Swim Strong Foundation, Inc.

What Swim Strong Foundation, Inc. does

Swim Strong Foundation, Inc. is a New York City-based 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2006 by Shawn Slevin, delivering water safety education and swim instruction to children, families, competitive swimmers, and community organizations across the city's five boroughs. The foundation's core intellectual property is the registered "Know Before You Go!®" curriculum, a situational water-safety education series that covers drowning risks, rip currents, natural elements of pools, lakes, rivers, oceans, and seasonal hazards, delivered in person, remotely, or hybrid via Google Classroom and Zoom. The product portfolio is structured as a four-tier progression: Get Ready, Get Wet (ages 3+ with adult), Learn to Swim (mature 6+), Competitive & Stroke Enhancement ($270–$360 per two-month session), and Bootcamps ($79–$99) featuring Olympic athletes and world-record holders, with supplementary digital products (podcasts at $19.99, documentary, 7-part Beach Safety Video Series) and free community events such as WaterPalooza.

The business model combines small-dollar consumer class registration ($75–$360 per session), individual donations and fundraising events, corporate sponsorships (Finis Swim, Modell's Sporting Goods), and premium specialty programming. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via a website e-commerce storefront and physical classes at school pools and aquatic centers in Brooklyn and Queens (Bushwick HS, James Madison HS, Far Rockaway HS, Jamaica HS, Flushing Meadows Aquatic Center). The foundation's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging partnerships with USA Swimming Foundation, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority's Eta Nu Sigma Brooklyn chapter, Surfrider Foundation NYC, NY State Senator Kevin S. Parker, and international allies (Princess Charlene Foundation of Monaco, Brisbane-based Rotary drowning-prevention club) to drive referrals, volunteer engagement, and legislative advocacy. Headcount is 1–10, and the organization is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026 with cumulative milestones of 121,000+ students reached, 12,400+ people taught to swim, 535+ certified lifeguards, and over $2 million in free and low-cost lessons delivered.

Name

Swim Strong Foundation, Inc.

Legal name

Swim Strong Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://swimstrongfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Swim Strong Foundation is a New York City-based 501c3 nonprofit that delivers the registered Know Before You Go!® water safety curriculum and tiered swim instruction (introductory through Olympic-level bootcamps) to children, families, and competitive swimmers across NYC's five boroughs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Swimming Instruction & Water Safety Education

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding) (EDALAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lifeguard, Water Rescue & Aquatic Safety Training (EDAOAMAJ)

Keywords

• Swim instruction services
• Water safety education
• Drowning prevention programs
• Youth swim lessons
• Swim scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

East Elmhurst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Class Registration Fees: Revenue from selling swim lessons and classes at various price points ($75-$360 per session). Two-month session cycles with online registration.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, holiday raffles, and fundraising events supporting the scholarship fund and free/low-cost programming.
3. Special Programs and Bootcamps: Revenue from premium programs including Olympic athlete-led bootcamps, stroke enhancement programs, and specialty workshops ($79-$99 per participant).
4. Digital Content Sales: Sales of digital content including podcasts and educational materials ($19.99 for podcast downloads).
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorships from companies like Finis Swim (20% discount code promotion) and Modell's Sporting Goods (5% contribution from sales).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Swim Strong Foundation delivers in-person, remote, and hybrid water safety education and swim instruction programs across New York City. The organization sells class registrations for beginner, intermediate, and competitive swim levels, and provides need-based scholarships, free community clinics, and the proprietary Know Before You Go!® curriculum.

Product overview

Swim Strong Foundation operates as a water safety education and swim instruction nonprofit offering a portfolio of programs centered around its core Know Before You Go!® curriculum. The service model combines in-person, remote, and hybrid instruction through named class products: Get Ready Get Wet (introductory classes for ages 3+ with adult), Learn to Swim (foundation skills for mature 6+), Competitive & Stroke Enhancement (advanced stroke development and racing skills), and Bootcamp programs featuring Olympic athletes. Community outreach is delivered through event programs including WaterPalooza and Swim 1922, while digital content includes the Beach Safety video series and organizational documentary. The organization celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2006–2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Know Before You Go!®: Water safety education series tailored to various age groups focusing on situational knowledge of different water environments, from pools to open water.

Products and services

• Know Before You Go!® Flagship water safety education curriculum teaching situational knowledge of water environments for all age groups, delivered via Google Classroom and Zoom or in-person.
• Learn to Swim Swim instruction covering proper breathing and streamlining techniques for individuals without prior swim lessons who are comfortable in the water.
• Get Ready, Get Wet Introductory swim class building comfort and confidence in preparation for actual swim instruction; children as young as 3 may participate with adult family member.
• Competitive & Stroke Enhancement Advanced swim instruction for stroke development (breaststroke, butterfly) and competitive skills including starts, turns, and race strategy for competitive swimmers, triathletes, and water sport clinic participants.
• Bootcamp Intensive swim training programs featuring Olympic athletes and elite coaches for competitive swimmers, including breaststroke, freestyle, butterfly, and core workout sessions.
• Water Safety Training Programs Comprehensive water safety training programs providing environmental water safety education and certification support for organizations promoting competitive swimming.

