Sustainable Conservation

Background

Sustainable Conservation was founded in 1993 by individuals from the business sector. The founders sought to involve private companies in addressing California’s environmental challenges through collaboration rather than confrontation. The organization has focused on building coalitions among businesses, agricultural firms, governments, and environmental groups. Key early milestones include promoting methane digesters to the dairy industry in 2000 and leading a partnership that resulted in a 2010 law phasing out copper in brake pads. ^{3  4  5}

Programs and Activities

Sustainable Conservation engages in collaborative projects across California to address water sustainability, soil health, habitat restoration, and related environmental concerns. It works with stakeholders to implement solutions for groundwater management and ecosystem protection. ^{1  6}

The group’s main programs are Accelerating Restoration, which develops tools to expedite permitting for ecological restoration projects in waterways while adhering to environmental rules; Solutions in our Soil, which promotes cover cropping, compost application, and conservation tillage to enhance soil health and water infiltration; Waste Not, which advances dairy manure nutrient reuse through subsurface drip irrigation to cut groundwater pollution and emissions; Water for the Future, which focuses on groundwater recharge, watershed modeling, and partnerships to develop Central Valley water resilience; and the California Leopold Conservation Award, an annual recognition for private landowners’ conservation efforts on agricultural properties. ^{7  8  9  10  11} The group also conducts policy work, technical support, and outreach, including webinars and field events. ¹²

Financials

In fiscal year 2024, Sustainable Conservation reported total revenues of $8,847,774 and expenses of $6,293,737, resulting in a net income of $2,554,037 and net assets of $8,791,661 at year-end. Contributions accounted for $7,162,473 (81.0 percent of total revenue), including government grants of $170,158; program service revenue for $1,343,748 (15.2 percent); and investment income for $335,784 (3.8 percent). Executive compensation totaled $630,156 (10 percent of expenses), while other salaries and wages were $3,025,501 (48.1 percent). Total assets stood at $9,924,441 with liabilities of $1,132,780. No government grants appear itemized in the revenue breakdown.  ²

In 2024, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a large left-of-center grantmaking foundation, reported a $558,500 grant to Sustainable Conservation. ¹³

In 2023, the Laural Foundation, a private foundation, reported two grants of $500,000 and $100,000 to Sustainable Conservation. ¹⁴

People

Aysha Massell is program director of Water for the Future at Sustainable Conservation as of February 2026. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from University of California, Berkeley and a bachelor’s in liberal arts from St. John’s College. Prior to joining Sustainable Conservation in December 2020, she was the director of California Integrated Water Systems at American Rivers, where she worked with agencies, farmers, and partner NGOs on policies and projects addressing sustainable groundwater management, flood risk reduction, habitat enhancement, and water quality improvement. Earlier, she managed stormwater permits at University of California, Berkeley, implementing regulations and creek restoration projects. Her career focuses on water policy, restoration, and collaborations with environmental NGOs. ¹⁵