Mendota Rowing Club

What Mendota Rowing Club does

Mendota Rowing Club, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community rowing organization established under bylaws adopted in April 1986 and headquartered at Bernard-Hoover Boathouse in James Madison Park, Madison, Wisconsin. It operates a single physical site with direct water access to Lake Mendota, where it delivers adult rowing instruction, sculling and sweep coaching, competitive racing, and year-round indoor training. The organization maintains a fleet of 20+ shells (singles through eights) under an annually-updated 10-year fleet plan (adopted October 2015) and coordinates lake traffic with the University of Wisconsin rowing team and the UW Lifesaving Station for water safety.

The club's product surface spans a structured progression from absolute-beginner Learn to Row classes (three summer sessions priced $350-$450, including Summer Novice membership through August 31) through Novice, Advanced, Recreational, Competitive, and Independent Sculling programs. Auxiliary services include Private Lessons, Winter Training (December-March, leveraging UW indoor tanks for $15/person sessions), Boat Rack Rentals ($300/year), Cross Training (yoga, circuits, ergometer work), and corporate Team Building. Membership tiers range from a $50 trial month to $1,400 family annual, with monthly ($175) and standalone Indoor Rowing ($250) and Winter Training ($250) options.

Revenue is generated through subscription membership dues, one-time class fees, equipment rentals, regatta pass-throughs, private-lesson fees, and tax-deductible donations channeled through named scholarship funds (Cauthern STEM to Stern, Bob Stork, Peggy A. Kent) and a sponsorship/boat-naming program. Go-to-market relies on community word-of-mouth, a free annual Learn to Row Day (June 6, 2026), self-serve registration on Boathouse Connect, and referral discounts with Catalyst Rowing Fitness and Harbor Athletic Club. All members must complete an annual swim test and acknowledge the US Rowing SafeSport / MAAPP 2.0 policy; standard memberships require 15 hours of annual volunteer service.

Name

Mendota Rowing Club

Legal name

Mendota Rowing Club, Inc.

Website

https://mendotarowingclub.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mendota Rowing Club is a Madison, Wisconsin-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) that provides adult rowing instruction, coached practices, competitive racing, and winter training on Lake Mendota using a 20+ shell fleet operated from a single boathouse.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Rowing Club Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)

Keywords

• Adult rowing instruction
• Learn to row classes
• Rowing club membership
• Competitive rowing programs
• Sculling training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: Annual memberships for adult, student, family, novice, and independent sculler members. Membership year runs April 1. Annual memberships require 15 hours of volunteer work. Fees range from $525 (student) to $1,400 (family) per year.
2. Monthly Membership Dues: Monthly membership option for adult, student, and novice rowers who do not want to commit to a full annual membership. Requires 2 hours of volunteer work per month. Monthly adult fee is $175.
3. Learn to Row Instructional Classes: Fee-based instructional classes for beginners with no prior rowing experience. Three sessions per year (May, June, July) at $450, $400, and $350 per session respectively, including coached Novice group practices through August 31. Discounts of 10-15% for affiliated fitness partners and Winter Intro alumni.
4. Private Rowing Lessons: Private and small-group lessons arranged directly with approved coaches. Coaching fees are at the instructor's discretion; MRC charges a $20 launch use fee or $10 erg/boathouse utilities fee per session.
5. Boat Rack Rental: Annual rental of personal single sculling boat rack space inside the boathouse for $300/year, available 12 months a year. Requires Independent Sculler membership ($500) in addition to rack rental.
6. Winter Training Program: Dry-land and indoor rowing training from December through March for $250/year. Includes coached team practices and access to ergometers. Also offered as a standalone membership tier.
7. Tank Rental Sessions: Club rents tanks at UW Porter Boathouse for indoor rowing technique work. Sessions are $15 per rower to cover the rental cost, offered to all members and prospective members.
8. Donations and Fundraising: As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, MRC receives tax-deductible donations from supporters. Named funds include the Cynthia R. Cauthern STEM to Stern Scholarship Fund, Bob Stork Memorial LTR Scholarship Fund, and Peggy A. Kent Memorial Fund. Boat naming/dedication program and sponsorship opportunities support youth athletics, multi-generational sport, and community engagement.
9. Regatta Fees: Fees charged to rowers participating in regattas, covering event fees, trailer fees, coach fees (~$10/rower/day), and dedicated coxswain compensation ($50/race day). Average fees range from $75 (Wisco Change) to $400 (Head of the Charles) plus travel.
10. Team Building / Corporate Events: Custom team building rowing activities offered to corporate groups, organizations, and teams seeking experiential events. Details and booking through MRC Team Building document.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mendota Rowing Club is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community rowing organization that delivers adult rowing instruction, coached practice programs, sculling, and competitive training on Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin. The club sells tiered memberships (Annual, Monthly, Student, Family, Independent Sculler, Winter Training), fee-based Learn to Row classes, private coaching lessons, boat rack rentals, and team-building events, using its 20-boat fleet and Bernard's Boathouse facility as the primary delivery infrastructure.

