Great Lakes Commission
The Great Lakes Commission is a binational interstate compact agency, established in 1955, that convenes eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces to coordinate policy, science, and data programs protecting the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence basin. It delivers GIS-based data tools, federal advocacy, and multi-stakeholder collaboratives, funded by member dues and federal grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1955
- HeadquartersAnn Arbor, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Great Lakes Commission does
The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) is a binational interstate compact agency established in 1955 by the Great Lakes Basin Compact and granted U.S. Congressional consent on July 24, 1968. It is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is governed by government-appointed commissioners from eight U.S. states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) and two associate member Canadian provinces (Ontario and Québec, joined under the 2019 Declaration of Partnership). The GLC coordinates regional policy, convenes multi-stakeholder collaboratives, and delivers programs across six strategic goals: resilient basin, clean and safe water, sustainable water use, safe and reliable waterways, healthy aquatic ecosystems, and policy/communications.
The GLC's core technology stack centers on GIS infrastructure: it maintains the Great Lakes GIS Data Sharing portal (built on ArcGIS Online), the Great Lakes Investment Tracker (interactive mapping of federally-funded projects), the Blue Accounting Open Data Portal, the HABs Collaborative Research Mapper, and a Power BI-based Agriculture in the Great Lakes Dashboard. It also operates the Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database and administers multiple Google Groups listservs for community coordination. Communication products include Great Lakes Daily News, The Advisor quarterly newsletter, and the Great Lakes Calendar. Programmatic products are organized as standing collaboratives — Invasive Mussel Collaborative, HABs Collaborative, Phragmites Collaborative, European Frog-bit Collaborative, Great Lakes Dredging Team, GLASS (research vessels), and others — alongside policy products such as annual Federal Priorities and joint Shared Priorities statements.
The GLC does not operate a commercial business model. It is funded through member state and provincial contributions and federal grants and appropriations, primarily via the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and other environmental funding streams. With a professional staff of 24-30 supplemented by interns, fellows, and project team members, the agency operates as a non-commercial public-purpose organization, with no pricing model, no per-transaction fees, and no equity ownership. Its "customers" in the governance sense are its member jurisdictions, federal partners, Indigenous Nations, local communities, and the broader research and stakeholder ecosystem it convenes.
Great Lakes Commission firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Great Lakes Commission
- Legal name
- Great Lakes Commission
- Website
- https://glc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1955
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Great Lakes Commission is a binational interstate compact agency, established in 1955, that convenes eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces to coordinate policy, science, and data programs protecting the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence basin. It delivers GIS-based data tools, federal advocacy, and multi-stakeholder collaboratives, funded by member dues and federal grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Great Lakes Commission industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Intergovernmental Environmental Coordination
- NAICS
- Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Wetlands & Waters of the U.S. Delineation / Riparian Assessments (EUAHAHAC)
Keywords
Where Great Lakes Commission is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ann Arbor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Great Lakes Commission business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Member State/Province Contributions: The GLC is funded through contributions from its eight member states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin) and two associate member provinces (Ontario, Quebec). The organization was established by the Great Lakes Basin Compact in 1955.
- Federal Grants and Appropriations: The GLC receives federal funding through various programs including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and other environmental appropriations. They advocate for continued federal investment in Great Lakes programs.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Great Lakes Commission product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Great Lakes Commission is a binational interstate compact agency that coordinates policy, programs, and data on behalf of eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces to protect and restore the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin. It convenes government-appointed commissioners from each member jurisdiction, develops consensus-based policy positions (Federal Priorities, Policy Resolutions, Shared Priorities), operates GIS-based data sharing platforms and interactive mapping tools (Investment Tracker, HABs Research Mapper, Water Use Database), and runs regional collaboratives addressing invasive species, harmful algal blooms, dredging, water infrastructure, and maritime transportation.
Product overview
The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) is a binational government agency (established 1955) that does not offer a traditional commercial product but provides an extensive portfolio of collaborative programs, data tools, and policy services focused on protecting and restoring the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin. The GLC's offerings are organized around six strategic goals: Resilient Great Lakes Basin, Clean and Safe Water, Sustainable Water Use, Safe and Reliable Waterways, Healthy Aquatic Ecosystems, and Policy and Communications. Core data products include the Great Lakes Investment Tracker (interactive mapping of federal investments), the Great Lakes GIS Data Sharing portal with dozens of map layers (bathymetry, political boundaries, watershed data, etc.), the Blue Accounting Open Data Portal, the HABs Collaborative Research Mapper, the Agriculture in the Great Lakes Dashboard (Power BI), and the Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database. The GLC coordinates numerous collaboratives including the AIS Landing Blitz, Invasive Mussel Collaborative, Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative, European Frog-bit Collaborative, Great Lakes HABs Collaborative, Great Lakes Dredging Team, and Great Lakes Association of Science Ships (GLASS). Communication products include Great Lakes Daily News (email news digest), The Advisor (quarterly e-newsletter), and the Great Lakes Calendar. Policy products include annual Federal Priorities and Shared Priorities statements. The GLC also produces guidance documents like the Great Lakes Resiliency Action Plan, Water Infrastructure Blueprint, and State Revolving Fund fact sheets. The GLC maintains data partnerships with ArcGIS Online and Power BI for visualization, and administers Google Groups for community communication.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Great Lakes Investment Tracker: Interactive mapping application developed by the GLC to showcase federally-funded projects in Great Lakes states.
