Save the Boundary Waters
Save the Boundary Waters is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization that mobilizes a 400+ member coalition of businesses, tribal nations, and environmental groups to permanently protect Minnesota's 1.1-million-acre Boundary Waters wilderness from sulfide-ore copper mining.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1904
- HeadquartersEly, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Save the Boundary Waters does
Save the Boundary Waters is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization operating as a program of Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness (Federal Tax ID: 01-0743018), headquartered in Ely, Minnesota — the gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The organization's singular mission is to permanently prevent sulfide-ore copper mining on federal lands within the 1.1-million-acre Boundary Waters watershed in northern Minnesota. It pursues this through litigation, federal and state legislative advocacy, public education, and coalition mobilization rather than through any technology product or commercial offering.
The organization builds and coordinates a coalition of over 400 businesses and organizations, including outfitters, lodges, tribal nations (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Grand Council Treaty 3, Lac La Croix First Nation), and aligned environmental nonprofits (Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy). Its advocacy apparatus spans action alerts, letters-to-the-editor campaigns, peer-to-peer fundraising adventures, annual gala and garden party events, a podcast, and active participation on the bi-national International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board. Revenue is generated entirely through tax-deductible donations via monthly giving, legacy/estate gifts, donor-advised funds, the Boundary Waters Action Fund, and event fundraisers such as the 2026 Boundary Waters Gala, which raised over $445,000 for the Boundary Waters Defense Fund.
Notable outcomes include mobilizing 675,000+ public comments supporting mining protections since 2016 and securing the historic 2023 federal mining ban (Public Land Order 7917). That regulatory win was reversed in April 2026 when President Trump signed H.J. Res. 140 into law, clearing the path for Twin Metals Minnesota's proposed copper-nickel mine and shifting the organization's focus to state-level administrative proceedings (Minnesota DNR permitting) and ongoing litigation including Save the Boundary Waters v. State of Minnesota. The organization holds Charity Navigator's Four Star rating, a Candid GuideStar Platinum Seal, and is a member of 1% for the Planet.
Save the Boundary Waters firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Save the Boundary Waters
- Legal name
- Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness
- Website
- https://savetheboundarywaters.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1904
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Save the Boundary Waters is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization that mobilizes a 400+ member coalition of businesses, tribal nations, and environmental groups to permanently protect Minnesota's 1.1-million-acre Boundary Waters wilderness from sulfide-ore copper mining.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Save the Boundary Waters industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Advocacy
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)
Keywords
Where Save the Boundary Waters is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ely
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Save the Boundary Waters business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Contributions: Individual donations from supporters who want to protect the Boundary Waters wilderness area. The organization accepts monthly giving, legacy and estate giving, and donor advised fund contributions. Save the Boundary Waters is a program of Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with Federal tax ID: 01-0743018.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Save the Boundary Waters product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Save the Boundary Waters is a nonprofit advocacy organization that campaigns to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota from sulfide-ore copper mining. Its core activities include public education, coalition building across businesses, tribal nations, and environmental groups, grassroots mobilization through action alerts and letters to the editor, peer-to-peer fundraising, legal and regulatory advocacy at the state and federal levels, and community events. The organization does not sell commercial products or services but sustains its mission through tax-deductible donations, grants, and event fundraising.
Product overview
Save the Boundary Waters is a nonprofit advocacy organization (a program of Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, 501(c)(3)) whose primary offering is advocacy and educational services rather than a technology product. The organization provides: advocacy campaigns and action alerts to mobilize supporters; educational resources including blog posts, podcasts, and a resource library covering trip planning, wilderness etiquette, and policy information; peer-to-peer fundraising tools enabling supporters to create personal fundraising pages; Letter to the Editor resources and templates; annual reports; and partnerships with over 400 businesses through its Business Coalition. The organization does not offer a software-as-a-service product, application, or technology platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Boundary Waters Action Fund: A fund associated with Save the Boundary Waters for advocacy and protection efforts.
Products and services
- Advocacy Campaign and Action Center Services Grassroots advocacy and public mobilization services that organize individual supporters to influence federal and state policy on sulfide-ore copper mining in the Boundary Waters watershed. Targets environmentally concerned individuals, outdoor recreation enthusiasts, and coalition members.
- Adventure Advocacy Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Program A peer-to-peer fundraising program where supporters organize personal wilderness adventures to raise donations for the Boundary Waters Defense Fund, with downloadable toolkits and GiveMN platform integration.
- Boundary Waters Business Coalition Coalition membership program for businesses, outfitters, lodges, restaurants, and retail establishments whose livelihoods depend on the Boundary Waters outdoor recreation economy, providing collective advocacy representation.
- Boundary Waters Action Fund Dedicated advocacy fund associated with Save the Boundary Waters that channels donations specifically toward protection and advocacy activities.
- Monthly Giving (Sustainer) Program Recurring donation program enabling individual supporters to provide sustained monthly contributions to fund advocacy, education, and protection of the Boundary Waters.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 675,000 public comments submitted in support of mining protections since 2016
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Save the Boundary Waters
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Save the Boundary Waters technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Save the Boundary Waters partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IR-LOWW)coreActive members of Save the Boundary Waters serve on both the community advisory group and industry advisory committee of the IR-LOWW Board, which coordinates bi-national water quality efforts for the transboundary watershed. The Board has elevated concerns about sulfide-ore copper mining proposals on the U.S. side of the Rainy River Drainage Basin.
