What Save The Bay does

Save The Bay is an independent, member-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1970 in Providence, Rhode Island, with the mission to protect and improve Narragansett Bay and the vision of a fully swimmable, fishable, and healthy Bay accessible to all. Headquartered at the Save The Bay Center in Providence (opened 2005 on a former city landfill) and operating additional sites in Newport (Hamilton Family Aquarium) and Westerly (South Coast Office), the organization executes a three-pillar model: advocacy before the state legislature and regulatory agencies (DEM, CRMC), marine science education delivered through shipboard, coastal, classroom, and Bay Center programs, and habitat restoration and adaptation focused on eelgrass beds, salt marshes, and river/stream continuity.

The programmatic platform is anchored by three biodiesel-fueled education vessels — the 46-foot M/V Elizabeth Morris, the 45-foot M/V Alletta Morris, and the 27-foot M/V Swift — which deliver fee-based cruises ($300-$1,000 per program for groups of up to 30 students) aligned to Rhode Island Grade Span Expectations and Next Generation Science Standards, complemented by the public Hamilton Family Aquarium, Summer BayCamps at five Rhode Island locations, lighthouse and seal-watching tours, and the Water Reporter citizen-science network. Save The Bay also leads Rhode Island's International Coastal Cleanup, conducts an annual Bay-wide seal count, and operates year-round advocacy campaigns, including support for CRMC reform legislation (HB 5706) and litigation such as the Quidnessett Country Club unauthorized rock wall case.

The organization is funded primarily through individual memberships, donations, and event-based fundraising (Save The Bay Swim, Taste of The Bay, Annual Meeting and Environmental Awards), supplemented by fee-based education programs, corporate sponsorships, and occasional foundation grants (e.g., The Champlin Foundation). It holds a Charity Navigator four-star rating and a GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency, employs 11-50 staff, and mobilizes more than 4,000 volunteers annually across cleanups, habitat restoration, citizen science, and advocacy, operating as a stand-alone nonprofit with no parent company or subsidiaries.

Name

Save The Bay

Legal name

Save The Bay, Inc.

Website

https://savebay.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Save The Bay is an independent, member-supported nonprofit founded in 1970 that protects Narragansett Bay through advocacy, marine science education, and habitat restoration, serving Rhode Island schools, families, and visitors across the watershed.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Environmental advocacy nonprofit
• Marine science education
• Habitat restoration services
• Citizen science programs
• Watershed conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership and Donations: Save The Bay is an independent, member-supported nonprofit organization. The resources to do their work and standing to take certain legal actions depend on the strength of their membership. Individual donations and memberships form the primary financial base.
2. Education Program Fees: Fee-based educational programs for schools and groups including half-day marine science cruises ($750), full-day cruises ($1,000), and M/V Swift programs ($300). Programs designed to align with Rhode Island Grade Span Expectations for science and Next Generation Science Standards.
3. Sponsorships and Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsors and partners support the organization as a member-supported nonprofit. Corporate partnerships are sought for events and general organizational support.
4. Endowment Gifts: Donor gifts can be designated for immediate use or placed into an endowment fund for investment and future use. Endowment gifts provide valuable funds that support important work in the future.
5. Event Fundraising: Annual events including the Save The Bay Swim, Taste of The Bay, and other fundraising events generate revenue while building community engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Save The Bay is an independent nonprofit that protects and improves Narragansett Bay through three integrated programs: (1) environmental advocacy at the Rhode Island state legislature and regulatory agencies, (2) marine science education delivered to schools, families, and the public via shipboard cruises, coastal and classroom programs, an aquarium, and summer BayCamps, and (3) habitat restoration and adaptation work on eelgrass, salt marshes, and river/stream continuity. It funds this work primarily through memberships, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, fee-based education programs, event fundraising, and endowment gifts.

Product overview

Save The Bay operates as a multi-faceted environmental nonprofit organization offering educational programs, public facilities, citizen science initiatives, and advocacy work focused on protecting Narragansett Bay. The organization provides marine education through various delivery channels: shipboard programs aboard three education vessels (M/V Elizabeth Morris, M/V Alletta Morris, M/V Swift), at its Hamilton Family Aquarium in Newport, and through Bay Center programs in Providence. Youth programming includes Summer BayCamps (K-12) at five locations, while school programs encompass shipboard, coastal, and classroom offerings. The organization runs signature events including the annual Save The Bay Swim and Taste of The Bay fundraiser. Citizen engagement is facilitated through volunteer cleanup initiatives, the Water Reporter citizen science program, and advocacy efforts. Educational resources include the Homework Helper online tool and Teacher Portal with lesson plans. Save The Bay also partners with external mobile applications (Clean Swell, TrashBlitz, MyCoast) for data collection by volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hamilton Family Aquarium: Save The Bay's Hamilton Family Aquarium located in Newport, RI, where visitors can come face-to-face with animals and species that live beneath Bay waters.

