The Mayfly Project

What The Mayfly Project does

The Mayfly Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 that delivers structured fly fishing mentorship to children in foster care. Operating across approximately 65 project locations in the United States plus a UK subsidiary, the organization pairs trained volunteer mentors with foster youth in a 1:1 ratio across five guided outings per season. The proprietary "Characteristics of an Angler" curriculum is designed around therapeutic outcomes including patience, self-confidence, grit, and environmental stewardship, complemented by the Conservation Initiative (Positive Prints) and a Spanish-language curriculum. Since founding, TMP has mentored 2,300 children and completed 11,500 river outings, with a stated 2027 target of 475 mentees across 29 or more states.

The organization is funded entirely through donations, corporate sponsorships, government and foundation grants, and event-based fundraising, with all programs delivered free of charge to foster youth. It maintains tiered sponsor structures (Dun, Emerger, Nymph) with major partners including Orvis, Bass Pro Shops, Cortland, Loon Outdoors, Patagonia, YETI, Fishpond, and Trout Unlimited. State-level grants have been secured from Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Utah Department of Natural Resources, New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund, and the Clabough Foundation. The full cost per mentee sponsorship is $780, covering all gear, materials, and curriculum; individual gear items can also be funded separately ($25 sling packs through $150 waders). Programs are delivered through direct field operations, with mentee referrals sourced via CASA, state foster care agencies (e.g., Idaho Department of Health and Welfare), and online registration, while donor acquisition runs through the PureCharity platform, the annual Mending the Line gala in Little Rock, the Buy a Fly fundraiser, and cause-marketing partnerships (e.g., Angler's Coffee).

Name

The Mayfly Project

Legal name

The Mayfly Project

Website

https://themayflyproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Mayfly Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 that mentors children in foster care through structured fly fishing programs delivered across approximately 65 U.S. project locations and a UK subsidiary, with all programs provided free of charge and funded via donations, corporate sponsors, grants, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Foster Youth Mentorship

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Adventure Camps & Summer Programs (THAAAOAB), Instructor-Led Skills Academies (Climbing, Paddling, Mountaineering Schools) (THAAAOAI)

Keywords

• Foster youth mentorship
• Fly fishing education
• Nonprofit youth services
• Outdoor therapy programs
• Mentor matching services

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting specific projects or general organizational operations. Donation tiers include amounts from $25 for sling packs up to full mentee sponsorship of $780.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors at Dun, Emerger, and Nymph levels providing gear donations, monetary contributions, and discounted equipment for mentees.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual fundraising events including Mending the Line dinner, Buy a Fly raffle, Kings River Smallmouth Shootout tournament, and Giving Tuesday campaigns.
4. Government and Foundation Grants: Grants from government agencies (Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Utah Department of Natural Resources, New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund) and foundations (Clabough Foundation) supporting project expansion.
5. Product Partnership Donations: Per-item donations from product partnerships where companies donate a portion of sales to TMP (e.g., Angler's Coffee collaboration).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Mayfly Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides a free, structured fly fishing mentorship program to children and youth in foster care. Each season, mentees are paired 1:1 with trained volunteer mentors across five guided outings, learning fly fishing and conservation while working through the proprietary "Characteristics of an Angler" curriculum. All gear, instruction, and outings are provided at no cost to participants, with programs delivered locally through approximately 65 project chapters across the United States and one in the United Kingdom.

Product overview

The Mayfly Project is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on mentoring children in foster care through fly fishing. The core offering is the structured 5-outing mentoring program featuring 1:1 mentor ratios, the 'Characteristics of an Angler' curriculum, and fly tying instruction. Supporting offerings include the Fly Fishing Education Resource Center with instructional videos, the Mentee Gear Program that equips participants with complete fly fishing setups, and a free Trout Unlimited Membership for continued community engagement. The Conservation Initiative teaches environmental stewardship through catch-and-release practices and invasive species awareness. Fundraising activities include the annual Mending the Line gala and the Buy a Fly online fundraiser. Project Chapters operate at multiple geographic locations nationwide, each delivering the core mentoring curriculum through trained volunteer mentors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Core Mentoring Program Free, 1:1 fly fishing mentorship program for children in foster care, delivered through five structured outings per season using the proprietary 'Characteristics of an Angler' curriculum focused on patience, self-confidence, brain rest, grit, wisdom-seeking, and environmental appreciation.
• Conservation Initiative Environmental education program teaching mentees about catch-and-release fishing, clean rivers stewardship, and invasive species prevention through the Positive Prints Initiative, with dedicated Conservation Mentors at each project location.
• Fly Fishing Education Resource Center Educational platform providing fly tying instruction videos, curriculum materials, and learning resources for enrolled mentees and trained mentors, including a complimentary Trout Unlimited membership benefit that connects participants to the broader fly fishing and conservation community.
• Mentee Gear Program Program that equips mentees with a complete fly fishing setup including rods, reels, waders, fly boxes, tools, and sling packs so they can continue fishing independently after completing the structured mentorship season.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,300 children mentored and 11,500 river outings completed since 2015
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 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

