Reel Recovery, Inc.

What Reel Recovery, Inc. does

Reel Recovery, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID 91-2193394) founded in May 2003 that provides free, multi-day fly-fishing retreats for men living with all forms of cancer. Headquartered at 160 Brookside Road in Needham, Massachusetts, the organization was established by a group of avid fly-fishers inspired by their fishing buddy Stewart (Stu) Brown's battle with brain cancer. Its core program combines expert fly-fishing instruction with directed group discussions branded as "courageous conversations," creating a supportive peer environment where participants share their cancer experiences, learn a new skill, and form lasting friendships. Since founding, Reel Recovery has served over 5,000 men through its retreat programs, which now span the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom, with approximately 35+ retreats conducted annually.

The organization is wholly donation-funded and operates with a lean paid staff of 1-10 employees supplemented by volunteer coordinators and fishing buddies who facilitate each retreat. Healthcare providers, cancer centers, and oncologists serve as institutional referral sources connecting men to the program. Reel Recovery supplements its donation base with a branded online merchandise store offering co-branded apparel and fishing accessories developed with partners including Orvis, Poncho Outdoors, Native Outfitters, and CANVAS. All retreats remain free of charge to participants, with the organization explicitly committed to eliminating financial barriers for men facing cancer.

The technology footprint is minimal: a Wix-hosted website, an e-commerce storefront, and social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X. The founding capital was a three-year grant from the Lance Armstrong Foundation (now Livestrong), secured by Stu Brown in 2003. Revenue mechanics combine individual and corporate donations, foundation grants, and merchandise sales, with no participant fees. The organization's website is built and maintained by Haas Designs.

Name

Reel Recovery, Inc.

Legal name

Reel Recovery

Website

https://reelrecovery.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Reel Recovery is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free multi-day fly-fishing retreats for men living with all forms of cancer, combining fly-fishing instruction with peer support discussions. Founded in 2003, the organization has served over 5,000 men across four countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Support and Therapeutic Retreat Services

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Rehabilitation & Recovery Retreats (Physio, Post-Op, Pain Management) (THAGAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fishing & Angling Charters / Guides (THAAALAD)

Keywords

• Cancer support retreats
• Fly-fishing therapy programs
• Men's cancer survivorship
• Peer support services
• Nonprofit health programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Needham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Reel Recovery is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID# 91-2193394) wholly supported by donations from businesses, organizations, foundations, and individuals. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. The organization emphasizes keeping retreats completely free to eliminate financial barriers to participation.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization operates an online shop selling branded merchandise including t-shirts, caps, long-sleeve shirts, vests, fishing equipment combos, and accessories. Products are sourced from partner companies (Orvis, Poncho Outdoors, Native Outfitters) who donate inventory, with a high percentage of sales revenue going directly to fund free retreats.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Reel Recovery is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free multi-day fly-fishing retreats for men living with all forms of cancer. Each retreat combines expert fly-fishing instruction with directed peer-led "courageous conversations," giving participants a supportive environment to share their cancer experiences, learn a new outdoor skill, form lasting friendships, and access cancer-related resources. The organization supplements its retreat programming with an online shop selling branded apparel and fishing accessories, the proceeds of which help fund the free retreats.

Product overview

Reel Recovery offers free fly-fishing retreats for men living with all forms of cancer as its core program. The organization's offerings include the flagship Fly-Fishing Cancer Retreats combining expert fly-fishing instruction with directed courageous conversations, supplemented by a merchandise store featuring branded apparel and fishing accessories. Merchandise includes collaborations with partners such as Poncho Outdoors, Orvis, Native Outfitters, and CANVAS, with items ranging from t-shirts and caps to fishing gear combos and accessories, with proceeds supporting the free retreats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fly-Fishing Cancer Retreats Free multi-day fly-fishing retreats combining expert fly-fishing instruction with directed courageous conversations, providing men with all forms of cancer a supportive environment to share stories, learn new skills, form lasting friendships, and gain renewed hope.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ men served since founding in 2003
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OrviscoreOthersOrvis provides branded merchandise including men's long-sleeve shirts and insulated drift vests for Reel Recovery's online shop. The partnership includes the Orvis Clearwater Combo fishing rod/reel set. Orvis demonstrates generosity by providing products where a high percentage of revenue goes directly to fund free retreats.
• Poncho OutdoorsminorOthersPoncho Outdoors collaborated with Reel Recovery on a branded short-sleeve shirt featuring their logo, sold as part of the year-end giving campaign.
• Native OutfittersminorOthersNative Outfitters partners with Reel Recovery on branded men's DriQ Performance Shirts sold through the online store.
• CANVAS (Apparel)minorOthersCANVAS provides branded unisex long-sleeve t-shirts for Reel Recovery's merchandise collection.
• Haas DesignsminorOthersHaas Designs built the organization's website, providing the digital platform for Reel Recovery's online presence.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• First Descents: Provides outdoor adventure experiences (including fly-fishing, surfing, and kayaking) for young adults impacted by cancer. Directly comparable as a cancer-survivor outdoor-therapy nonprofit with similar volunteer-led retreat delivery.
• Casting for Recovery: Provides free fly-fishing retreats for women with breast cancer. Closest comparable organization—same fly-fishing-plus-peer-support model targeting the opposite demographic, and competes for similar donor and volunteer ecosystems.
• Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing: Uses fly-fishing and associated activities to assist in the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans. Directly comparable as a therapeutic fly-fishing organization using volunteer networks and outdoor experiences.

Emerging players

• Epic Experience: Offers free outdoor adventure camps and retreats for adults impacted by cancer. Comparable cancer-survivor retreat model with similar mission, smaller scale, and overlapping donor and volunteer pools.
• Send Me On Vacation: Provides free vacations and wellness retreats for cancer survivors, primarily breast cancer. Comparable cancer-survivor retreat mission with a travel/vacation orientation rather than a sport-specific modality.
• Camp Kesem: Operates free summer camps and year-round support programs for children affected by a parent's cancer. Comparable cancer-impact support nonprofit, but serves a different demographic (children vs. adult men) and uses a camp rather than retreat format.
• Little Pink Houses of Hope: Provides free week-long vacation retreats for breast cancer patients and their families. Comparable retreat-style cancer support nonprofit, though more lodging-focused than activity-led.

Broad incumbents

• Livestrong Foundation: Large established cancer survivorship nonprofit providing broad programs, resources, and advocacy. Comparable as a leading cancer-support brand that overlaps donor audiences with Reel Recovery and was an early funder of the organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ReelRecovery
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/reelrecovery/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/ReelRecovery
• Instagraminstagram.com/reelrecovery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reel-recovery

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Reel Recovery, Inc.