Waterwell Developing & Surveys

What Waterwell Developing & Surveys does

Waterwell Developing & Surveys is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization founded in 2002 and headquartered at 321 W 44th St in New York City. It produces original theater, film, and digital media that explore complex civic questions, with a programmatic focus on immigration rights, climate displacement, and civic education. The organization curates content from multi-source oral history collections (e.g., Museum of Chinese in America, NYPL Bridging Our Stories, Queens Irish Oral History Project) and stages live performances, town halls, traveling art installations, and animated advocacy videos in partnership with advocacy NGOs and NYC cultural venues.

Its core products are live theatrical productions and curated storytelling events (Stories from the City of Immigrants, Immigration Detention Town Hall, New York Proud, Stolen Summers) and digital advocacy video content (Screens Aren't Support, Children in Detention). It distributes through partner venues (Symphony Space, Perelman Performing Arts Center, Judson Memorial Church, Astor Place Plaza), national broadcast via Symphony Space's Selected Shorts podcast/radio show, and owned channels (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn). The organization's go-to-market is event-driven: producing performances and political-education events that draw 200–800 attendees, often free or sliding-scale ($10–$50), with the recorded performance subsequently amplified through media partners and broadcast distribution.

Waterwell generates revenue through tax-deductible donations (one-time, monthly recurring, stock, donor-advised funds, corporate matching) and grants; it does not sell products or charge market-rate fees. Its customer base consists of general arts/culture audiences, immigration-rights advocates, and climate-displacement communities, served alongside co-developing partner organizations such as the NY Immigration Coalition, Dignity Not Detention Coalition, National Center for Youth Law, Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, and Extreme Weather Survivors. Recognition includes a Theatre Grant Award at the 69th Annual Obie Awards (2026).

Name

Waterwell Developing & Surveys

Legal name

Waterwell

Website

https://waterwell.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Waterwell is a New York-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that produces original theater, film, and digital media exploring civic issues such as immigration rights and climate displacement, serving general arts audiences and advocacy communities through live events, advocacy videos, and oral history projects in partnership with NGOs and cultural venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Waterwell generates revenue primarily through tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporate matching, and other charitable contribution mechanisms. The organization accepts online donations, mobile payments via PayPal, stock donations, donor advised fund gifts, and recurring monthly gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Waterwell is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that creates original theatre, film, and digital media productions exploring complex civic questions. The organization produces live theatrical performances, documentary and animated videos for advocacy campaigns, oral history-driven storytelling events, and traveling art installations, often in partnership with civic and immigration-rights organizations in New York City.

Product overview

Waterwell is a non-profit arts organization that creates theatre, film, and digital media at the intersection of art and civic engagement. The organization operates as a unified creative production entity offering live theatrical performances, documentary films, advocacy video content, and cultural events. Their portfolio includes theatrical productions addressing civic questions, documentary and animated video projects supporting legal advocacy (such as the Screens Aren't Support video for the Amica Center and Children in Detention video for NCYL), and public cultural events like the Stories from the City of Immigrants oral history series, Immigration Detention Town Halls, and the New York Proud campaign kickoff events. Waterwell functions as both a production company creating original content and a fiscal sponsor/platform for community-driven storytelling initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theatre Productions
• Film Production
• Digital Media
• Stories from the City of Immigrants
• Immigration Detention Town Hall
• New York Proud
• Screens Aren't Support Video
• Children in Detention Video
• Stolen Summers

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 800 audience members at single event with national broadcast reach
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Symphony SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Produced Stories from the City of Immigrants at Peter Jay Sharp Theatre. Symphony Space provided the venue and the performance was recorded for national broadcast on their syndicated Selected Shorts radio show and podcast.
• Dignity Not Detention CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2026Created in partnership with Dignity Not Detention Coalition for Immigration Detention Town Hall event at Judson Memorial Church. The event gathered in solidarity to act to end immigration detention in New York state with The Dignity Not Detention Act and uphold the Flores Settlement Agreement protections.
• NY Immigration CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced Stories from the City of Immigrants in association with NY Immigration Coalition. Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of NYIC, joined the event.
• NY Immigration CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented New York Proud event to celebrate the vibrant role of immigrants in NYC's past, present and future to kick off the Fall 2025 New York Proud campaign.
• Perelman Performing Arts CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosted New York Proud event at Perelman Performing Arts Center (PACNYC) venue in September 2025.
• Extreme Weather SurvivorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to kick off the nationwide tour of Stolen Summers, a traveling art installation and storytelling project honoring people whose lives were stolen by extreme weather events.
• MA-MAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented Stolen Summers traveling art installation at Astor Place Plaza.
• Amica Center for Immigrant RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated video in partnership with the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights explaining how the Trump administration cut off funding for legal support of unaccompanied children. Video supports federal lawsuit CLSEPA v. HHS.
• National Center for Youth LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced video with National Center for Youth Law raising awareness about dangers of budget reconciliation bill to detained immigrant children. Coalition of organizations served as co-counsel for Flores Settlement Agreement.
• DocumentedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for Stories from the City of Immigrants. Documented is New York's nonprofit, multilingual news site for immigrant communities.
• Fogo Azul NYCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMusical performance partner for New York Proud and other events. Fogo Azul is a women-led samba reggae drumline marching band.
• Resistance Revival ChorusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMusical performance partner for New York Proud event celebrating immigrant contributions to NYC.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Atlantic Theater Company: Off-Broadway nonprofit theater producing new work in NYC. Comparable as a NYC-based nonprofit producing original theater, but operates at a larger institutional scale with broader programming than Waterwell.
• The Public Theater: One of NYC's most established nonprofit theaters, producing new work that engages civic and social issues. Comparable in civic mission and NYC base, but significantly larger in scale, resources, and programming breadth than Waterwell.
• New York Theatre Workshop: Established Off-Broadway nonprofit producing new work with civic and social dimensions. Comparable as a NYC theater nonprofit producing original civic work, but larger in scale, budget, and institutional backing than Waterwell.

Direct peers

• National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO): NYC nonprofit theater company producing work that addresses Asian American identities and broader social issues. Comparable in scale and operating model as a NYC civic theater nonprofit producing original work with community partners.
• Ping Chong and Company: NYC-based nonprofit theater company producing original work addressing issues of race, immigration, and social justice. Comparable to Waterwell in blending documentary/oral history material with theatrical performance for civic impact.
• Epic Theatre Ensemble: NYC nonprofit theater company creating work that examines contemporary social and political issues through ensemble-driven productions. Comparable in mission to merge artistic excellence with civic engagement and community partnerships.
• Ma-Yi Theater Company: NYC-based nonprofit producing new work by Asian American playwrights, often addressing immigration, identity, and community. Comparable in producing original civic-focused theater with strong community and advocacy partnerships.
• The TEAM: Brooklyn-based theater ensemble creating original performance work that explores American identity, politics, and culture. Comparable as a small NYC ensemble producing ambitious original theater with civic framing.
• The Civilians: Off-Broadway theater company that creates investigative plays exploring civic and political questions. Closely comparable to Waterwell in producing original civic storytelling work with community and advocacy partnerships in NYC.
• New Federal Theatre: NYC nonprofit founded by Woodie King Jr. producing theater that addresses the experiences of underrepresented communities and social justice themes. Comparable in civic mission and original work with community organizations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@waterwell8154
• Facebookfacebook.com/waterwell
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waterwell
• Instagraminstagram.com/waterwell_org

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Waterwell Developing & Surveys