Seed Consulting Group

Seed has a two-part mission. First, we serve to amplify the impact of environmental nonprofits that are at the forefront of tackling our environmental challenges. Second, we aim to empower individuals to become more effective leaders for their communities and the environment.

Seed was started in 2014 by a group of young professionals from Orange County who were passionate about the environment but couldn't find meaningful ways to make an impact. They partnered with our first client, Sierra Club, on a campaign to drive awareness in affected communities about the links between fossil fuels and respiratory health problems as well as healthy renewable alternatives. Since then, Seed volunteers have donated over 80,000 hours to more than 200 consulting projects to environmental nonprofits in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, and the Bay Area, totaling nearly $16 million in services donated.

Seed also prioritizes the professional and leadership development of our volunteers through training and project experience. Ninety-five percent of volunteers report an increase in their technical, professional, and leadership skills. Volunteers leverage the skills, knowledge, and connections gained from Seed to become environmental stewards in their organizations and industries or begin new environmental-related careers and graduate programs.

Seed has served over 50 projects to Orange County clients such as Habitat for Humanity, Surfrider Foundation, The Ecology Center, Newport Bay Conservancy, CIELO, Wyland Foundation, OC Goes Solar, the City of Costa Mesa, and many more. Orange County is our flagship chapter, setting the highest standards for project quality and volunteer engagement. The Orange County chapter has consistently led our organization's development, and every Seed Executive Director has been from Orange County.

We have primarily been a volunteer-led organization, hiring our first part-time employee in August 2023. Our focus now is to hire full-time staff that can fully realize the mission and vision of our organization and meet the needs of countless nonprofits and volunteers focused on protecting our environment.

In the past year, we've recruited over 200 new volunteers and provided 34 projects for our nonprofit clients, which have set new annual records for us. We also hit a fundraising goal that enabled us to hire our first employee, transitioning us from an entirely volunteer-led organization. Lastly, we've undertaken several efforts internally to improve our client services, provide greater professional development opportunities, and prepare our organization for the transition to paid staff.

Looking forward to the next year, our goal is to raise $300,000 and hire at least two full-time staff to run operations that currently rely on volunteers. We are also expanding our low-bono work with a goal to become financially self-sustaining within the next three years. Lastly, we are working to open three new chapters, with a long-term goal of having 30 chapters by 2030.

We owe our success to the tireless efforts of many volunteers throughout our organization's history. However, to reach our potential as an organization and to meet the demand for our work, we cannot rely so heavily on volunteers. This represents our primary challenge to date. We have focused our efforts primarily on our clients, often at the expense of our organizational maturity and sustainability. Our primary need is to hire full-time staff that can more effectively run critical operations, build long-term relationships with clients and other stakeholders, and raise revenue to invest in our mission and organizational maturity. To achieve this, we are raising $300,000 to hire full-time staff and build out our low-bono portfolio of work, which will create enough earned revenue to become financially self-sustaining.

We also need additional Board members or Advisors who can help us meet our mission and transition to a more sustainable operating model. Individuals with experience in nonprofit management, fundraising or philanthropy, and/or business and consulting would be very helpful.

Lastly, we are always looking for good clients and volunteers, as well as mission-aligned corporate partners who can provide volunteers, expertise, and project sponsorship.

We serve communities throughout Orange County. Many of our clients and their beneficiaries are focused on marine and coastal protection and restoration, so many of them are located on the west side of Orange County. In addition, we also have chapters in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and the East Coast.

I have had the privilege of volunteering with Seed for over 5 years. In that time, I've had the opportunity to work with countless volunteers and organizations and am constantly inspired by the passion and spirit that they bring to their work. I've seen firsthand what our services mean to our clients and their ability to meet their missions. I've also seen the impact Seed has had on hundreds of volunteers, whether it helped them place into a top graduate program or transition into the job of their dreams. This is what has kept me and many others with Seed for all these years. The mission and model of Seed is truly special, and its potential is immense. If our work resonates with you, I would be honored to share more about the work we are doing, along with opportunities to help us achieve our vision.