Active Southern West Virginia

What Active Southern West Virginia does

Active Southern West Virginia (Active SWV) is a Beckley, West Virginia-based non-profit organization founded in 2015 with a founding grant from the Massey Family Foundation. The organization provides a free, volunteer-led ecosystem of physical activity, wellness, and race programs to residents of southern West Virginia, with a stated focus on underserved coal-impacted communities. All programs are offered at no cost to participants, and the organization reports reaching 10 counties, over 100 schools and community groups, thousands of youth participants, and hundreds of volunteers.

The organization's core product is not a technology platform but a community-based program delivery model organized around five interconnected pillars: Community Captains (volunteer-led local programming), Kids Run Clubs and Kids Hike Clubs (youth physical literacy for ages 8–13), Active Places (trails, biking, playgrounds, disc golf, and outdoor access resources), Workplace Wellness (employer-based health programs), and Signature Events (races including the New River Gorge Rim to Rim, Thurmond Triathlon, Howlin' Trails 5K/10K, Beckley Half Marathon, and Bridge Day 5K). Programs are facilitated by trained community volunteers sourced from within the communities served, and the organization maintains a free membership infrastructure via a GrowthZone-based member portal.

The business model is a non-profit funding model combining three streams: recurring monthly sponsorships from local businesses at $250 per month (with newsletter and program calendar placement as the value exchange), individual and organizational donations (including a GiveButter donation channel), and foundation grants (anchored by the Massey Family Foundation through the Beckley Area Foundation). The go-to-market motion is community-led rather than sales-led, relying on partnerships, schools, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), email newsletters, and signature events to drive participation and sponsorship. Customers/end beneficiaries include youth participants, adults in underserved communities, and employers in the Workplace Wellness vertical.

Name

Active Southern West Virginia

Legal name

ACTIVE Southern West Virginia

Website

https://activeswv.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Active Southern West Virginia is a 2015-founded Beckley, West Virginia non-profit that delivers free, volunteer-led physical activity, wellness, and race programs across 10 counties, serving youth, adults in coal-impacted communities, and employers through Kids Run Clubs, Community Captains, Active Places, Workplace Wellness, and Signature Events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Wellness Programs

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor Fitness & Park Bootcamps (HSADABAC), Student Clubs & Organizations (General Interest, Cultural, Service) (EDAJAJAG), Outdoor, Adventure & Recreational Wellness Education (Hiking, Breathwork in Nature) (EDAAAHAO)

Keywords

• Community wellness programs
• Physical activity initiatives
• Youth running clubs
• Trail and outdoor resources
• Community race events

Headquarters

HQ city

Beckley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships: Monthly sponsorship program where businesses pay $250 per month to be featured in Active SWV's monthly newsletter and program calendar, with funds directly supporting free physical activity programs and weekly community events.
2. Donations: Direct donations from individuals and organizations supporting the nonprofit mission of improving health in southern West Virginia communities.
3. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including the Massey Family Foundation (founding grant in 2015) and Beckley Area Foundation for programs and scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Active Southern West Virginia is a non-profit organization that delivers free, volunteer-led physical activity, wellness, and race programs to residents of southern West Virginia. Its offerings include Community Captains volunteer initiatives, Kids Run Clubs for youth, Active Places trail and outdoor resources, Workplace Wellness programs, and signature race events. All programs are provided at no cost to participants and are funded by sponsorships, donations, and foundation grants.

