Water Walkers

What Water Walkers does

Water Walkers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on February 16, 2016 by Clint Bandy. It provides integrated youth development programming to at-risk youth, ages approximately 5-18, primarily in Nashville's Edgehill public housing community. The organization operates a single service model called the Five Pillars of Programming, which consists of interconnected service lines: Outdoor Adventure (watersports including wakeboarding, tubing, swimming, plus hiking, climbing, and zip lining), Education (K-12 literacy and math tutoring delivered Monday-Friday, 46 weeks per year, using the IXL Learning personalized learning platform integrated with Junior Achievement financial literacy curriculum), Wellness (mental health assessments, weekly counseling, and trauma-informed care delivered by licensed therapists for youth dealing with Adverse Childhood Experiences), Basic Needs (weekly grocery and hygiene product deliveries to youth and families via partner churches and food rescue organizations), and Leadership (a paid 12-month program for teens ages 14-18 covering job training, work experience, mentorship, and life-skills workshops).

The organization's underlying technology stack is intentionally lean and operationally focused rather than technology-centric. The core educational technology is the third-party IXL Learning platform, which provides personalized learning pathways, real-time analytics, and progress monitoring. Programs are delivered in person at partner facilities, at Percy Priest Lake for outdoor adventures, and via direct delivery to families for basic needs. Enrollment is referral-based through Metro Nashville Public Schools rather than open enrollment, and a 2025 cohort of 70 students completed 6,033 IXL lessons with an average 131.15 lessons per student and reading improvements of 0.94 grade levels for new students and up to 0.99 grade levels for returning students.

Water Walkers' business model is that of a community-funded nonprofit rather than a commercial enterprise. Revenue is generated through three streams: monthly recurring donations via the Groundswell program (promoting $10/month gifts under a '500 Water Walkers' campaign), one-time individual and organizational donations, and grants from foundations and corporate sponsors including the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Dettwiller Foundation, Memorial Foundation, Amazon, Adobe, HCA Healthcare, Nissan, Alliance Bernstein, Pinnacle Financial Partners, First Horizon Bank, and the Predators Foundation. The program is offered free of charge to qualifying youth. The go-to-market motion is community-led: awareness and enrollment are driven by school referrals, word-of-mouth within Edgehill, and social media (Instagram and Facebook) plus a bi-monthly e-newsletter. Marketing channels include organic social, email, website content, and grassroots community referrals. Distribution is direct service delivery via a small core staff of 5 (Founder/Interim ED, Program Coordinator, Development Specialist, Program Assistant, Operations Manager) supplemented by volunteers and partner organizations, all operating within a single Nashville geography with no stated expansion to additional markets.

Name

Water Walkers

Legal name

Water Walkers

Website

https://waterwalkerstn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Water Walkers is a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 that provides outdoor adventure, education, wellness, basic needs, and leadership programming to at-risk youth in the Edgehill community. Services are delivered free of charge Monday-Friday, 46 weeks a year, funded by donations, monthly recurring gifts, and grants from local foundations and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Monthly Giving (Groundswell): Recurring monthly donations from supporters through the 'Groundswell' program, providing consistent operational funding for daily programs, meals, counseling, and outdoor adventures.
2. General Donations: One-time donations from individuals and organizations supporting the nonprofit's mission to serve at-risk youth in Nashville.
3. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from various foundations and corporate partners including Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Dettwiller Foundation, Amazon, Adobe, and others listed on the Partners page.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Water Walkers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports underserved youth ages 11-24 in the Nashville, TN area through five integrated program pillars: outdoor adventure experiences, education and tutoring (using the IXL Learning platform), wellness and mental-health counseling, basic-needs support (clothing, food, hygiene items), and leadership development including paid summer internships. All services are provided at no cost to participants, and the organization is funded entirely through charitable donations, grants, sponsorships, and in-kind contributions.