Products and services

• Hamilton Family Aquarium

Quantifiable outcome

• 117,396 pieces of trash collected during 2025 International Coastal Cleanup season
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• Waterkeeper AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSave The Bay and its Baykeeper, Coastkeeper, and Riverkeeper programs are members of the Waterkeeper Alliance - a group of 300+ organizations committed to clean, fishable, swimmable waters. Established in 2000, it is the largest and fastest-growing nonprofit solely focused on clean water, connecting local Waterkeeper groups worldwide.
• Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NBNERR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NBNERR is located on Prudence Island. Save The Bay's full-day marine science cruises include exploration of Prudence Island and its pristine shorelines, salt marshes, and coastal creatures as part of the educational experience.
• Ocean ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSave The Bay leads International Coastal Cleanup efforts in Rhode Island as part of this global initiative uniting more than 1 million volunteers annually to collect litter from shorelines worldwide. Cleanup data contributes to Ocean Conservancy's annual data release and global marine debris research.
• Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM manages shellfishing to protect public health in Rhode Island waters. Save The Bay works with DEM on water quality issues, regulatory advocacy, and environmental policy at the state level.
• Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRhode Island's coastal regulatory agency. Save The Bay advocates for strong coastal management, has submitted testimony on CRMC nominations, and has called for reform of the politically-appointed Council through legislative efforts.
• Friends of the BlackstoneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1990, focused on Blackstone River watershed restoration. 2023 Alison J. Walsh Award winner. Save The Bay recognizes this partner organization's decades-long commitment to restoring the Blackstone.
• Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner2018 Environmental Achievement Award winner. Supports fishing communities, fosters sportsmanship, promotes best practices, hosts youth fishing days, and champions citizen access to the Bay.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: The closest direct peer: an independent nonprofit founded in 1967 to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay through education, advocacy, and restoration — the exact same three-pillar model Save The Bay uses for Narragansett Bay. Notably holds the registered 'Save The Bay' trademark referenced in Save The Bay's licensing arrangement.
• Waterkeeper Alliance: An existing partner of Save The Bay; the global umbrella network of 300+ Waterkeeper organizations pursuing the same 'swimmable, fishable, drinkable' water goals. Highly comparable mission, advocacy approach, and citizen-science infrastructure.
• Ocean Conservancy: Save The Bay leads the International Coastal Cleanup in Rhode Island on Ocean Conservancy's behalf. Operates the Clean Swell app used by Save The Bay volunteers; comparable marine conservation, policy advocacy, and citizen-science model.
• Audubon Society of Rhode Island: Regional Audubon chapter running sanctuaries, education programs, and conservation advocacy in Rhode Island. Comparable nonprofit model (membership + education + habitat) focused on the same Rhode Island audience and overlapping with bird/habitat priorities at Narragansett Bay.
• Groundwork Rhode Island: Recipient of Save The Bay's 2026 Environmental Achievement Award; operates in the same Narragansett Bay watershed with overlapping environmental justice, habitat restoration, and community-engagement mission.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (Rhode Island / Massachusetts chapters): Larger global conservation nonprofit with active RI/MA presence. Overlaps with Save The Bay on habitat protection, climate adaptation, and policy advocacy in the same Narragansett Bay watershed, but at much broader geographic scale and with deeper endowment.
• Surfrider Foundation: National nonprofit focused on beach water quality, plastic pollution, and coastal protection — direct overlap with Save The Bay's Coastal Cleanup, water quality monitoring (Water Reporter), and plastic-pollution advocacy. Differs in being volunteer-chapter driven rather than regionally staffed.

Regional players

• Boston Harbor Now: New England peer operating in an adjacent estuary (Boston Harbor) with a similar nonprofit model — waterfront education, advocacy, and public access. Useful comp for understanding audience development, programming, and public-funding dynamics in a comparable New England urban-waterfront context.
• Hudson Riverkeeper: A Waterkeeper Alliance member operating on a different East Coast estuary. Directly comparable Baykeeper/Riverkeeper program structure, citizen-science reporting, and advocacy role in a state-level water-quality regulatory environment.
• Save the Sound: Connecticut-based nonprofit focused on Long Island Sound, with an analogous 'protect the Sound' mission, school shipboard education programs, advocacy, and citizen-science volunteer network — the closest geographic non-RI peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/savethebayri
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/save-the-bay-rhode-island
• Instagraminstagram.com/savebay
• Facebookfacebook.com/savebaynarragansett

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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 Save The Bay