Fishing the Good Fight

What Fishing the Good Fight does

Fishing the Good Fight is a Colorado-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2019 by Jennings Hester, a former University of Alabama football player who developed the program after a decade-long struggle with depression and anxiety. The organization uses fly fishing as a therapeutic gateway to address men's mental health, combining outdoor recreation with licensed clinical support and peer community. It operates multi-day retreats at venues in Colorado (Abell River Ranch, Maverick Ranch) and Georgia (Big Creek), supplemented by free community programs including fly tying nights, fish-alongs, ongoing men's groups, and a virtual mental health speaker series called Off the Water. Active chapters exist in Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, and in Atlanta and Rome, Georgia.

The underlying technology stack is minimal: the organization runs on WordPress for its website, Zoom for virtual programming, and standard event management tools. There is no proprietary software platform, mobile app, or AI/ML component; the core "technology" is the programmatic design that fuses licensed mental health practitioners (delivered through a core partnership with Elevated Counseling and Wellness), outdoor instruction, and facilitated group discussion. Products are structured around five pillars: Fishing Retreats (multi-day, pay-what-you-can), Fish-Alongs, Tying Nights, Ongoing Men's Groups, and Off the Water virtual sessions, plus a blog and mental health crisis resources.

The business model is donation-driven. Revenue streams include individual charitable contributions (tax-deductible under 501(c)(3) status), fundraising events such as concerts, brewery partnerships, and silent auctions, and participant-determined contributions to retreats. Retreats are offered on a pay-what-you-can basis where all participants receive the same experience regardless of contribution level, while community events are free. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven: free local events serve as top-of-funnel entry points that funnel participants toward paid retreats and ongoing engagement, and retreat alumni frequently convert into volunteers and board members, creating organic referral loops.

Name

Fishing the Good Fight

Legal name

Fishing the Good Fight, Inc.

Website

https://fishingthegoodfight.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fishing the Good Fight is a Colorado-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses fly fishing retreats, licensed therapy, and peer community programs to address men's mental health challenges. It operates chapters in Colorado and Georgia with a national virtual programming component.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Men's Mental Health Services

NAICS

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Fishing & Spearfishing Charters (recreational/eco-managed) (THAAAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fishing & Angling Charters / Guides (THAAALAD), Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

Keywords

• Men's mental health
• Fly fishing retreats
• Peer support programs
• Outdoor therapy
• Mental health nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Arvada

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations solicited through website and fundraising events. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in Colorado, allowing tax-deductible contributions.
2. Pay-What-You-Can Retreat Fees: Multi-day fly fishing retreats offered at participant-determined contribution levels, ensuring accessibility while generating program revenue. All participants receive the same experience regardless of contribution amount.
3. Fundraising Events: Community fundraiser events such as concerts, brewery partnerships, and silent auctions that generate donations while building brand awareness.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fishing the Good Fight delivers community-based men's mental health programming anchored by multi-day fly fishing retreats that combine outdoor recreation with guided group therapy led by licensed mental health professionals. The organization complements retreats with free ongoing community events including fish-alongs, fly tying nights, men's peer groups, and a virtual Off the Water speaker series, all offered on a pay-what-you-can or free basis to reduce access barriers.

Product overview

Fishing the Good Fight is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of community-based programs centered on fly fishing, peer support, and professional mental health services. The core offerings include multi-day Fishing Retreats (providing therapeutic outdoor experiences with licensed therapists), Fish-Alongs (informal community gatherings on the water), Fly Tying Nights (hands-on social events), Ongoing Men's Groups (peer-facilitated discussion circles), and Off the Water (virtual mental health speaker sessions). These programs are complemented by mental health crisis resources and blog content. The organization operates on a 'pay what you can' model, with active chapters in Colorado and Georgia, and serves men nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fishing Retreats Multi-day fly fishing retreats combining outdoor adventure, guided wellness sessions, and group therapy with licensed mental health professionals to help men unplug, connect, and focus on mental health in a brotherhood-based setting. Venues include Abell River Ranch and Maverick Ranch in Colorado and Big Creek in Georgia, with pay-what-you-can pricing.
• Fish-Alongs

Quantifiable outcome

• 77% of men polled have suffered with symptoms of common mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress or depression
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Elevated Counseling and WellnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenver-based counseling practice whose founder Craig Freund serves as Clinical Mental Health Advisor to Fishing the Good Fight. Provides licensed therapists for retreat programs and hosts Men's Night events at their Greenwood Village location.
• Man TherapyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMen's mental health campaign. Board member Nathaan Demers worked for and continues to advise Mantherapy.org, creating alignment in the men's mental health space.
• OnWaterminorOthersListed as a partner organization, likely providing water access or outdoor-related support services.
• ShademinorOthersPartner organization listed on website.
• Aspen GroveminorOthersPartner organization listed on website. May provide venue or sponsorship support.
• BonfireminorOthersPartner organization listed on website, possibly related to fundraising platform or merchandise.
• Southeast Land GroupminorOthersPartner organization listed on website, likely providing land access or conservation support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Casting for Recovery: National nonprofit that provides free fly fishing retreats for women with breast cancer, combining instruction, counseling, and community. Highly comparable structure: multi-day fly fishing retreats blending outdoors experience with peer and clinical support, run via regional chapters across multiple states.
• Mighty Pursuits (Mighty Citizen): Nonprofit that uses fly fishing outings for veterans and first responders dealing with PTSD and physical injuries. Comparable retreat-style fly fishing therapeutic programming with regional volunteers and donor-funded model.
• Reel Recovery: National nonprofit using fly fishing retreats to help men recovering from cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Closely comparable therapy-through-fly-fishing model, retreat-based delivery, and male-focused audience.
• Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing: National nonprofit that uses fly fishing and associated activities (casting, tying, rod building) to support the physical and emotional recovery of disabled active military service personnel and veterans. Directly comparable because both organizations deliver therapeutic fly-fishing programming to a defined demographic through retreats, community events, and volunteer-led chapters.
• Heroes on the Water: Nonprofit that uses kayak fishing and paddling excursions as therapeutic outlets for wounded veterans, active-duty military, and first responders. Comparable as an outdoors-based therapeutic program delivered through local chapters and volunteer-driven events for a defined population.

Emerging players

• Man Therapy: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment-backed men's mental health campaign and resource hub targeting the same reluctant-to-seek-help male demographic. Comparable audience and mission framing; tangentially partnered (a board member advises Man Therapy) but differs in that it is a digital/content resource rather than an in-person retreat program.
• Soul River Inc. Nonprofit that uses fly fishing and river-based experiences to support veterans, at-risk youth, and communities of color. Comparable in combining fly fishing with mental wellness and community outcomes, serving a narrower geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Outward Bound USA: Established national nonprofit providing experiential outdoor programming for youth and adults. Broadly comparable as an experiential outdoor therapy/adventure operator and is relevant because FTGF's Executive Director spent 18 years there, indicating shared methodology around experiential, community-based outcomes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fishing-the-good-fight

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Fishing the Good Fight