Product overview

Active Southern West Virginia is a non-profit organization providing an ecosystem of physical activity programs for residents of southern West Virginia. Rather than a technology product company, it operates as a community wellness organization offering multiple interconnected programs: Community Captains (volunteer-led initiative), Kids Run Clubs (youth physical literacy), Active Places (trail and outdoor resources), Workplace Wellness (employer-based health programs), and Signature Events (organized races and athletic competitions). The organization also provides free membership access to programs, all designed to remove barriers to health in underserved coal-impacted communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Captains Volunteer-led program that trains community members to lead physical activity initiatives in their local areas, including Get Active in the Park, Diabetes Prevention Program (Prevent T2), and Walk With Ease. Designed to remove barriers to health in underserved coal-impacted communities and serves individuals in southern West Virginia.
• Kids Run Clubs Free physical activity programs for youth ages 8-13 that build confidence and physical literacy through school- and community-based running and hiking clubs, including Kids Hike Clubs and 21CCLC Recognized Clubs. Has reached over 100 schools and community groups and is intended to influence family activity habits.
• Active Places Resources and programs focused on creating and promoting accessible outdoor spaces for physical activity, including Trail Resources, Easy to Find Views, Disc Golf Resources, Public Playground Resources, Stroller Friendly Trails, Family Friendly Swimming Areas, and Bike/Walk SWV initiatives.
• Workplace Wellness Programs that bring health and wellness into worksites, providing education, environmental changes, community partnerships, and worksite challenges to promote employee wellbeing. Targets southern West Virginia employers.
• Signature Events Organized athletic events and race series including New River Gorge Rim to Rim Race, Thurmond Triathlon, Howlin' Trails 5K/10K at Wolf Creek, Beckley Half Marathon & 5K, Bridge Day 5K RUN, and the Swing Fore! Southern WV golf fundraiser. Also includes Active SWV Races programming.
• Monthly Free Programs Free recurring monthly physical activity programs published in the monthly program calendar, with dates, times, and locations provided across southern West Virginia communities for community members to attend.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 schools and community groups reached through Kids Run Club program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Highland OutdoorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJuly Program Sponsor featured in monthly newsletter and program calendar. Sponsorship funds go directly to supporting free physical activity programs and weekly community events.
• Beckley Area TrailscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization activating new trails and experiences throughout the region. Community Captain Jaxon is involved in projects including leading group rides. Active SWV collaborates with this group to grow the mountain biking community and trail stewardship.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Recreation and Park Association: National nonprofit advancing parks, recreation, and community health at scale. Overlaps Active SWV's Active Places and Community Captains mission but operates as a broad industry association rather than a direct program provider.

Direct peers

• Active Montgomery: County-wide nonprofit promoting free community fitness and wellness programs via volunteer-led classes and partnerships, sharing the 'Active [Region]' branding family and free-access physical activity model with Active SWV.
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: Nonprofit focused on converting rail-trails into active transportation and recreation corridors with strong volunteer stewardship — directly aligned with Active SWV's Active Places trail programs and Bike/Walk SWV Complete Streets work.
• Girls on the Run: National nonprofit delivering volunteer-coached youth running and physical literacy programs through schools and community sites — directly comparable to Active SWV's Kids Run Clubs in target audience (school-aged youth), volunteer coaching model, and physical activity outcomes.
• Active Anne Arundel: Community-based nonprofit that uses trained local volunteers to deliver free physical activity programs across a defined region, mirroring Active SWV's Community Captains model and youth/adult programming mix. Closest direct comparable in mission, structure, and go-to-market.
• Road Runners Club of America: National membership-based association supporting community running clubs, youth running programs, and race events — comparable to Active SWV's Kids Run Club growth, recurring local races, and volunteer-driven community running infrastructure.

Emerging players

• American Hiking Society: Nonprofit focused on hiking advocacy, trail stewardship, and volunteer trail-building — directly comparable to Active SWV's Kids Hike Clubs, trail resources, and volunteer-led outdoor programming model.

Regional players

• Appalachian Mountain Club: Regional outdoor recreation nonprofit delivering volunteer-led hiking, trail maintenance, and outdoor education across the Appalachians. Comparable volunteer-stewardship and outdoor activity programming model to Active SWV's Community Captains and Active Places.
• West Virginia Rivers Coalition: West Virginia-based nonprofit working on outdoor recreation, trail/water stewardship, and community engagement — comparable geographic focus and overlapping outdoor recreation programming in southern West Virginia.
• YMCA of Southern West Virginia: Regional YMCA operating fitness, youth, and wellness programming across southern West Virginia. Directly overlapping geography and overlapping audiences (youth, adults, employers) but with facility-based rather than volunteer-led delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/activeswv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/active-southern-west-virginia
• Instagraminstagram.com/activeswv
• Facebookfacebook.com/ActiveSWV

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Active Southern West Virginia