Product overview

Water Walkers is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 2016, that operates a single unified program model called the Five Pillars of Programming. This integrated service structure consists of five interconnected pillars—Outdoor Adventure, Education, Wellness, Basic Needs, and Leadership—that work together to holistically serve at-risk youth. The organization also maintains a Groundswell monthly giving program for sustainable funding and accepts in-kind donations. Founded by Clint Bandy, the organization provides year-round programming (46 weeks, Monday-Friday) for youth who are multiple grade levels behind and lack access to outdoor experiences, mental health support, and basic necessities. The Five Pillars are designed to be mutually dependent; if children go home hungry or unaddressed trauma persists, academic focus suffers. Water Walkers primarily serves youth from a public housing community in Nashville's Edgehill neighborhood.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outdoor Adventure Program Outdoor adventure activities (such as lake outings and group recreation) provided to Water Walkers youth participants ages 11-24 at no cost, designed to expose underserved youth to new experiences, build confidence, and create safe recreational opportunities.
• Education & Tutoring Program Academic tutoring delivered through the licensed IXL Learning platform to support Water Walkers youth participants in building grade-level skills, with the goal of improving educational outcomes for underserved youth.
• Wellness & Mental Health Counseling Program One-on-one and group counseling and mental-health support provided to Water Walkers youth participants ages 11-24 at no cost, addressing emotional, behavioral, and trauma-related needs.
• Basic Needs Support Program Provision of food, clothing, hygiene items, and other essential material goods to Water Walkers youth participants and their families who face economic hardship.
• Leadership Development & Paid Summer Internship Program Paid summer internship and leadership-development programming for Water Walkers youth participants, designed to teach work-readiness skills, professional behavior, and career exposure to teens and young adults ages 11-24.

Quantifiable outcome

• New students improve reading by average 0.94 grade levels over first 16 weeks
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nashville Metro Action (NAZA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner providing resources through the Metropolitan Action Commission, supporting youth and families in Nashville.
• IXL LearningcoreTechnology or IntegrationEducational technology partner providing award-winning literacy and math software used in Water Walkers' tutoring programs.
• Junior AchievementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial literacy curriculum provider. All students completed Junior Achievement courses including More than Money, Economics for Success, and Career Success.
• Metro Nashville Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary referral partner for student enrollment. Water Walkers receives referrals from partner schools within MNPS.
• Watson Grove Baptist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partner providing food and hygiene product donations for weekly deliveries to families.
• Nashville Food ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood rescue and hunger relief organization providing produce and food items for family grocery deliveries.
• One Generation AwayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood distribution organization contributing to weekly food box deliveries for families.
• Belmont UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner; staff member Lucas Minton studied Music Business at Belmont.
• Vanderbilt UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner; board member Donovan Sheffield associated with Vanderbilt University.
• TN Wildlife Resources AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency partner supporting outdoor adventure and environmental education programs.
• Youth Encouragement ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth services organization partner in Nashville.
• Metro Nashville Health DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment health partner supporting wellness programming.
• William Edmondson ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity church partner serving the Edgehill neighborhood.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee: Nonprofit delivering financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship programs to K-12 youth. Already a partner of Water Walkers (all students completed JA courses), and comparable in delivering structured curriculum to the same Nashville youth populations.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee: Regional chapter of the largest U.S. youth development network; serves school-age youth in Nashville with after-school and summer programming. Directly comparable as a community-based, multi-program youth services nonprofit operating in the same geography.
• KIPP Nashville Public Schools: Network of public charter schools serving predominantly low-income students in Nashville. Comparable in serving Metro Nashville Public Schools-referred youth with academic gaps, and in targeting the same underserved Nashville communities.
• Big City Mountaineers: Nonprofit that uses outdoor adventure expeditions (hiking, climbing) combined with mentoring to support under-resourced youth. Closely comparable in the 'outdoor adventure as youth development' model and target population.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee: Mentoring-based youth development nonprofit serving the same Nashville region with one-to-one adult mentorship for at-risk youth. Comparable in target population, referral-based enrollment, and reliance on community volunteers.
• Communities In Schools of Middle Tennessee: Site-based youth services nonprofit placing coordinators inside schools to deliver integrated supports (academic, basic needs, mentoring) to at-risk students. Closely comparable in its school-referral enrollment model and integrated-pillar approach.
• Oasis Center Nashville: Nashville-based youth services nonprofit offering counseling, education, and leadership programs for at-risk youth. Comparable in mission, target population, and integrated youth development model, and competes for the same Nashville donor base.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Middle Tennessee: Regional YMCA serving the Nashville area with broad youth programming including aquatics, education, and wellness. Comparable in the water/outdoor programming pillar and integrated youth services, though operates at a much larger scale across many locations.

Emerging players

• Outdoor Outreach: San Diego-based nonprofit using outdoor activities (surfing, hiking, climbing) to empower at-risk and foster youth. Comparable in the use of water/outdoor activities as a primary engagement mechanism for underserved youth populations.
• The First Tee: National youth development organization using a sport (golf) as the engagement vehicle to teach life skills and character to youth. Comparable as a sport/outdoor-based youth character development nonprofit with measurable outcome frameworks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/waterwalkerstn
• Instagraminstagram.com/waterwalkers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/water-walkers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Water Walkers