Family Lines
Family Lines is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that addresses fatherhood absence by running facilitated wilderness expeditions, fly fishing programs, and a four-series video curriculum (Mending Lines) for fathers and their children, supported by a 300+ volunteer facilitator network across 4 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersWhitefish, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Family Lines does
Family Lines is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Whitefish, Montana, founded in 2009 and operating since 2010. The organization addresses fatherhood absence by promoting intentional presence between fathers (and father figures) and their children, targeting the underserved post-Awana teen and post-teen years when families often disengage from traditional youth programs. Its core methodology combines facilitated wilderness experiences with structured video curriculum.
The product suite includes multi-day wilderness Expeditions (kayaking and fly fishing trips in locations such as the Owyhee River, Alaska, Grande Ronde River, and Stehekin River), the Rod to River local workshop program with accompanying rod building kits, the Family Lines Fly Fishing Academy as a public entry point, and the four-series Mending Lines video curriculum (Series One through Four, 6-10 episodes each) filmed in iconic wilderness settings. A Dadvocate virtual support group extends engagement between expeditions. Delivery is supported by a network of 300+ volunteer facilitators across 4 countries.
Revenue mechanics are mission-driven: donations and charitable contributions form the primary funding stream, supplemented by expedition fees under a pay-what-you-can / pay-it-forward model with scholarship availability, Fly Fishing Academy income, and rod building kit and curriculum sales. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on church referrals, direct-to-consumer website engagement, and an organic social presence (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube). The organization reports 20,000+ hours of facilitated intentional presence since 2010 and a 400% increase in impact over the past two years.
Family Lines firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Family Lines
- Legal name
- Family Lines
- Website
- https://familylines.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Family Lines is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that addresses fatherhood absence by running facilitated wilderness expeditions, fly fishing programs, and a four-series video curriculum (Mending Lines) for fathers and their children, supported by a 300+ volunteer facilitator network across 4 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Family Lines industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fatherhood and Family Ministry Services
- NAICS
- Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Co-Parenting, Father Engagement & Caregiver Inclusion Programs (EDACALAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Parent Support Groups & Peer Networks (EDACALAG)
Keywords
Where Family Lines is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Whitefish
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Family Lines business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Family Lines is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID # 27-0950152) that relies on donations from individuals and organizations to fund operations and scholarships. Donations can be made via check, credit card, or ACH/bank transfer through the website.
- Expedition and Experience Fees: Revenue generated from father-child wilderness expeditions including Owyhee River kayaking, Alaska fly fishing, Grande Ronde Steelhead trips, and Stehekin fly fishing. Pricing follows a 'Pay what you can - Pay it forward' model with scholarship availability.
- Fly Fishing Academy Income: The Family Lines Fly Fishing Academy generates income for operations while providing public exposure to the mission. It serves as an accessible entry point before joining intensive expedition programs.
- Rod Building Kits and Curriculum Sales: Sale of rod building kits and curriculum materials that equip local leaders to run 'Rod to River' programs in their own churches or communities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-What-You-Can / Pay It Forward |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Family Lines product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Family Lines is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that addresses fatherhood absence by facilitating intentional presence between fathers and their children. It delivers multi-day wilderness expeditions (kayaking, fly fishing trips in Alaska, Oregon, and Montana), a story-based video curriculum series (Mending Lines), local Rod to River fly rod building workshops, the Fly Fishing Academy as an entry program, and the Dadvocate virtual support group.
Product overview
Family Lines is a nonprofit ministry offering a suite of father-child relationship programs built around wilderness and fishing experiences. The core offerings include Expeditions (multi-day guided wilderness trips in locations like Alaska, Oregon, and Montana), Rod to River local workshops, and the Fly Fishing Academy as an entry point. Complementing the experiential programs is the Mending Lines video curriculum series (four series with 6-10 episodes each), which brings 'campfire conversations' into homes through story-based video content. Additional offerings include virtual Dadvocate support groups and Rod Building Kits for local program deployment. The organization operates on a 'Pay what you can – Pay it forward' pricing model with scholarship availability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mending Lines: A story-based video curriculum with multiple series designed to bring the campfire conversation to living rooms, focusing on father-child relationships through fishing adventures.
