Tankproof

What Tankproof does

Tankproof is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 47-2705011) founded in 2011 by brothers Thurman and Torrence Thomas (also known as THEBROSFRESH, musicians and artists by trade) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and now operating from Austin, Texas. The organization delivers three core program lines: (1) free swim lessons to children in minority communities lacking access to aquatics education, delivered through an annual Summer Swim Tour across cities including Austin, Plano, Gonzales, San Francisco, and New York; (2) food security programming via a partnership with Keep Austin Fed that distributes rescued fresh produce to East Austin families; and (3) community events ranging from concerts at Austin City Limits Music Festival to Juneteenth celebrations and Earth Day kayak clean-ups that build donor and volunteer engagement. Across these programs Tankproof reports serving 474+ children with swim education in 2025, distributing 10 tons of food, and logging 7,500+ volunteer hours. There is no proprietary technology platform; all programs are service-based and rely on partner-provided facilities (City of Austin pools, Gold Fish Swim School, Longhorn Strokes Foundation) and volunteer labor.

Tankproof's business and revenue model is structured around three donation-based streams rather than commercial revenue: individual donations (one-time tiers from $10 to $500 plus monthly recurring tiers from $10 to $1,000, with outcome-specific pricing such as $37.50 to sponsor one child's swim lesson); corporate partnerships (Prose, Trader Joe's via Keep Austin Fed, and others receive a branded 'water drop' sponsor badge); and limited merchandise sales (All Is Swell Tee at $30, SIFE Tote at $15, and collaborative apparel at $35). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: programming is delivered via in-person activations in 9+ states, with awareness built through organic Instagram (@tankproof), a monthly email newsletter, and substantial earned media (The Kelly Clarkson Show, CBS News, Vogue, LA Times, Southern Living). The organization operates with 1-10 employees including the two founder-brothers plus roles covering operations, aquatics, art direction, marketing, and social media/partnerships.

Tankproof's competitive position rests on a network of municipal and corporate partners, founder-led cultural credibility within minority communities, and access to scarce pool facilities secured via a landmark City of Austin agreement. Its customer base is bifurcated between beneficiaries (underserved youth and families receiving free services) and funders (individual donors and corporate sponsors). No funding rounds, acquisitions, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Tankproof

Legal name

Tankproof

Website

https://tankproof.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tankproof is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2011 that provides free swim lessons and food security programming to minority children and families across 9+ U.S. states, funded through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Aquatics and Food Security Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Lifeguard, Water Rescue & Aquatic Safety Training (EDAOAMAJ)

Keywords

• Swim education programs
• Food security services
• Water safety training
• Community nonprofit programs
• Youth aquatics instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individuals supporting the mission. Donation tiers range from $10 to $500 for one-time gifts, and $10 to $1,000 monthly for recurring donors. Monthly donations fund specific programs like swim sessions, snacks, and gear.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts ($30-$35), tote bags ($15), and other apparel. Proceeds directly fund swim lessons and community programs.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partners sponsor swim lessons, provide in-kind donations, and support community events. Partners receive a water drop badge to include in communications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tankproof delivers free swim lessons and water safety education to underserved minority youth across 9+ U.S. states, alongside food redistribution and community events. Programs are 100% free to participants and funded by individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and branded merchandise sales. The organization partners with Keep Austin Fed to distribute fresh produce and with the City of Austin to secure pool access for its Summer Swim Tour.

Product overview

Tankproof is an events and education-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a suite of programs centered on aquatics and food security. The core offerings include a Swim Lessons Program providing free water safety instruction to underserved minority communities, the Keep Austin Fed Food Security Program distributing rescued fresh food to families, Community Events that foster connection through concerts and activations, and a Donation Platform enabling one-time and monthly contributions with specific impact tiers. The organization also sells merchandise including apparel (All Is Swell Tee, Tankproof x Lindsey Made This Shirts) and accessories (SIFE Tote) with proceeds supporting the mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Swim Lessons Program Free swim lessons and water safety education for children in underserved minority communities, delivered through the annual Summer Swim Tour across Austin, Plano, Gonzales, San Francisco, and New York. Taught by volunteer instructors with facility access secured through partnership with the City of Austin and Gold Fish Swim School.
• Keep Austin Fed Food Security Program Saturday morning food redistribution program partnering with Keep Austin Fed to distribute fresh produce from Trader Joe's to families experiencing food insecurity in East Austin. Activations are held at Booker T Washington Terrace.
• Community Events Community connection events including benefit concerts (e.g., at Austin City Limits Music Festival), Juneteenth celebrations, crawfish boils, fundraisers, Mommy and Me Walks, Earth Day Kayak Clean Ups, and food activations that engage both families served and corporate partners.
• Donation Platform One-time and monthly donation options enabling supporters to fund specific Tankproof program outcomes, including snacks for one child ($10), a full swim lesson with gear ($100), and a complete Tankproof swim session of up to 30 kids ($500).
• All Is Swell Tee Branded t-shirt designed by Tankproof's in-house art director Grace Owen, priced at $30, with all proceeds funding Tankproof's free swim lessons for underserved communities.
• SIFE Tote 100% canvas tote bag featuring the 'swimming is for everyone' mantra, designed by in-house art director Grace Owen, priced at $15, with proceeds supporting Tankproof's mission.
• Tankproof x Lindsey Made This Shirts Collaborative apparel collection with artist Lindsey Made This, priced at $35 (currently sold out), directly supporting Tankproof swim lessons for underserved communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Learning to swim can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% for 1-4 year olds who take formal swim lessons
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, key, secondary and local partner.