- Great Lakes Daily News
- The Advisor
- Great Lakes Announce
Products and services
- Great Lakes Investment Tracker An interactive mapping application developed by the GLC to showcase federally-funded projects in Great Lakes states, allowing users to explore regional investments.
- Great Lakes Daily News A curated digest of Great Lakes news headlines compiled, edited, and delivered via email three times per week by GLC staff.
- Great Lakes GIS Data Sharing A comprehensive library of GIS map layers, web maps, and spatial data tools for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region, including political boundaries, bathymetry, watershed boundaries, hydrology, fishery, and bird data.
- The Advisor (E-Newsletter) The GLC's quarterly e-newsletter delivering updates on projects, policy work, advocacy efforts, and Great Lakes news to subscribers.
- Great Lakes Calendar A regional events calendar featuring professional conferences and events relevant to Great Lakes research, science, policy, and education, managed by the GLC.
- HABs Collaborative Research Mapper An interactive web mapping tool for exploring harmful algal bloom (HAB) research data across the Great Lakes region.
- Blue Accounting Open Data Portal An open data portal and tracking system for measuring progress on Great Lakes resource management and restoration goals.
- Agriculture in the Great Lakes Dashboard A Power BI-based interactive dashboard providing data on agriculture, climate, and water use in the Great Lakes basin.
- Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database A database tracking water withdrawals, consumptive use, and water use patterns across the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin, published annually.
- Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz An annual coordinated outreach event engaging boaters at public and private boat landings to educate on aquatic invasive species prevention through clean, drain, and dry practices.
- GLC Federal Priorities The annual federal advocacy agenda presented to Congress outlining funding and policy priorities for Great Lakes restoration and protection.
- Great Lakes Shared Priorities Joint priorities statement endorsed by a binational coalition of regional agencies, Indigenous Nations, legislators, and stakeholder groups for Great Lakes restoration.
- GLC Policy Resolutions Formal policy positions adopted by the GLC's member states addressing issues such as invasive species, infrastructure, climate, and water quality.
- Great Lakes HABs Collaborative A collaborative effort focused on addressing harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Great Lakes, including research coordination and data sharing.
- Great Lakes Association of Science Ships (GLASS) A consortium facilitating coordination among research vessels operating in the Great Lakes for scientific research, monitoring, and education.
- Great Lakes Dredging Team A collaborative body addressing dredging needs and sediment management in Great Lakes harbors and waterways, co-facilitated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- Invasive Mussel Collaborative A collaborative focused on management and control strategies for invasive dreissenid mussels (zebra and quagga) in the Great Lakes.
- Great Lakes Water Infrastructure Implementation Tactics An interactive web mapping application showing regional blueprint success stories and water infrastructure implementation data.
- Sediment Management to Support Restoration and Resilience (SMSRR) A three-year GLC project initiative exploring the management of sediment in the Great Lakes and its role in restoration, coastal resilience, and maritime transportation.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1.5 million jobs and $62 billion in wages annually supported by the Great Lakes
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Great Lakes Commission
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Great Lakes Commission technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature4 records
Great Lakes Commission partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Great Lakes Fishery CommissioncoreBinational partner agency in the Great Lakes coalition. Endorses annual shared priorities for the Great Lakes and collaborates on restoration efforts.
- Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes CoalitioncoreEnvironmental coalition partner in the joint priorities statement. Represents conservation groups advocating for Great Lakes protection.
- Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities InitiativecoreCoalition partner representing municipal interests in the Great Lakes region. Co-signs annual shared priorities.
- Chippewa Ottawa Resource AuthoritycoreIndigenous partner in the binational coalition. Represents tribal resource management interests in Great Lakes governance.
- Great Lakes Metro Chambers CoalitioncoreBusiness coalition partner representing metropolitan chamber interests across the Great Lakes region.
- American Great Lakes Ports AssociationcoreMaritime industry partner representing Great Lakes port interests. Supports navigation and waterway initiatives.
- Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative CaucuscoreLegislative coalition representing state and provincial legislators from the Great Lakes region.
- Great Lakes Business NetworkcoreBusiness network representing business interests in Great Lakes restoration and economic development.
- Lake Carriers' AssociationcoreMaritime shipping industry partner representing Great Lakes vessel operators.
