Detroit River Coalition

What Detroit River Coalition does

Detroit River Coalition is a binational nonprofit organization serving as a coordination hub for community-led plastic pollution removal and ecosystem protection along the Detroit River spanning Southeast Michigan and Ontario, Canada. Founded by Genevieve Rattray, the coalition aggregates eight core member organizations — Belle Isle Conservancy, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Detroit River Canadian Cleanup, Essex Region Conservation Authority, Friends of the Detroit River, Friends of the Rouge, Green Living Science, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources — to deliver volunteer cleanup events, kayak programs, environmental art exhibitions, and Earth Day tree plantings. It is positioned as the only binational environmental resource hub for litter removal and protection of the shared Detroit River, with stated cumulative impact of 80,000+ pounds of plastic pollution removed.

The coalition operates a community-led, event-driven go-to-market with no commercial product or pricing structure: participation is free, and revenue consists of donations routed through member organizations' donation pages. Recurring programs include monthly Saturday Public Cleanups on Belle Isle (third Saturdays, May–October), the Belle Isle Kayak Club 'paddle against plastic pollution' program (third Saturdays, April–October), the 'Second Fridays' Beach Series (July–October), Earth Day celebrations, and signature exhibitions such as Art + Earth at the Belle Isle Aquarium and the World Ocean Day Exhibition. Customer segments are individual community members and volunteers, partner environmental nonprofits, and contributing artists and designers; outreach is conducted through the coalition website, 'The Latest' newsletter, and an active Instagram channel.

There is no proprietary technology platform, software product, or AI/ML component; the coalition's 'infrastructure' is the coordination framework itself, supported by recurring quarterly meetings across member organizations and informal cross-organization volunteer flows. Marketing, donor conversion, and impact reporting rely on standard nonprofit digital channels rather than a custom technology stack.

Name

Detroit River Coalition

Legal name

Detroit River Coalition

Website

https://detroitrivercoalition.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Detroit River Coalition is a binational nonprofit coalition coordinating community-led plastic-pollution cleanups, kayak programs, and environmental exhibitions across Southeast Michigan and Ontario to protect the Detroit River.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pollution Prevention & Toxics Reduction (BPAGAGAJ), Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• River cleanup events
• Plastic pollution removal
• Volunteer coordination services
• Environmental coalition building
• Watershed conservation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and member organization support: The coalition operates as a nonprofit that accepts donations through its member organizations. Individual supporters can donate to specific member organizations (Belle Isle Conservancy, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Detroit River Canadian Cleanup, Essex Region Conservation Authority, Friends of the Detroit River, Friends of the Rouge, Green Living Science, Michigan Department of Natural Resources) with Detroit River Coalition noted in their donation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Detroit River Coalition is a binational nonprofit environmental resource hub that coordinates communities on both sides of the Detroit River (U.S. and Canada) for litter removal and protection of the waterway. It organizes public volunteer cleanup events at riverfront and tributary locations, runs kayak and beach cleanup programs, hosts environmental art exhibitions (Art + Earth, World Ocean Day), and provides a solutions-based networking platform for researchers, universities, nonprofits, artists, and designers focused on single-use plastic pollution and microplastics.

Product overview

Detroit River Coalition is a binational nonprofit organization (environmental resource hub) that coordinates community efforts for plastic pollution removal and protection of the Detroit River. Rather than a technology product company, the coalition provides programs and services including: organizing volunteer cleanup events at various locations along the Detroit River and tributaries; coordinating the Saturday Public Cleanups on Belle Isle (third Saturday of each month, May-October); managing kayak cleanup programs (paddle against plastic pollution) at Belle Isle; facilitating the 'Second Fridays' Beach Series cleanup events on Belle Isle (July-October); coordinating Earth Day celebrations and tree planting initiatives; hosting art exhibitions such as the 'Art + Earth' exhibition at the Belle Isle Aquarium and 'World Ocean Day Exhibition' to raise awareness about plastic pollution; and serving as a platform connecting researchers, universities, nonprofits, environmentalists, artists, and designers for solutions-based networking. The coalition does not offer traditional software products or technology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Volunteer Cleanup Events Recurring community cleanup events at multiple locations along the Detroit River and its tributaries (Belle Isle, Dequindre Cut, Fort Street Bridge Park, Rouge Park, Ecorse Creek, Little River, Sandwich, Queen's Dock Park, Teedie Park), including monthly Saturday Belle Isle cleanups and the Second Fridays Beach Series. Open to families, community groups, and corporate teams.
• Belle Isle Kayak Club Water-based volunteer program offering 'paddle against plastic pollution' experiences along the canals of Belle Isle, available on third Saturdays from April through October.
• Art + Earth Exhibition Educational art exhibition hosted at the Belle Isle Aquarium showcasing environmental art from regional artists to communicate environmental messages and raise awareness about plastic pollution.
• World Ocean Day Exhibition Annual exhibition at Belle Isle Aquarium showcasing environmental art from Michigan and Ontario artists to raise awareness about plastic pollution and the Detroit River ecosystem.
• Earth Day Celebrations and Tree Planting Annual Earth Day programming including tree planting initiatives coordinated with Essex Region Conservation Authority, engaging community members on both sides of the Detroit River.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80,000+ pounds of plastic pollution removed from the Detroit River

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Belle Isle ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner providing venue (Belle Isle Aquarium) for exhibitions and hosting volunteer cleanup programs. The coalition's founder serves as Director of Sustainability & Advocacy at the Belle Isle Conservancy. Coordinates Belle Isle cleanup events and kayak club programs.
• Detroit Riverfront ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization managing the Dequindre Cut Greenway and Detroit Riverwalk. Coordinates cleanup events at riverfront locations and provides volunteer coordination support for coalition activities.
• Detroit River Canadian CleanupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBinational partner coordinating Canadian-side cleanup activities including events at Queen's Dock Park, Teedie Park, Little River, and Sandwich. Provides Remedial Action Plan coordination for the Canadian side of the Detroit River.
• Essex Region Conservation AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian conservation authority partner providing tree planting programs, community stewardship initiatives, and citizen science projects in the Essex Region. Coordinates Earth Day tree planting events.
• Friends of the Detroit RivercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization managing habitat restoration projects and recreational opportunities along the Detroit River. Works on the Detroit River Remedial Action Plan to protect and restore the river ecosystem.
• Friends of the RougecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWatershed organization partner coordinating Rouge Rescue cleanup events at Fort Street Bridge Park and Rouge Park. Restoration coordinator from Friends of the Rouge serves as founding member of the coalition.
• Green Living SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner focused on recycling and zero-waste education. Executive Director Natalie Jakub serves as founding member of the coalition. Helps businesses reduce waste and establish sustainable recycling programs.
• Michigan Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner providing programming through the Outdoor Adventure Center at Milliken State Park. DNR staff coordinate cleanup events and provide educational outdoor experiences for the public.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/detroit-river-coalition

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 Detroit River Coalition