Little River Wetlands Project

What Little River Wetlands Project does

Little River Wetlands Project (LRWP) is a Fort Wayne, Indiana-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1990 by Paul McAfee to restore and protect wetlands in the historic Little River watershed, a 25,000-acre area once known as the Great Marsh. The organization was established in response to the destruction of 85% of Indiana's original wetlands and currently protects more than 1,300 acres across Allen and Huntington Counties through five preserves: Eagle Marsh (154 acres of wet/marshy habitat plus 12 miles of trails), Arrowhead Marsh, Arrowhead Prairie, Buttonbush Bottoms, and Little River Landing (co-owned with ACRES Land Trust). Core operations involve hydrological restoration, native species reintroduction, invasive species removal, and conservation easement acquisition.

LRWP's core "technology" is applied wetland ecology — specifically, hydrological restoration techniques, native plantings (~400 acres of prairie grasses and forbs, 200+ acres of new trees and shrubs), invasive species management, and conservation land stewardship practices tailored to temperate freshwater wetlands in the Great Lakes region. The organization maintains a 4-star Charity Navigator rating, indicative of strong financial governance. It does not operate a software product, API, or digital platform beyond a Wix-hosted website and standard social channels.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue stack: tiered membership donations ($50 Wetland Supporter, $365 Everyday Wetland Warrior, $1,000 Grand Guardian) providing recurring revenue; event fundraising (Frogapalooza at $100-130 admission; Monarch Festival at $3 adult admission; World Wetlands Day trivia at $5); six corporate sponsorship categories; planned giving and bequests; stock donations via Stock Donator; land donations and conservation easements; IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions up to $100,000/year; and Kroger Community Rewards (code GL427). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored by 300+ educational programs annually serving 10,000+ people and signature community events (Earth Day Fort Wayne up to 3,000 attendees, Monarch Festival up to 2,000). Customer segments include local residents, school/youth groups, corporate sponsors, and nature enthusiasts. Executive Director Cammy Sutter leads a staff of 11-50.

Name

Little River Wetlands Project

Legal name

Little River Wetlands Project, Inc.

Website

https://lrwp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Little River Wetlands Project is a Fort Wayne, Indiana 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1990 that restores and protects 1,300+ acres of wetlands across five preserves in the Little River watershed, serving 10,000+ community members annually through 300+ education programs, signature events, and diversified membership and donation revenue streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wetland Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK), Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH), Wetland, Riparian & Buffer Services (within forest landscapes) (AFAMAMAI), Wetlands, Rivers & Freshwater Nature Tours (THAJAIAH)

Keywords

• Wetland restoration
• Environmental education
• Nature preserve management
• Conservation nonprofit
• Habitat protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Donations: Annual membership program starting at $50, with tiered levels at $365 (Everyday Wetland Warrior) and $1,000 (Grand Guardian). Donations of $50 or more confer membership status, providing recurring revenue and supporter engagement.
2. Event Fundraising: Primary annual fundraiser Frogapalooza: Wine, Wetlands & Adventure generates revenue through ticket sales ($100-130), silent auction, wine pull, and live music. Additional events include Monarch Festival ($3 adult admission) and World Wetlands Day trivia ($5 per person).
3. Corporate & Event Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities across four categories: Education (Breakfast on the Marsh, Short Legs for Short Hikes), Conservation (Volunbeering, Bioinventory, Habitat Heroes, Trail naming), World Wetlands Day, Earth Day Fort Wayne, Monarch Festival, and Frogapalooza. Sponsors receive brand visibility at events and on materials.
4. Planned Giving & Bequests: Legacy circle program encouraging donors to include LRWP in estate plans through bequests, planned gifts, and qualified charitable distributions from IRAs. Tax ID/EIN 35-1809569 provided for charitable giving.
5. Land Donations & Conservation Easements: Accepts land donations and holds conservation easements on wetland properties within the Little River valley. Landowners receive tax benefits including property tax reductions and potential charitable deductions for conservation easements.
6. Stock Donations: Accepts stock donations through Stock Donator platform, providing tax-efficient giving option for donors. Contact executive director Cammy Sutter for assistance.
7. Kroger Community Rewards: Participates in Kroger Community Rewards program. Community members link their Kroger Shopper's Card to LRWP (code GL427), and the organization receives quarterly donations based on participant spending percentages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Little River Wetlands Project restores and preserves wetlands in the Little River watershed in northeast Indiana, managing more than 1,300 acres across four nature preserves (Eagle Marsh, Arrowhead Preserves, Buttonbush Bottoms, and Little River Landing). It also delivers environmental education programs and community events (Seed to Marsh, Breakfast on the Marsh, Short Legs for Short Hikes, guided field trips, Monarch Festival, Frogapalooza, Earth Day Fort Wayne, World Wetlands Day) for the public and local schools.