Quantifiable outcome

• 121,000+ students reached with water safety education
• +3 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

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and secondary.

• Eta Nu Sigma Brooklyn Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 May 2026Co-presenter of WaterPalooza 26, a free community-wide water safety and swim clinic event. Partner in Swim 1922 program developed with USA Swimming Foundation. Provides community outreach and organizational support for water safety initiatives.
• Seven Roses Legacy FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 May 2026Co-presenter of WaterPalooza 26 community water safety and swim clinic event. Supports foundation's mission to reduce drowning through community programming.
• USA Swimming FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 May 2026Strategic partner in Swim 1922 water safety program development. Collaborates on drowning prevention and water safety education initiatives.
• New York State Senator Kevin S. ParkercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 May 2026Government partner presenting New York State Legislative Resolution at WaterPalooza 26. Supports water safety legislation advocacy and community initiatives.
• Princess Charlene Foundation of MonacomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational water safety foundation that has supported Swim Strong Foundation. Shared mission of drowning prevention and water safety education for children globally.
• Global Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Rotary Club (Brisbane, Australia)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Rotary club focused on water safety and drowning prevention. Shawn Slevin affiliated with this organization for global water safety advocacy.
• Water Safety Coalition (NYC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYC-based coalition advocating for water safety awareness and policy. Swim Strong Foundation participates in coalition efforts for drowning prevention.
• Multi Agency Taskforce on Life Guards and Water Safety (NYC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYC government task force focused on lifeguard standards and water safety. Swim Strong Foundation contributes expertise to policy discussions.
• Surfrider Foundation NYC ChaptersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization providing surfing basics instruction at Swim Strong events. Collaborates on beach and ocean water safety education.
• Historic Neir's TavernsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity business providing platform for water safety education through their Ambassador Program and venue for live stream events.
• Finis SwimsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerSwim equipment sponsor offering 20% discount with code SWIMSTRONG. Provides promotional support and athlete product partnerships.
• Modell's Sporting GoodssecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerRetail sponsor with 15% discount coupon program. 5% contribution from sales made through promotional efforts goes to Swim Strong Foundation.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• USA Swimming Foundation: National nonprofit promoting swim lessons and drowning prevention through the Make-A-Splash program. Direct strategic partner of Swim Strong on Swim 1922 and the closest peer in mission, water-safety curriculum, and federal/state advocacy.
• Princess Charlene Foundation of Monaco: International foundation dedicated to teaching children to swim and drowning prevention. Existing Swim Strong partner with overlapping mission of child water-safety education and scholarship access; comparable as a peer nonprofit in the drowning-prevention space.
• YMCA of Greater New York: Operates swim-lesson and aquatics programs across the same NYC geography, with a similar mission of making swim instruction accessible. Closest large incumbent peer competing for the same families, school partnerships, and aquatic-center capacity in NYC.
• Make-A-Splash (USA Swimming Foundation): National initiative to provide free and reduced-cost swim lessons to children. Direct comparable in the water-safety education and scholarship-funded lesson model that Swim Strong also relies on, with a similar focus on closing the swim-instruction gap for underserved families.

Others

• Surfrider Foundation: Environmental nonprofit focused on beach and ocean protection, with a NYC chapter that partners with Swim Strong on surfing and beach-safety instruction. Comparable in water-safety advocacy and community outreach, but with a broader coastal/environmental mission.
• StarGuard / Jeff Ellis & Associates: Specialized lifeguard training, certification, and aquatic-risk-management provider. Comparable to Swim Strong's lifeguard-certification pipeline (535+ certified), but a commercial training and consulting firm rather than a community nonprofit.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth-services nonprofit delivering water-safety and swim programming to under-resourced kids. Comparable to Swim Strong's scholarship-driven, community-led model for children and families, but embedded within a much larger youth-development portfolio.
• American Red Cross (Aquatic Services): Operates the largest U.S. network of swim instruction and lifeguard certification programs. Comparable to Swim Strong's Learn to Swim and lifeguard-certification offerings, but at vastly greater national scale and as part of a much broader humanitarian portfolio.

Emerging players

• British Swim School: Franchised swim-instruction provider with a similar curriculum-driven, progressive-lesson structure for children and adults. Comparable in product offering and tiered class design, but a for-profit operator using partner pools rather than a scholarship-focused nonprofit.
• Goldfish Swim School: Fast-growing franchised swim-instruction brand teaching children ages 4 months to 12 years. Comparable in product (group swim lessons, curriculum-based progression), but operates a commercial franchise model with owned/leased facilities rather than Swim Strong's nonprofit partner-pool model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/swimstrong
• YouTubevimeo.com/swimstrongfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/swimstrongfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swim-strong-foundation-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/swimstrongfoundation

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 Swim Strong Foundation, Inc.