- Rod to River
- Fly Fishing Academy
- Dadvocate Group
Products and services
- Expeditions
- Rod to River
- Fly Fishing Academy
- Mending Lines Series One
- Mending Lines Series Two
- Mending Lines Series Three
- Mending Lines Series Four
- Dadvocate Group
Quantifiable outcome
- 20,000+ hours of intentional father-child presence facilitated since 2010
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Family Lines
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Family Lines technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Family Lines partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Family Lines competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Awana: Global children's discipleship ministry explicitly named in Family Lines' own positioning as the program children "age out of." Awana represents the engagement stage of the funnel Family Lines targets after—making it the most relevant adjacent incumbent for understanding the pipeline family lines taps into.
- Promise Keepers: Faith-based men's ministry historically focused on fatherhood and male spiritual leadership. Overlaps on the father-engagement, faith-rooted positioning and church-distribution model, though Promise Keepers operates at much larger historic scale.
- Focus on the Family: Large multi-program family/parenting ministry with fatherhood resources among its broader portfolio. Overlaps on faith-based parent support but operates at much larger scale and broader scope than Family Lines' niche father-child outdoor focus.
Direct peers
- Fatherly: Digital media brand targeting modern fathers with content, commerce, and community. Overlaps with Family Lines on the father-engagement thesis and Dadvocate-style community function, differing by being media/commerce-led rather than experience-led.
- National Fatherhood Initiative: Largest US nonprofit focused on fatherhood engagement, providing fatherhood programs, curricula, and research. Directly comparable as the leading national player in the same father-absence mission space, though its delivery is primarily curriculum/workshop-based rather than wilderness-based.
- Young Life: Faith-based youth ministry that takes teens on wilderness expeditions and uses outdoor adventure for relationship-building. Highly comparable mission-adjacent and method-adjacent organization, though Young Life works with youth directly rather than father-child pairs.
Emerging players
- MOPS International: Faith-based peer support organization for mothers, with parallel focus on parenting-stage transitions and family engagement. Closely comparable as a parent-peer-support nonprofit targeting specific life stages, though aimed at mothers rather than fathers.
Regional players
- Fishers of Men Tournament Trail: Faith-based fishing ministry that uses tournaments and outdoor events for ministry and outreach. Comparable niche overlap at the intersection of fly fishing and Christian ministry, though organized around tournaments rather than father-child relationship building.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Family Lines social profiles
Digital presenceFamily Lines compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Family Lines financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Family Lines leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Family Lines funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Family Lines 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 Family Lines
What does Family Lines do?
Family Lines is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that addresses fatherhood absence by facilitating intentional presence between fathers and their children. It delivers multi-day wilderness expeditions (kayaking, fly fishing trips in Alaska, Oregon, and Montana), a story-based video curriculum series (Mending Lines), local Rod to River fly rod building workshops, the Fly Fishing Academy as an entry program, and the Dadvocate virtual support group.
Is Family Lines a public or private company?
Family Lines is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Family Lines founded?
Family Lines was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Family Lines based?
Family Lines is headquartered in Whitefish, United States, in the North America region.
How does Family Lines make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are expedition and Experience Fees, fly Fishing Academy Income and rod Building Kits and Curriculum Sales.
Who are Family Lines's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Awana, Promise Keepers and Focus on the Family. Direct peers are Fatherly, National Fatherhood Initiative and Young Life. MOPS International is listed as an emerging player. Fishers of Men Tournament Trail is listed as a regional player.
Does Family Lines have an API?
No public API is recorded for Family Lines.
What industry is Family Lines in?
Family Lines's product category is Fatherhood and Family Ministry Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACALAI, Co-Parenting, Father Engagement & Caregiver Inclusion Programs, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAC, Family & Parenting Support Services. Its NAICS code is 624190.