Product overview

Little River Wetlands Project is a nonprofit conservation organization that operates as a unified set of wetland preservation and education programs rather than a technology product company. The core offerings include four nature preserves (Eagle Marsh, Arrowhead Preserves, Buttonbush Bottoms, and Little River Landing) protecting over 1,300 acres of wetlands in Allen and Huntington Counties, Indiana. These are complemented by educational programs including Seed to Marsh, Breakfast on the Marsh, Guided Field Trips, and Short Legs for Short Hikes. Community engagement occurs through signature events (Monarch Festival, Frogapalooza, Earth Day Fort Wayne, World Wetlands Day) and volunteer programs. Funding is supported by membership donations, sponsorship opportunities, planned giving, stock donations, land donations, RMD/QCD donations, and Kroger Community Rewards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eagle Marsh A nature preserve managed by Little River Wetlands Project in the Little River watershed, open to the public for wildlife viewing, hiking, and environmental education.
• Arrowhead Preserves A nature preserve managed by Little River Wetlands Project, providing public access for hiking, wildlife observation, and habitat-based programming.
• Buttonbush Bottoms A nature preserve managed by Little River Wetlands Project, offering wetland and habitat experiences for visitors in northeast Indiana.
• Little River Landing A nature preserve managed by Little River Wetlands Project, providing public access along the Little River for recreation and education.
• Seed to Marsh A nature-based environmental education program designed for students and community members, focused on hands-on wetland learning at LRWP preserves.
• Breakfast on the Marsh An environmental education program offered by Little River Wetlands Project that combines learning at the marsh with a community breakfast experience.
• Short Legs for Short Hikes A nature education program designed for younger children, offering guided short hikes at preserve lands.
• Guided Field Trips Guided nature-based field trips offered by Little River Wetlands Project to schools and community groups, providing hands-on learning at the preserves.
• Monarch Festival An annual community event hosted by Little River Wetlands Project that celebrates monarch butterflies and pollinator conservation, with sponsorship opportunities for local businesses.
• Frogapalooza An annual community fundraising event hosted by Little River Wetlands Project celebrating frogs and wetland wildlife, with sponsorship opportunities for local businesses.
• Earth Day Fort Wayne A community Earth Day event hosted by Little River Wetlands Project, offering environmental programming and sponsorship opportunities for local businesses.
• World Wetlands Day An annual community event hosted by Little River Wetlands Project to mark international World Wetlands Day, raising awareness of wetland conservation with sponsorship opportunities.
• Volunteer Program (Volunbeering) A volunteer engagement program through which community members support habitat restoration, preserve maintenance, and event operations at Little River Wetlands Project.
• Annual Membership Program A tiered annual membership program offered by Little River Wetlands Project that provides supporters with benefits in exchange for recurring financial contributions to wetland conservation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of Indiana's original wetlands destroyed, highlighting urgent need for restoration efforts
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ACRES Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRWP co-owns Little River Landing preserve with ACRES Land Trust, Indiana's oldest local land trust founded in 1960. The organizations collaborate on World Wetlands Day events and share mutual conservation goals for northeast Indiana. ACRES protects over 8,700 acres across northeast Indiana, southern Michigan, and northwest Ohio.
• Indiana HumanitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndiana Humanities, in cooperation with the National Endowment of the Humanities, provided grant funding for the Little River Wetlands Story video series documenting the history and ecology of the Little River valley.
• Cinema CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for World Wetlands Day film event screening 'An Invitation to Wonder: Waubesa Wetlands' with panel discussion featuring local conservation voices.
• Earth Charter IndianaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarth Charter Indiana collaborated on the Hoosier Habitats Challenge initiative to inspire Indiana residents to create Certified Wildlife Habitat areas. LRWP staff participated in Earth Day Fort Wayne events promoting the program.
• Purdue Fort Wayne Environmental Resources CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partner for Earth Day Fort Wayne 2026 event, providing venue at the Environmental Resources Center along the St. Joseph River and Rivergreenway Trail. Event partners include Fort Wayne Astronomical Society, Republic Services, City Utilities, Allen County Partnership for Water Quality, and numerous other environmental organizations.
• Hop River Brewing CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for Volunbeering events held 1st Wednesday of each month, combining stewardship activities with brewery social. LRWP provides volunteer labor and promotion; venue provides space and attracts attendees interested in local community causes.
• Wood-Land-LakesminorOthersReferenced as alternative conservation organization that may accept easements on natural land or farmland outside LRWP's project area. Contact: 260-665-3211 ext. 5.
• KrogerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKroger Community Rewards program allows shoppers to designate LRWP as their charity of choice. Kroger code GL427. Organization receives quarterly donations based on participant spending percentages.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ACRES Land Trust: Indiana's oldest local land trust (founded 1960), co-owner of Little River Landing preserve with LRWP. Both organizations pursue fee-simple acquisition and conservation easements in northeast Indiana under the same nonprofit land-conservation model.
• Sycamore Land Trust: Indiana-based regional land trust protecting natural areas in south-central Indiana. Closely comparable as a state-level land trust pursuing similar fee acquisition, conservation easements, and volunteer-driven stewardship in the same state.
• Red-tail Land Conservancy: East-central Indiana land trust protecting natural areas and working lands. Operates under the same nonprofit land-conservation model with comparable scale, volunteer engagement, and donor-funded operations.

