Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

What Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council does

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization founded in 1979 and headquartered at 426 Bay Street, Petoskey, Michigan. It protects and restores the water resources of Northern Michigan across Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, and Emmet Counties, with monitoring extending into Montmorency County. The organization serves four primary stakeholder groups: nearly 2,000 local members and community volunteers, K-12 and college students through education programs, local and tribal governments seeking policy and technical guidance, and riparian property owners needing shoreline stewardship support.

The organization's core offerings are organized into six program areas: water quality monitoring (Volunteer Lake Monitoring across 29 lakes and Volunteer Stream Monitoring programs operating for over 30 years), watershed management planning (EGLE/EPA-approved plans meeting Clean Michigan Initiative criteria and EPA's 9 Elements), watershed protection (nature-based stormwater solutions, aquatic invasive species management, shoreline and streambank stabilization, road/stream crossings, and dam removal), policy and advocacy at federal/state/local levels, education and outreach (Watershed Academy, teacher resources, MOBO mobile boat washing), and technical services (inventories, surveys, wetland delineation). Its underlying technology is built on standardized scientific protocols—Secchi disc transparency measurements, chlorophyll-a integrated water sampling, macroinvertebrate identification, GIS-based watershed mapping, and kayak-based shoreline survey methodologies—producing a longitudinal dataset spanning 97 sites on 56 lakes and streams over more than 30 years.

Revenue is generated entirely through nonprofit funding mechanisms: individual memberships and donations from ~2,000 members, federal grants (EPA Section 319, GLRI), state grants (Michigan EGLE Nonpoint Source Program, Clean Michigan Initiative), foundation grants (Petoskey Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, Charlevoix County Community Foundation, Michigan Environmental Council), corporate business partnerships and sponsorships, and planned giving/legacy gifts. The organization operates with 14 staff, has no parent company, and is governed by an independent Board of Directors. Distribution of services occurs through direct community engagement, the Ruth Tucker Ayers Harris Watershed Discovery Center in Petoskey, the mobile MOBO boat washing unit, school-based Watershed Academy programs, and collaborations with county, city, township, and village governments.

Name

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

Legal name

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

Website

https://watershedcouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1979 in Petoskey, Michigan, that protects Northern Michigan's water resources across four counties through volunteer-driven water quality monitoring, watershed management planning, policy advocacy, and education programs serving nearly 2,000 members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (924120), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory) (EUANAAAG), Watershed/Source Water & Raw Water Quality Monitoring (intakes, reservoirs, groundwater) (EUANAJAH), Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB)

Keywords

• Watershed protection services
• Water quality monitoring
• Environmental conservation
• Watershed management planning
• Nonprofit environmental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Petoskey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership and Donations: Individual donations, membership fees, and year-end campaigns from nearly 2,000 local members who support water conservation efforts. Tax-deductible contributions under 501(c)(3) status.
2. Government Grants: Funding from Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Nonpoint Source Program, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), and other federal and state agencies for specific watershed projects.
3. Foundation Grants: Support from organizations including Petoskey Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, Charlevoix County Community Foundation, and Michigan Environmental Council for monitoring and research initiatives.
4. Business Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate partnerships with local businesses offering financial support, volunteer opportunities, and employee engagement programs in exchange for public recognition of project support.
5. Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: Estate planning vehicles including gifts through wills, living trusts, retirement plans, and donor-advised funds to protect waters for future generations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization that protects and preserves Northern Michigan's water resources. The Council operates a regional water quality monitoring network across 56 lakes and streams at 97 monitoring sites, develops watershed management plans, provides technical services to local governments, and delivers community education and volunteer programs in Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, and Emmet counties.

