Circle of Blue

Name

Circle of Blue

Legal name

Circle of Blue

Website

https://circleofblue.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investigative Journalism (Environmental / Water News)

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Rolling News & Breaking News Channels (MPABAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM)

Keywords

• Water journalism
• Investigative reporting
• Environmental news
• Nonprofit media
• Water policy reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

Traverse City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tax-Deductible Donations: Individual donations form the primary revenue stream. The organization accepts one-time, monthly, and annual donations at various levels ($9, $15, $20, $30, $45, $100, $245, $500, $1,000 and custom amounts). All contributions are tax-deductible.
2. Foundation Grants: Circle of Blue receives funding from foundations including the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Joyce Foundation (for the Toxic Terrain project), and Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation (for Water, Texas series).
3. Underwriting/Sponsorships: The organization lists underwriters who financially support the newsroom operations. Ethical sponsorship guidelines govern these relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Circle of Blue is a nonprofit news organization that produces and distributes free, data-driven investigative journalism and multimedia content focused on global water crises. Its core offerings are email newsletters (WaterNews, The Stream, Federal Water Tap, Fresh), the Speaking of Water podcast, and a portfolio of in-depth investigative series organized by topic (Colorado River, Toxic Terrain, Choke Point, Zeropolis, Water Debt, Water & Wildfire) plus the Designing Water's Future initiative that combines journalism with AI-empowered systems mapping and convening.

Product overview

Circle of Blue is a nonprofit water news organization offering a portfolio of news products centered on global water crises. The core offerings consist of email-based news products including Circle of Blue WaterNews (weekly), The Stream (twice weekly global digest), Federal Water Tap (weekly U.S. policy digest), and Fresh (Great Lakes regional newsletter). Audio offerings include the Speaking of Water podcast. The portfolio also includes specialized investigative sub-brands organized by topic or region: The Colorado River coverage, Toxic Terrain (agricultural pollution), Choke Point (water-food-energy nexus, in collaboration with the Wilson Center), Zeropolis (urban water scarcity), Designing Water's Future (AI-enhanced situation room initiative), Water Debt (utility debt investigation), and Water & Wildfire (wildfire water impacts). Together these products deliver data-driven journalism and investigative reporting to policymakers, business leaders, and the public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Designing Water's Future: A public-private collaborative community and initiative created by Circle of Blue to develop the world's first crisis- and solutions-centered response system for fresh water, combining trusted journalism with data analytics, systems design, and convening.
• Choke Point
• Zeropolis: Big Cities, Little Water

Products and services

• Circle of Blue WaterNews Weekly email newsletter covering global water issues and crises.
• The Stream Twice-weekly email digest covering global water policy and crisis developments.
• Federal Water Tap Weekly email newsletter digesting trends in U.S. government water policy, delivered every Monday to subscribers.
• Fresh Email newsletter covering the biggest international, state, and local policy news stories facing the Great Lakes region.
• Speaking of Water Podcast featuring interviews with water experts, providing audio insights on water issues and solutions.
• The Colorado River Coverage In-depth investigative series covering the Colorado River water crisis, including reservoir levels, policy negotiations, and environmental impacts across seven U.S. states.
• Toxic Terrain Investigative series examining fertilizer and manure contamination in the U.S. Corn Belt and its effects on water quality and public health.
• Choke Point Collaboration with the Wilson Center exploring the conflict between water, food, and energy demands through regional case studies including China, India, South Africa, U.S., and Australia.
• Zeropolis: Big Cities, Little Water Series examining cities across the globe grappling with severe water shortages and 'Day Zero' countdown scenarios.
• Designing Water's Future Initiative creating a crisis- and solutions-centered 'situation room' for fresh water, combining frontline journalism with data analytics, systems design, and collaborative convening.
• Water Debt Investigative series examining the scale and impact of customer water debt burdens in large U.S. cities.
• Water & Wildfire Coverage of how wildfires damage watersheds and water supply systems, and post-fire water quality concerns.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coverage informing policy and billions of dollars of investment decisions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, supporting, major and regional.