Emerging players

• Wildflower Farm: Native plant nursery and consulting operation supporting habitat restoration efforts across the Midwest. Comparable in native species restoration activities central to LRWP's wetland work, though operating as a commercial entity rather than nonprofit land trust.

Broad incumbents

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land conservation for public access and parks. Comparable in conservation land acquisition strategy and public-facing nature preserve operations, though much larger and more urban-focused.
• National Audubon Society: Major bird and habitat conservation nonprofit operating sanctuaries and chapters nationwide. Audubon Great Lakes region is geographically proximate and engages in comparable wetland conservation, education, and bird-focused programming.
• Ducks Unlimited: The largest wetland conservation nonprofit in North America, focused on waterfowl habitat and wetlands restoration. Comparable in core mission (wetland protection, restoration, and public engagement) but operates at national scale with a significantly larger budget and staff.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits, operating a global portfolio of nature preserves including land and wetland acquisitions in Indiana. Comparable conservation easement and land stewardship model, but with vastly greater resources and geographic reach.

Others

• Earth Charter Indiana: Indiana-focused environmental education and sustainability nonprofit, already a collaborating partner of LRWP on Hoosier Habitats Challenge. Thematically aligned as an environmental nonprofit working in overlapping Indiana geography.

Regional players

• NICHES Land Trust: Indiana-based land trust protecting natural areas in Tippecanoe and surrounding counties. Closely comparable nonprofit land-conservation model with similar scale and community-driven stewardship approach, though operating in a different Indiana region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LittleRiverWetlands
• Instagraminstagram.com/fwlittleriverwetlands
• Xx.com/lrwp_org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/little-river-wetlands-project-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Little River Wetlands Project