Who We Are

We harness the collective power of business and outdoor communities to fund and advocate for the protection of North America’s wild places.

A planet where wild places, wildlife, and people thrive together.

We are catalysts. Providing a link between the conservation community and businesses, we enable and inspire our colleagues to work together to protect the wild places vital to their business.

We represent strength in numbers. We recognize that our greatest strength is our collective nature. Our members are competitors who come together around a common purpose.

We embody simplicity and effectiveness. We are laser-focused on providing resources to grassroots conservation projects. We strive to find the best conservation partners who will succeed given adequate support, and we measure that success in terms of measurable, on-the-ground protection for wild places.

We are responsible. As a group of outdoor and associated businesses, we have a responsibility to invest in protecting the places that are important to our colleagues and customers.

The Conservation Alliance was founded in 1989 by industry leaders Kelty, Patagonia, REI, and The North Face to increase outdoor industry support for conservation efforts. They believed that cooperation among businesses was the most effective way to make the biggest impact.

Today, 270 member companies from outdoor and related industries invest in our vision of protecting wild places and outdoor spaces through community-focused grantmaking.

Because of their generous support, we have contributed over $31.9 million to grassroots conservation groups, which has helped protect more than 82 million acres of wildlands, protected 4,570 miles of rivers, stopped or removed 38 dams, designated five marine reserves, and purchased 22 climbing areas.

In order to achieve our vision, we must actively work to create inclusive systems within our organizational culture, processes, and programs. We strive for a blend of humility, patience, and determination as we work to transform ourselves, shift our culture, build upon our 33-year organizational history, and connect with networks and communities who have not been part of our alliance in the past.

We commit to share ownership of our mission with our partners and communities, broaden access to decision-making power over funding and project priorities, and expand and diversify access to our financial resources and political clout. We know that our vision and path forward will evolve, and we pledge our transparency during mistakes and successes. We welcome the guidance and feedback of our members, grantees, supporters, and those we have yet to meet.

Justice
Hold ourselves accountable for using our power and privilege to address systems of bias and exclusion inhibiting our collective work.

Equity
Create the conditions necessary to expand access to our resources, opportunities, and the work we do.

Diversity
Actively recognize and value the ways in which different backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences contribute to our work and the conservation movement.

Inclusion
Create systems that invite a variety of voices and perspectives by engaging with openness and curiosity, actively removing barriers to participation or access, and seeking out those who might be missing from the conversation.

Read more about our organization’s commitment to this work in our JEDI Statement.

Learn more about the Confluence Program, which we developed in recognition of the fact that our network of partners includes few groups representing historically racially excluded people. 

TCA unites businesses from a wide range of industries and harnesses our collective voice to lead the charge for reliable, bipartisan efforts that advance conservation policies and public land protection. TCA’s Conservation Strategy brings focus to this work in order to maximize and measure our impact over time. This benefits our members and grantees aligning the impact of our corporate advocacy and providing clarity for current and potential grantees. The Conservation Strategy is updated on a two year cycle. Read the 2023/2024 Conservation Strategy here.

The consequences of climate change – extreme weather events including floods, drought, and wildfires – demand our attention and investment. TCA member companies recognize that North America’s wild places and outdoor spaces are both impacted by climate change and are also a critical part of the solution. For over 30 years, The Conservation Alliance has been a leader in land and water conservation which provides nature based solutions to climate change through the protection of key landscapes and ecosystems. We remain committed to addressing climate change and seeking creative business led solutions for this global problem.