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Cortland LinescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDun-level sponsor donating gear and providing significant discounts to The Mayfly Project. Supports mentees with fly fishing equipment for their programs nationwide.
• Loon OutdoorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDun-level sponsor providing products and monetary support for TMP projects across the country.
• OrviscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDun-level sponsor and Breaking Barriers Award partner. Provides gear donations and has recognized TMP through their award program.
• Bass Pro ShopscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Dun-level sponsor donating gear and providing huge discounts. Also partnered through Bass Pro Outdoor Fund for additional support.
• YETIsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated water bottles for all projects, helping eliminate plastic from outings.
• PatagoniasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDun sponsor supporting kids to participate in TMP projects and development across the country.
• FishpondsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerEmerger sponsor providing gear. Partnered with TMP on Positive Prints Initiative, supplying micro trash bins for mentees.
• Trout UnlimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides free membership to all TMP mentees. Extensive partnership supporting conservation education and youth engagement in fly fishing.
• Angler's CoffeesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerProduct partnership where Angler's Coffee donates $4.50 per bag of TMP collab coffee, $9.50 per TMP tumbler, and $12.50 per collab pack to The Mayfly Project.
• Riggs Outdoor and Riggs CATsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDun sponsors supporting kids to participate in TMP projects.
• Commercial Tool GroupsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDun sponsor supporting TMP projects and mentees.
• Ozark AnglersupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDun sponsor supporting TMP development across the country.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Trout Unlimited: National coldwater conservation organization and active TMP partner (provides free mentee memberships). Comparable fly fishing ecosystem presence and conservation-education mission, but is a membership advocacy group rather than a direct-service youth mentor.

Direct peers

• Casting for Recovery: Nonprofit providing free fly fishing retreats for women with breast cancer. Comparable in its use of fly fishing as a structured therapeutic intervention, retreat-based program model, and reliance on volunteer guides and corporate fly-fishing-industry sponsors.
• Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing: 501(c)(3) that uses fly fishing as a therapeutic modality for disabled veterans. Most directly comparable peer: same fly-fishing-delivered therapeutic model, volunteer mentor structure, multi-project national footprint, and free-of-charge programming.
• The Fly Fishing Collaborative: Nonprofit using fly fishing to support underserved and at-risk youth, including those aging out of foster care. Closely aligned with TMP on target population and fly-fishing-as-mentorship delivery model.
• Reel Recovery: Nonprofit that runs fly fishing retreats for men recovering from cancer. Similar therapeutic-outdoors-via-fly-fishing approach, volunteer mentor model, and partnership with fly fishing industry brands.

Emerging players

• First Descents: Nonprofit providing outdoor adventure experiences (kayaking, surfing, climbing) for young adults impacted by cancer and other serious health challenges. Comparable adventure-as-therapy model for vulnerable populations, though focused on older participants.
• SOS Outreach: Nonprofit using outdoor adventure sports (snowboarding, skiing, mountain biking) paired with mentorship for at-risk youth. Similar outdoor-activity-as-mentorship framework but focused on different activities and different youth demographics.
• Outdoor Outreach: San Diego-based nonprofit that mentors at-risk and foster youth through outdoor activities. Directly comparable target population (including foster youth) and outdoor-based mentorship model.

Broad incumbents

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Largest US youth-mentoring nonprofit. Comparable in its 1:1 mentor matching model and focus on at-risk youth, but does not use an outdoor/activity-based delivery modality and operates at vastly greater scale.
• Outward Bound USA: Established outdoor education nonprofit providing expedition-based learning for youth. Comparable outdoor-adventure instructional model and youth-development outcomes, but at much larger scale and broader activity base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Mayfly__Project
• Facebookfacebook.com/themayflyproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/themayflyproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/themayflyproject

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 The Mayfly Project