Product overview

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council is a nonprofit environmental organization offering a comprehensive suite of water resource protection programs and services. The core offerings include water quality monitoring (volunteer lake and stream monitoring programs), watershed management planning, on-the-ground watershed protection and restoration, policy advocacy at federal/state/local levels, and education/outreach including Watershed Academy. Additional services encompass technical services (inventories, surveys, wetland delineation), PFAS monitoring, pharmaceutical disposal programs, and shoreline surveys. The organization also operates a Watershed Discovery Center with live stream capabilities and produces the Watersheds at Work Podcast. The Mobile Boat Washing (MOBO) program addresses aquatic invasive species prevention. These programs collectively form an integrated approach to protecting Northern Michigan's lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and groundwater across Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, and Emmet Counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 97 monitoring sites on 56 lakes and streams monitored for over 30 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Michigan Environmental CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide environmental coalition working on policy advocacy and environmental protection initiatives. The Watershed Council partners with MEC for PFAS advocacy and other policy solutions to ensure protection of human health and the environment.
• Petoskey Regional Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business organization providing community support and networking for watershed conservation efforts in the Petoskey area.
• EarthShareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational workplace giving campaign allowing employees to donate to the Watershed Council through workplace giving programs.
• Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency providing funding through the Nonpoint Source Program and Clean Michigan Initiative for watershed management plans, shoreline surveys, and water quality monitoring. The Watershed Council develops EGLE/EPA approved watershed management plans meeting CMI criteria and EPA's 9 Elements.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency providing nonpoint source funding and oversight for watershed management planning through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency providing Eat Safe Fish Guides and consumption advisories related to PFAS contamination in Michigan lakes and rivers.
• Health Department of Northwest MichiganminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal health department providing bottled water and household filter systems to residents impacted by PFAS contamination in Pellston area.
• Bay View AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Historic Landmark community partnering on rain garden initiative for stormwater management in Petoskey.
• North Central Michigan CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal college partnering on stormwater wetland restoration project on campus.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• River Network: National nonprofit that supports local watershed groups with capacity-building, training, and resources — relevant as a capacity peer and potential resource conduit for a small-staffed council like Tip of the Mitt.
• Center for Watershed Protection: National nonprofit focused on urban and rural watershed science, stormwater, and restoration protocols — overlapping with Tip of the Mitt's nature-based stormwater solutions, shoreline, and technical-services work.

Broad incumbents

• National Wildlife Federation — Great Lakes Regional Center: National conservation organization with a Great Lakes regional program pursuing overlapping habitat, water-quality, and policy goals. Functions as a larger incumbent with overlapping funding sources and policy influence.
• Michigan Environmental Council: Statewide coalition of environmental organizations, including Tip of the Mitt itself. Operates as a larger policy-focused peer that helps channel the Council's local advocacy into Lansing and federal agendas (notably PFAS).
• Great Lakes Commission: Binational interstate compact agency coordinating Great Lakes policy across member states — engaged in adjacent advocacy (Line 5, water quality) and a peer at the regional policy layer, though with a much broader governmental remit.
• Alliance for the Great Lakes: Larger regional Great Lakes advocacy organization with overlapping PFAS, Line 5, and shoreline protection work. Competes for similar foundation and grant dollars but operates across all five Great Lakes rather than one watershed.

Direct peers

• Huron River Watershed Council: Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that, like Tip of the Mitt, monitors water quality, develops watershed management plans, runs volunteer programs, and advocates for policy at state and local levels — directly comparable in mission, structure, and funding model.
• Clinton River Watershed Council: Southeast Michigan watershed nonprofit providing water-quality monitoring, volunteer engagement, stewardship programs, and policy advocacy. Closely mirrors Tip of the Mitt's operating model and target stakeholders.
• Conservation Resource Alliance: Michigan-based nonprofit focused on river and watershed restoration, including stream crossing improvements and habitat work funded in part through GLRI — overlapping with Tip of the Mitt's stream connectivity and restoration programs.
• Friends of the Rouge: Michigan nonprofit dedicated to restoring and protecting the Rouge River watershed through volunteer monitoring, education, and on-the-ground projects — comparable mission and community-led delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1WhWqOCvB6u33pMBIQlTAQ/playlists
• Facebookfacebook.com/watershedcouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tip-of-the-mitt-watershed-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/tipofthemittwatershed
• TikToktiktok.com/@the.tip.of.the.mitt?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council