Product overview

Mendota Rowing Club is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community rowing organization offering a comprehensive suite of rowing programs and services. The organization provides Learn to Row classes for absolute beginners, followed by progressive skill development through Novice, Advanced, Competitive, and Recreational Rowing programs. Additional offerings include Sculling instruction, Winter/Cross Training, Private Lessons, and Team Building activities. The club operates various membership tiers (Annual, Monthly, Student, Family, Independent Sculler, Winter Training, Indoor Rowing) and services like Boat Rack Rentals. Programs run on-water from approximately April through October on Lake Mendota, with winter training available indoors. The club maintains a fleet of various boat types (singles, pairs, fours, eights) and is located at Bernard-Hoover Boathouse in James Madison Park, Madison, Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adult Learn to Row Structured 3-week introductory rowing classes for adults 18+ with no prior rowing experience, meeting twice per weeknights. Three sessions per year priced $350-$450. Classes include Summer Novice membership through August 31 and teach sweep rowing in team boats with introduction to sculling.
• Novice Rowing Program

Segments6 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Catalyst Rowing FitnessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCatalyst Rowing Fitness is an affiliated partner offering a 10% discount on Learn to Row class fees for CRF members. MRC acknowledges CRF membership as a qualifying credential for discounted registration. The partnership provides cross-promotional exposure to an aligned fitness community and a referral pipeline for new rowers.
• Harbor Athletic ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHarbor Athletic Club is an affiliated partner offering a 10% discount on Learn to Row class fees for HAC members. MRC acknowledges HAC membership as a qualifying credential for discounted registration. The partnership provides cross-promotional exposure to a local fitness community.
• UW Porter Boathouse (University of Wisconsin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRC rents the indoor rowing tanks at UW Porter Boathouse (680 Babcock Dr, Madison) for structured winter technique work. Tank sessions at $15/person are open to all MRC members and prospective members. This partnership extends MRC's training capabilities beyond the open-water season, enabling year-round skill development. Sessions are organized by skill level: All Juniors, Competitive/Advanced, Recreational & Experienced Novice, and New Novice.
• University of Wisconsin Lifesaving StationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe UW Lifesaving Station is located at the opposite end of James Madison Park from MRC's boathouse. It is in operation April–October and serves all boaters and swimmers on Lake Mendota. In emergencies, it can be reached at (608) 262-3505. MRC's operations are closely tied to this safety infrastructure, and the UW station provides water temperature readings that determine when launches must accompany boats (below 55°F water temperature threshold).
• US RowingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRC is affiliated with US Rowing, the national governing body for rowing. All members must complete the US Rowing safety video annually. The club participates in US Rowing-sanctioned regattas and implements US Rowing's Safe Sport and Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP 2.0). MRC coaches are required to complete US Rowing Safe Sport training.
• Cecily Frederick (Madison Yoga)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCecily Frederick, an Alignment yoga (Hatha) instructor with 17 years of practice and 12 years of teaching (900+ hours training), teaches yoga sessions at MRC's boathouse. The class is open to MRC members and non-members alike, serving as both a cross-training benefit for rowers and a community outreach tool. Mixed-level classes are held regularly, with drop-in spaces available.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Dane County: Regional YMCA operating fitness centers, swim lessons, and group exercise in the same Madison market. Competes with MRC for discretionary fitness memberships and family recreation spend in Dane County, and is a peer for membership-based recreation rather than direct rowing competition.

Direct peers

• Oakland Strokes: East Bay Area community rowing club providing adult and youth rowing programs, including Learn to Row pathways and competitive racing. Comparable nonprofit structure and learn-to-row instructional offering, though operating on a tidal waterway rather than a lake.
• Lake Washington Rowing Club: Seattle-area community rowing club offering adult learn-to-row, recreational, and competitive programs on an inland lake comparable to Lake Mendota. Similar nonprofit operating structure, comparable membership tier structure, and similar reliance on a single lakeside boathouse.
• Riverside Boat Club: Cambridge, MA-based community rowing club offering Learn to Row, recreational, competitive, and sculling programs with a comparable membership and class structure. Operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a similar volunteer-governance model and a similar mid-sized fleet of shells across boat classes.
• Chicago Rowing Foundation: Chicago-based rowing organization providing community Learn to Row, youth, and adult competitive programs. Comparable nonprofit structure, multi-tier membership model, and Midwest lakeside location; competes in some of the same regional regattas MRC attends.
• Texas Rowing Center: Austin, TX-based rowing center offering adult Learn to Row, sculling, and competitive programs on Lady Bird Lake. Comparable instructional programming, sculling certification, and membership model, though operating year-round in a warmer climate than MRC.
• Community Rowing Inc. Boston, MA-based nonprofit rowing organization providing Learn to Row, recreational, and competitive programs with strong community-access focus. Comparable to MRC in mission-driven structure, beginner pathway, and tiered membership model, though operating at a larger scale on the Charles River.
• Detroit Boat Club Rowing Association: Historic Detroit-based rowing club offering adult and youth rowing programs with a similar membership and learn-to-row pathway. Operates a comparable fleet of shells, runs structured coached practices, and participates in regional regattas overlapping with MRC's competitive calendar.
• Minneapolis Rowing Club: Midwest-based community rowing club in Minneapolis, MN offering adult learn-to-row, recreational, and competitive programs on similar inland lake/waterway conditions. Comparable geographic-climate context (cold winters, seasonal on-water window) and similar nonprofit, member-driven operating model.
• Whistler Rowing Club: Small Canadian community rowing club offering adult learn-to-row, recreational, and competitive programming on an inland lake comparable to MRC's Lake Mendota setting. Similar seasonal operating window and small-scale nonprofit governance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MendotaRowing
• Facebookfacebook.com/mendotarowingclub
• Instagraminstagram.com/lake_mendota_rowing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mendota-rowing-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Mendota Rowing Club