About
The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit working at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forests. The organization describes its purpose as "creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities." Founded in 1987 and headquartered in New York, it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in the US under EIN 13-3377893 and is active in more than 60 countries around the world.
Mission
The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities. Its work aims to build a world where people and nature thrive in harmony.
What they do
- Operates the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, a certification program indicating that products were produced by farmers, foresters, and/or companies working together to create a world where people and nature thrive in harmony
- Provides sustainable agriculture training and certification to farming communities
- Runs landscape-level conservation projects
- Offers corporate advisory services, including supply chain risk assessment and sourcing risk management
- Runs ambassador and educational curriculum programs
History
The Rainforest Alliance was founded in 1987. Co-founder Daniel Katz raised the organization's first "Save the Rainforest" banner and has worked to advance its mission since the organization's inception. Nearly four decades later, its certification seal appears on products sourced from farms and forests around the world.
Scale and impact
The organization is active in more than 60 countries, working with farmers, forest communities, and companies across global supply chains for commodities and forest products.
Financials
According to the organization's IRS Form 990 data published by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, for the fiscal year ending December 2024 the Rainforest Alliance reported total revenue of $100,221,940 and total expenses of $107,211,617, with net assets of $55,658,569. Program services accounted for $70,828,806 (70.7 percent) of revenue and contributions for $27,502,088 (27.4 percent). The IRS issued the organization's tax exemption in July 1987, and donations are tax deductible.
Governance
The Rainforest Alliance's executive team is led by Chief Executive Officer Santiago Gowland, alongside Harper McConnell (Chief Impact and Growth Officer), Nicolas Mounard (Chief Commercial Officer), and Daryl Mintz (Chief Financial Officer).