• Keep Austin FedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTankproof partners with Keep Austin Fed to distribute fresh food from Trader Joe's to families experiencing food insecurity in East Austin. In 2025, over 7,500 volunteer hours were logged and 10 tons of food distributed. Food activations occur on Saturday mornings at Booker T Washington Terrace.
• Gold Fish Swim SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Gold Fish Swim School for New York swim lessons, providing proper instruction and facilities for underserved youth. The partnership aims to address the statistic that 1 in 4 kids in NY underserved communities don't have opportunity to learn how to swim.
• Longhorn Strokes FoundationkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Longhorn Strokes Foundation, created by University of Texas Swimming & Diving alumni, to bring free swim lessons and water safety education to kids in Austin. Blends legacy and passion of Longhorn athletes with Tankproof's mission.
• ProsesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerProse sponsored swimming lessons in Brooklyn at Imagine Swimming followed by a Juneteenth benefit concert featuring Oshun and THEBROSFRESH at National Sawdust. Prose provides hair care products and supported the events.
• CoolxDadsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with CoolxDad, an organization dedicated to uplifting fathers of color and the communities they live in, for father-child water safety sessions.
• City of AustincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandmark agreement with the City of Austin to make swimming lessons more accessible to kids in East Austin. Partnership enables Tankproof to operate swim programs at city facilities.
• Booker T Washington Terracelocal partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity location partner for Keep Austin Fed food activations. Address: 905 Bedford Street, Austin, TX 78702.
• SUSTAINTHEMAGsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborated with SUSTAINTHEMAG for Earth Day Kayak Clean Up event at Lady Bird Lake. Also partnered with EpicSUP, Everist, Anact, Liquid Death, and Parker + Scott.
• BUMPSUITsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborated with BUMPSUIT for Mommy and Me Walk community event in Austin, TX.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Pool Safely: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission public-education campaign on pool and water safety. Adjacent to Tankproof's drowning-prevention and water-safety messaging, though operates as a federal awareness campaign rather than direct swim-lesson provider.

Direct peers

• The ZAC Foundation: Non-profit focused on water safety education and drowning prevention for children, founded in memory of a drowning victim. Directly comparable to Tankproof's water-safety mission and similar small non-profit scale with national awareness campaigns.
• Diversity in Aquatics: Non-profit dedicated to increasing minority participation in aquatics by addressing fear of water and providing swim lessons in underserved communities. Closely aligned with Tankproof's mission of equitable access to swim education for minority youth.
• Keep Austin Fed: Austin-based non-profit rescuing surplus food and distributing it to families facing food insecurity; Tankproof's active food-security partner. Directly comparable on the food-distribution side of Tankproof's mission, with overlapping volunteer networks and event model.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the USA: National non-profit offering free and reduced-cost swim lessons to children across the U.S., with a strong safety-around-water curriculum. Comparable to Tankproof as a large-scale provider of aquatics access, though YMCA operates across many program verticals beyond swimming.
• USA Swimming Foundation: The charitable arm of USA Swimming, operating the Make a Splash initiative that provides free or reduced-cost swim lessons to underserved children. Directly comparable to Tankproof's aquatics mission, but operates at significantly larger national scale.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large national non-profit providing youth programming including aquatics, sports, and food services in underserved communities. Overlaps with Tankproof on youth services for underserved families and access-to-swim programming, though at vastly larger scale and broader mission scope.

Emerging players

• Black Kids Swim: Community platform and resource hub dedicated to encouraging Black children and families to participate in swimming. Comparable in cultural and equity-focused approach to aquatics access, though primarily media/community rather than direct swim-instruction provider.
• Swim Across America: Non-profit that funds cancer research through organized open-water and pool swims, with a community-event-driven fundraising model. Comparable to Tankproof's event-based fundraising approach and swim-centric community activation, though focused on oncology rather than access-to-swim.
• Colin Thompson Foundation: Non-profit providing swim lessons and water safety education to children in underserved communities, often through partnerships with swim schools. Similar grassroots model and donor-funded swim-lesson sponsorship tiers to Tankproof.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/tankproof
• Facebookfacebook.com/tankproofswim
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tankproof

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Tankproof