Windlass
Windlass is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 that promotes gender diversity in sailing through community crew-finding events, a featured-sailors blog, sailing school education partnerships, and a royalty-free stock photo library for women and non-binary sailors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Windlass does
Windlass is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2019 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, with 19 employees. Its mission is to advance gender diversity in sailing by addressing the under-representation of women and non-binary people in the sailing community through education, outreach, community building, and media representation initiatives. The organization runs a portfolio of community programs: crew-finding events that connect sailors locally, a featured-sailors blog that increases visibility for underrepresented sailors, sailing education partnerships with sailing schools to develop inclusive curricula, a royalty-free stock photo library of women and non-binary sailors licensed under Creative Commons 4.0, a volunteer program with board and operational roles, and a quarterly newsletter. All programs are delivered through a volunteer-governed structure with no proprietary technology, no software product, and no app or SaaS platform; the digital footprint is a Squarespace-hosted website plus email inboxes for stock-photo submissions and donor inquiries.
The business model is built on two revenue streams: tax-deductible donations collected through the organization's website, which fund programmatic work and 'create partnerships around the world' per the organization's own messaging, and branded merchandise sales (mugs, apparel, notebooks, water bottles, accessories) fulfilled through a third-party Redbubble print-on-demand storefront where Redbubble sets pricing and handles fulfillment. The organization accepts merchandise and volunteer applications globally but its operational footprint is concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Windlass firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Windlass
- Legal name
- Windlass
- Website
- https://windlass.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Windlass is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 that promotes gender diversity in sailing through community crew-finding events, a featured-sailors blog, sailing school education partnerships, and a royalty-free stock photo library for women and non-binary sailors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Windlass industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Diversity Advocacy
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails) (THAJAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)
Keywords
Where Windlass is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Windlass business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: Windlass accepts donations to connect people and create partnerships around the world, working with on-site teams to find impactful solutions on local and global scales.
- Merchandise Sales: The organization sells branded merchandise including mugs, t-shirts, notebooks, water bottles, and accessories through Redbubble print-on-demand platform. All items feature the Windlass logo or motto.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Windlass product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Windlass is a nonprofit advocacy organization that promotes gender diversity in sailing through education, outreach, and community-building programs. It hosts crew-finding events, runs sailing classes and curriculum partnerships with sailing schools, maintains a royalty-free stock photo library of women and non-binary sailors, and publishes a featured sailors blog. The organization also sells branded merchandise via Redbubble and operates a volunteer-driven governance model.
Product overview
Windlass is a non-profit organization focused on promoting gender diversity in sailing. The organization operates as a unified advocacy and community-building platform offering multiple interconnected programs: community crew-finding events and sailing classes for women and non-binary people; a featured sailors blog and royalty-free stock photo library for representation; volunteer opportunities including board positions and specialized roles; and a quarterly newsletter. All merchandise is sold through the Redbubble marketplace. Windlass does not operate a software product or SaaS platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Community Crew-Finding Events Crew-finding parties hosted by Windlass to help women and non-binary sailors connect with their local sailing community and start sailing.
- Featured Sailors Blog Program Blog program featuring women and non-binary sailors to increase visibility and representation within the sailing community.
- Royalty-Free Stock Photo Library Curated collection of royalty-free stock photos of women and non-binary sailors released under Creative Commons 4.0 license for media use.
- Sailing Education Programs Sailing classes and curriculum development tailored to women and non-binary people, delivered in partnership with sailing schools.
- Windlass Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including mugs, bags, phone cases, journals, shirts, stickers, scarves, notebooks, water bottles, sweatshirts, hoodies, totes, coasters, and throw pillows featuring the Windlass logo or motto, sold through Redbubble.
- Volunteer Program Volunteer opportunities for individuals to support the organization in roles such as General Volunteer, Board Member, Treasurer, Social Media Manager, Event Planner, and Volunteer Coordinator.
- Quarterly Newsletter Quarterly newsletter sent to members informing them of events, membership, community updates, and organization status.
Companies that use Windlass
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Windlass technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Windlass partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Windlass competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SheSails: Community platform dedicated to inspiring and supporting women in sailing, with programs analogous to Windlass's crew-finding and education initiatives.
- National Women's Sailing Association: U.S.-based membership organization that promotes women in sailing through education, racing and annual events such as the Women's Sailing Conference. Directly comparable to Windlass as a women-in-sailing community-building and education nonprofit.
- The Magenta Project: International non-profit promoting women's participation in professional sailing and offshore racing, founded in 2018. Closely comparable as a recent, programmatically similar women-in-sailing advocacy nonprofit.
Broad incumbents
- World Sailing: International federation governing the sport of sailing worldwide. Comparable as a sailing-adjacent mission-driven institution running inclusion/development programs that intersect with gender diversity.
- US Sailing: National governing body for sailing in the U.S., running instructor certification, sailing schools and inclusion initiatives. Comparable in the broader sailing-nonprofit space and through its diversity programs that overlap with Windlass's mission.
- Tall Ships America: U.S. non-profit association promoting sail training and character development aboard tall ships. Comparable as a sailing-based nonprofit using education and community programming.
- BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water: National nonprofit funded by BoatUS members, focused on boating safety education and clean water. Comparable structurally as a sailing-community nonprofit that funds programs through donations and grants.
- Sailors for the Sea: Established sailing-focused non-profit dedicated to ocean health and sustainable boating education. Comparable to Windlass as a thematic nonprofit operating within the sailing community with educational programming.
Others
- International SeaKeepers Society: Marine conservation non-profit connecting ocean scientists and the yachting community. Thematically adjacent as a mission-driven organization operating inside the sailing-yachting community with educational overlap.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Windlass social profiles
Digital presenceWindlass financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Windlass leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Windlass funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Windlass 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 Windlass
What does Windlass do?
Windlass is a nonprofit advocacy organization that promotes gender diversity in sailing through education, outreach, and community-building programs. It hosts crew-finding events, runs sailing classes and curriculum partnerships with sailing schools, maintains a royalty-free stock photo library of women and non-binary sailors, and publishes a featured sailors blog. The organization also sells branded merchandise via Redbubble and operates a volunteer-driven governance model.
Is Windlass a public or private company?
Windlass is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Windlass founded?
Windlass was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Windlass based?
Windlass is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Windlass make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales.
Who are Windlass's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SheSails, National Women's Sailing Association and The Magenta Project. Broad incumbents are World Sailing, US Sailing, Tall Ships America, BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water and Sailors for the Sea. International SeaKeepers Society is listed as an others.
Does Windlass have an API?
No public API is recorded for Windlass.
What industry is Windlass in?
Windlass's product category is Maritime Diversity Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAJAG, Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails), with a secondary code of MPAKABAH, Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing). Its SIC code is 7997.