- Great Lakes Dredging TeamcoreCollaborative focused on navigation dredging issues. Co-facilitated with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- Great Lakes HABs CollaborativecoreRegional collaborative addressing harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes.
- Invasive Mussel CollaborativecoreCollaborative working on invasive dreissenid mussel management and control in the Great Lakes.
- Great Lakes Phragmites CollaborativecoreCollaborative focused on invasive Phragmites management across the Great Lakes region.
- European Frog-bit CollaborativecoreCollaborative addressing invasive European frog-bit in the Great Lakes basin.
- Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Invasive SpeciescoreRegional forum for aquatic invasive species coordination and policy development.
- Northeast-Midwest InstitutecorePartner organization that co-hosts Great Lakes Day events with GLC in Washington D.C.
- U.S. Army Corps of EngineerscoreFederal agency partner for Great Lakes navigation, dredging, and water resource management. Co-facilitates Great Lakes Dredging Team.
- NOAAcoreFederal partner for habitat restoration in Great Lakes Areas of Concern and coastal areas.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Great Lakes Commission competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chesapeake Bay Program: Regional partnership coordinating restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed across six states, D.C., and federal partners. Functionally comparable to GLC as a multi-jurisdictional basin coordination body with similar restoration, data, and policy mandates.
- Great Lakes Fishery Commission: Binational commission established by the U.S./Canada Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries. A direct peer operating in the same geography with parallel binational compact authority over a different facet of Great Lakes management (fisheries vs. broader water resources).
- Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO): An interstate compact agency, like GLC, established to coordinate water quality and pollution control across multiple U.S. states sharing a major river basin. Directly comparable as a compact-based, member-state-funded coordination body focused on water resource governance.
- Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC): Interstate compact agency managing water resources for the Susquehanna River Basin. Directly comparable in structure, governance (federal/state), and water resource coordination function to GLC's binational model.
- Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC): Federal-interstate compact governing the Delaware River Basin across four states. Comparable to GLC as a multi-state water governance body with regulatory authority, member-state dues, and federal representation — operating under a similar compact framework.
Broad incumbents
- Environmental Council of the States (ECOS): National nonprofit association of U.S. state environmental agency leaders. Comparable as a convener of state environmental commissioners, with overlapping membership of GLC's commissioners but a broader national rather than basin-specific scope.
- Interstate Commission for Juveniles: Interstate compact commission illustrating the broader model of state-created compact agencies. Less comparable in mission but represents the same compact governance architecture GLC operates under.
Emerging players
- Northeast-Midwest Institute: Washington D.C.-based nonprofit focused on economic vitality, environmental quality, and regional collaboration in the Northeast and Midwest. A direct GLC partner that co-hosts Great Lakes Day and shares overlapping Great Lakes federal policy advocacy.
- Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative: Binational coalition of mayors and municipal leaders from Great Lakes and St. Lawrence cities. Comparable as a regional advocacy body in the same geography with overlapping policy priorities (water quality, infrastructure, invasive species), though focused on municipal rather than state/provincial interests.
- Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition: Coalition of environmental, conservation, and outdoor recreation organizations advocating for Great Lakes restoration funding. A core GLC partner with directly overlapping federal advocacy priorities (GLRI funding) and shared binational coalition participation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Great Lakes Commission social profiles
Digital presenceGreat Lakes Commission financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Great Lakes Commission leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Great Lakes Commission funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Great Lakes Commission M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Great Lakes Commission
What does Great Lakes Commission do?
The Great Lakes Commission is a binational interstate compact agency that coordinates policy, programs, and data on behalf of eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces to protect and restore the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin. It convenes government-appointed commissioners from each member jurisdiction, develops consensus-based policy positions (Federal Priorities, Policy Resolutions, Shared Priorities), operates GIS-based data sharing platforms and interactive mapping tools (Investment Tracker, HABs Research Mapper, Water Use Database), and runs regional collaboratives addressing invasive species, harmful algal blooms, dredging, water infrastructure, and maritime transportation.
Is Great Lakes Commission a public or private company?
Great Lakes Commission is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Great Lakes Commission founded?
Great Lakes Commission was founded in 1955. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Great Lakes Commission based?
Great Lakes Commission is headquartered in Ann Arbor, United States, in the North America region.
How does Great Lakes Commission make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Member State/Province Contributions are the primary driver. The others are federal Grants and Appropriations.
Who are Great Lakes Commission's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chesapeake Bay Program, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) and Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC). Broad incumbents are Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) and Interstate Commission for Juveniles. Emerging players are Northeast-Midwest Institute, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition.
Does Great Lakes Commission have an API?
No public API is recorded for Great Lakes Commission.
What industry is Great Lakes Commission in?
Great Lakes Commission's product category is Intergovernmental Environmental Coordination. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAK, Water Resources & Watershed Protection, with a secondary code of BPAIAMAE, Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater). Its NAICS code is 9241 and its SIC code is 8600.