDs, plush toys, and apparel through the online store
3. Grants and Contracts: Funding from foundations (Maki Foundation, New-Land Foundation, Charlotte-Martin Foundation) and government agencies for specific research projects

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Craighead Institute delivers applied ecological research and large-scale conservation planning services using GIS, LIDAR, habitat suitability modeling, and least-cost-path connectivity analysis to design wildlife corridors and protected area networks for government agencies and conservation partners. It also produces scientific publications (including a book published by ESRI Press), documentary films, and educational/outreach programs supported by donations and grants.

Product overview

The Craighead Institute is an applied conservation science research organization founded in 1964 by Dr. Frank Craighead. Rather than a unified commercial product, the Institute offers a portfolio of conservation research services, scientific publications, educational tools, and outreach programs. Core offerings include wildlife corridor mapping and connectivity analysis using GIS and conservation planning tools, long-term research programs on grizzly bears and American pikas, LIDAR-based landscape mapping, and international conservation planning projects. The Institute also produces educational resources including the book 'Conservation Planning: Shaping the Future' published by ESRI Press, documentary films, and provides community outreach through its mural project and pika adoption program. Revenue generation includes merchandise sales and donations rather than a traditional SaaS or product licensing model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conservation Planning Services
• Wildlife Corridor Mapping and Connectivity Analysis
• Grizzly Bear Research Program
• Pika Conservation and Climate Change Research
• Wilderness Study Area Reports
• Pacific Northwest Trail Impact Studies
• International Conservation Planning (Tibet)
• Documentary Film Production
• Adopt-a-Pika Program
• Craighead Institute Merchandise Store
• Conservation Planning: Shaping the Future (Book)

Quantifiable outcome

• Identified 47.5% of Interior Cedar-Hemlock Forest region in BC requiring protection for focal species persistence
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

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

• Yaak Valley Forest CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Completed a study of impacts of Pacific Northwest Trail route on grizzly bears in the Yaak Valley in Northwest Montana, with McCrory Wildlife Services, for the Yaak Valley Forest Council.
• Montana Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2016Completed a 2-year wildlife and context-sensitive design study with the Montana Department of Transportation and the Western Transportation Institute on US Highway 287 in the Madison Valley, Montana. Report completed December 2016.
• Future GenerationsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Lance Craighead involved in conservation planning project for the Four Great Rivers of eastern Tibet directed by Future Generations, the Tibetan Department of Science and Technology, and the David Suzuki Foundation.
• David Suzuki FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Collaboration on conservation planning for Four Great Rivers region in Tibet. David Suzuki Foundation provided expertise in modern approaches to conservation planning and invited Lance Craighead to assist with ecologically-based conservation area design.
• ESRIcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2006ESRI provided software and technical support for GIS lab setup in Tibet as part of the Four Great Rivers conservation planning project.
• Western Transportation InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on wildlife connectivity research and safe highway crossing studies for wildlife corridors.
• Valhalla Wilderness SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Interior Cedar-Hemlock Forest conservation planning in British Columbia. VWS has collaborated with First Nations in the area for conservation activities.
• Save the Cedars LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUsed Craighead Institute's core area and corridor maps to gain Old Growth Management Area status for conservation areas.
• Raincoast Conservation SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with the Raincoast Conservation Society of Canada to examine areas where potential impacts to marine birds may occur from wind farm developments along the British Columbia coast.
• Wildlands NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative work on wildlife corridors conservation and policy including support for Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act.
• Patagonia Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Craighead Institute supporting conservation work.
• Alaska Biological Research Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting the Institute's research efforts.
• EsriminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing GIS software and technology support.
• Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor foundation partner supporting regional-scale conservation planning projects in the Yellowstone to Yukon region.
• REI BozemanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported pika research programs including workshops and community outreach.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative: Major landscape-scale conservation initiative focused on connecting and protecting habitat from Yellowstone to Yukon; directly overlaps with Craighead Institute's wildlife corridor and connectivity work in the same Northern Rockies geography.
• Wildlands Network: Science-based nonprofit dedicated to reconnecting and rewilding North American landscapes; collaborates with Craighead Institute on wildlife corridor policy and shares the same focal-species and connectivity methodology.
• Conservation Science Partners: Conservation-focused applied science organization using spatial analysis, remote sensing, and GIS to support wildlife and habitat decisions; highly comparable in tooling and analytical approach to Craighead Institute's GIS-based planning work.
• Greater Yellowstone Coalition: Regional conservation organization focused on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem; comparable because it engages in scientific research and conservation planning in the same core geography as Craighead Institute.

Broad incumbents

• Defenders of Wildlife: National wildlife conservation nonprofit with emphasis on imperiled species including grizzly bears and wolves; comparable in mission and policy advocacy, though with a much broader geographic and programmatic footprint.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation organization that conducts ecological assessment, spatial planning, and habitat protection work; overlaps with Craighead Institute's science-based conservation planning and corridor mapping.
• National Wildlife Federation: Large U.S. conservation nonprofit engaging in habitat connectivity and policy advocacy; comparable mission space, but operates at a much larger national scale than Craighead Institute.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Global wildlife conservation organization running field conservation programs and applied science; comparable in applied ecology and species-focused conservation research.
• World Wildlife Fund (US): Global conservation organization with substantial science and species programs; comparable in applied wildlife science and corridor/landscape conservation focus, though at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation: Habitat conservation nonprofit focused on elk and other wildlife in the Northern Rockies; comparable in regional conservation mission and partnership-based conservation delivery, though with a narrower species focus.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/craighead-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 craighead institute