• Dalberg CatalystcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign support partner for the Designing Water's Future initiative. Dalberg Catalyst co-creates and accelerates systems solutions to pressing global problems as a nonprofit systems change incubator born of Dalberg Group.
• APCO WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical and structural support partner for Designing Water's Future initiative, collaborating on situation room development and systems design.
• World Economic ForumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with World Economic Forum programs and initiatives including UpLink and Intelligence Maps. Designing Water's Future sessions held as Affiliate Sessions at WEF gatherings in Davos and New York. Joint development of Water Systems Map.
• Wilson CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Global Choke Point project exploring peril and promise of water-food-energy conflicts. Wilson Center provides policy expertise and research capabilities.
• ACTUALsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnical partner providing data analytics and systems design support for Designing Water's Future initiative.
• ArupsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEngineering and design firm providing technical and structural support for Designing Water's Future initiative.
• Villars InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on sustainability and systems change convenings. Villars Summit sessions held on water, climate, and environmental topics.
• Global Commons AlliancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating on knowledge management, content generation, and distribution for water awareness.
• Pacific InstitutesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater research organization collaborating on solutions-focused reporting and knowledge sharing for Designing Water's Future.
• Stimson CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy think tank collaborating on water security, conflict, and migration coverage and analysis.
• Stockholm International Water InstitutesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational water institute collaborating on water policy and solutions coverage as part of Designing Water's Future ecosystem.
• Brookings/Rockefeller 17 RoomssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative initiative on systems-level change working with Circle of Blue on water-focused convenings and policy engagement.
• Great Lakes News CollaborativeregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional collaboration with other newsrooms covering Great Lakes water issues and the blue economy.
• The New LedesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint production partnership on Toxic Terrain investigative series covering agricultural pollution and water contamination in the U.S. Corn Belt.
• Water DesksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating on water journalism and coverage in the Designing Water's Future ecosystem.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Direct peers

• Mongabay: Nonprofit environmental science and conservation news platform with global reporter networks. Comparable as a mission-driven environmental journalism outlet using donor and foundation funding to produce in-depth international reporting.
• ProPublica: U.S. nonprofit investigative journalism newsroom producing data-driven reporting for the public good. Highly comparable operating model and editorial ambitions, although its beat coverage is general rather than water-specific.
• Grist: Independent, donor-supported nonprofit media outlet covering climate, environment, and sustainability. Comparable as a digital-first environmental news nonprofit with a similar donation- and sponsorship-driven revenue model.
• The Revelator: Nonprofit environmental news and commentary platform produced by the Center for Biological Diversity. Comparable as a mission-driven digital news outlet covering environment, climate, and conservation through donor-supported journalism.
• Ensia: Independent nonprofit media outlet publishing solutions-focused environmental reporting. Comparable in editorial format, audience (policymakers, business, engaged public), and nonprofit funding approach.
• Undark Magazine: Nonprofit editorial publication covering science and its societal impacts, operated out of the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT. Comparable as a nonprofit, donor-supported digital journalism outlet with a specialized topical focus.
• Yale Environment 360: Yale School of the Environment's online magazine publishing reporting and analysis on global environmental issues. Comparable in producing long-form environmental journalism aimed at informed public and policy audiences.
• The Water Desk: Colorado State University-based initiative supporting water-focused journalism across the U.S. West. Directly comparable beat focus (water news) and overlapping funder ecosystem, and an existing collaboration partner of Circle of Blue.
• InsideClimate News: Nonprofit, Pulitzer-winning investigative newsroom covering climate and energy. Comparable in editorial depth, donor-supported funding model, and beat focus on the climate–energy–environment intersection.

Emerging players

• Pacific Institute: Independent global water research nonprofit producing influential reports on water sustainability, climate, and policy. Comparable as a water-domain thought leader; less a journalism outlet and more a research organization, but adjacent in serving the same policymakers and business audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/circleofblue
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/circleofblue
• Facebookfacebook.com/circleofblue
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/761107
• Instagraminstagram.com/circleofblue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Circle of Blue