- Grand Council Treaty 3coreSave the Boundary Waters representatives met with officials from Grand Council Treaty 3, which comprises 28 First Nations communities, during a trip to Fort Frances, Ontario in 2019. Basswood Lake in the Boundary Waters is an ancestral homeland of the Lac La Croix First Nation Community and a sacred place for Anishinaabe.
- Mille Lacs Band of OjibwecoreThe Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is part of the 'Convening Across Watersheds' coalition campaign launched to stop proposed copper-nickel sulfide mining projects in the Boundary Waters area, alongside Save the Boundary Waters, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, and Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.
- Friends of the Boundary Waters WildernesscoreLong-standing environmental advocacy partner in the coalition to protect the Boundary Waters from mining. Active in shifting focus to state proceedings after federal mining ban was overturned.
- Minnesota Center for Environmental AdvocacycoreEnvironmental advocacy organization partner in the coalition working to stop copper-nickel mining near the Boundary Waters through legislative and legal channels.
- Boundary Waters Business Coalition (400+ members)coreCoalition of over 400 businesses and organizations in northern Minnesota that support Boundary Waters protection. Includes outfitters, lodges, restaurants, and retail establishments. Many businesses are members of Save the Boundary Waters' Business Coalition and depend on the outdoor recreation economy.
- Paddle PlannerminorInteractive trip planning tool and supporter of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters. Their RouteFinder feature is recommended for route planning. Many outfitters use their platform.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Save the Boundary Waters competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Earthworks: National nonprofit dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the impacts of mining, oil, and gas extraction. Directly comparable threat focus (hardrock mining pollution), federal policy advocacy, and use of technical/regulatory expertise against sulfide-ore projects.
- Izaak Walton League of America: National nonprofit with a longstanding mission to conserve, restore, and protect freshwater resources and wild places. Comparable watershed-protection orientation and grassroots chapter-based advocacy, particularly resonant because freshwater ecosystems are central to the Boundary Waters campaign.
- Indigenous Environmental Network: National nonprofit coordinating Indigenous-led resistance to extractive industries and protecting treaty rights and sacred lands. Directly comparable as a coalition partner for Save the Boundary Waters' tribal-engagement work (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Grand Council Treaty 3) and shared opposition to sulfide-ore mining.
- Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy: Minnesota-based environmental law and policy organization that partners in coalition with Save the Boundary Waters on mining litigation and rulemaking. Highly comparable in legal advocacy model applied to Minnesota conservation fights, with broader scope but same state-level regulatory orientation.
- Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness: Long-standing sister nonprofit that exists specifically to protect, restore, and celebrate the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Closest direct peer — overlapping mission, donor base, and coalition activity with Save the Boundary Waters, distinguishing primarily by a stewardship/education emphasis rather than a litigation focus.
Broad incumbents
- Trout Unlimited: National coldwater fisheries conservation nonprofit with a Minnesota-based chapter and direct interest in protecting Boundary Waters fisheries from mining pollution. Directly comparable in freshwater conservation advocacy and federal land-use engagement, though broader portfolio.
- Center for Biological Diversity: National nonprofit using law, science, and creative media to protect endangered species and wild places. Comparable litigious advocacy model against extractive industries, overlapping in tactics (Endangered Species Act, ESA-based suits) used against mining threats nationally.
- The Wilderness Society: National nonprofit that protects and expands the National Wilderness Preservation System, including active engagement on Superior National Forest protections. Comparable advocacy + legal model but operates across the full National Wilderness System rather than a single watershed.
- National Parks Conservation Association: National nonprofit that defends and enhances the National Park System, with regional work on nearby Voyageurs National Park. Comparable regulatory advocacy model protecting adjacent federal protected lands, though broader scope and park-centric rather than wilderness-focused.
- Sierra Club: One of the largest U.S. environmental nonprofits with a long history of opposing sulfide-ore copper mining near the Boundary Waters and supporting the BWCAW's protected status. Comparable grassroots + legal playbook at much broader scale; acts as a generalist environmental advocate rather than a single-place specialist.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Save the Boundary Waters social profiles
Digital presenceSave the Boundary Waters financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Save the Boundary Waters leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Save the Boundary Waters funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Save the Boundary Waters 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 Save the Boundary Waters
What does Save the Boundary Waters do?
Save the Boundary Waters is a nonprofit advocacy organization that campaigns to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota from sulfide-ore copper mining. Its core activities include public education, coalition building across businesses, tribal nations, and environmental groups, grassroots mobilization through action alerts and letters to the editor, peer-to-peer fundraising, legal and regulatory advocacy at the state and federal levels, and community events. The organization does not sell commercial products or services but sustains its mission through tax-deductible donations, grants, and event fundraising.
Is Save the Boundary Waters a public or private company?
Save the Boundary Waters is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Save the Boundary Waters founded?
Save the Boundary Waters was founded in 1904. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Save the Boundary Waters based?
Save the Boundary Waters is headquartered in Ely, United States, in the North America region.
How does Save the Boundary Waters make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Contributions.
Who are Save the Boundary Waters's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Earthworks, Izaak Walton League of America, Indigenous Environmental Network, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. Broad incumbents are Trout Unlimited, Center for Biological Diversity, The Wilderness Society, National Parks Conservation Association and Sierra Club.
Does Save the Boundary Waters have an API?
No public API is recorded for Save the Boundary Waters.
What industry is Save the Boundary Waters in?
Save the Boundary Waters's product category is Environmental Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAK, Water Resources & Watershed Protection, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAC, Land Trusts & Protected Areas. Its NAICS code is 813312.