Sweet Water
Sweet Water is a Milwaukee-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that convenes municipalities, government agencies, and community partners to restore the five Greater Milwaukee watersheds across seven southeastern Wisconsin counties through planning, education, and MS4 compliance programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersMilwaukee, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sweet Water does
Sweet Water, legally the Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its mission is to restore the five Greater Milwaukee watersheds — the Milwaukee, Menomonee, Kinnickinnic, Oak Creek, and Root River watersheds — spanning seven counties in southeastern Wisconsin to conditions healthy for swimming and fishing. The organization operates as a neutral convener and program operator rather than a technology vendor, coordinating among municipalities, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, academic institutions, and regional businesses.
The organization's service surface consists of watershed planning (Nine Key Element Plans and Water Quality Improvement Plans), public education programs (Respect Our Waters, Adopt Your Drain), MS4 compliance support for municipal partners, community events and advisory committees, a Mini-Grant Program, and the annual Clean Rivers Clean Lakes Conference. Sweet Water does not sell products or services and instead delivers value through collaborative programming, shared planning artifacts, and stakeholder convening. Field work is conducted by a small staff including a Field Manager & Data Analyst who supports water quality monitoring and inspection of gray and green infrastructure, with a liaison relationship to the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences.
Sweet Water is funded through a mix of grants and foundation funding, municipal partnership contributions from cities, villages, towns, and counties within the watershed area, and individual donations solicited via the Watershed Watch newsletter. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. As of the available data, the organization has 7 staff members led by Executive Director Jake Fincher, with notable program capacity expansion in 2024 through four new hires and an additional AmeriCorps Outreach Coordinator onboarded in 2025.
Sweet Water firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sweet Water
- Legal name
- Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust, Inc.
- Website
- https://swwtwater.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sweet Water is a Milwaukee-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that convenes municipalities, government agencies, and community partners to restore the five Greater Milwaukee watersheds across seven southeastern Wisconsin counties through planning, education, and MS4 compliance programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sweet Water industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Watershed Restoration Services
- NAICS
- Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941)
- akta.pro primary industry
- WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Organizations (HLAJAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Wellhead Protection & Source Water Protection Studies (EUAHAFAK)
Keywords
Where Sweet Water is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milwaukee
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sweet Water business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grants and Foundation Funding: Primary funding through grants from environmental foundations and government programs to support watershed restoration projects.
- Municipal Partnership Contributions: Funding and in-kind support from municipal partners including cities, counties, and water management districts within the five watersheds.
- Individual Donations: Contributions from individual supporters through the Watershed Watch newsletter and community engagement programs.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sweet Water product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sweet Water is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that convenes municipalities, government agencies, utilities, academic institutions, and businesses to restore the Greater Milwaukee watersheds (five watersheds across seven southeastern Wisconsin counties) to conditions safe for swimming and fishing. Its core offerings include watershed planning (Nine Key Element Plans, Water Quality Improvement Plans), public education and outreach programs (Respect Our Waters, Adopt Your Drain), MS4 stormwater compliance resources for municipal partners, the annual Clean Rivers Clean Lakes Conference, a Mini-Grant Program, and field water quality monitoring.
Product overview
Sweet Water is a non-profit watershed conservation organization (501(c)(3)) focused on restoring the Greater Milwaukee watersheds to conditions healthy for swimming and fishing. Rather than a technology product company, Sweet Water offers conservation programs and services including watershed planning, public education initiatives, community events, and MS4 compliance resources for municipal partners across southeastern Wisconsin.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Watershed Planning
- Public Education Programs (Respect Our Waters and Adopt Your Drain)
- Clean Rivers, Clean Lake (CRCL) Conference
Companies that use Sweet Water
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Sweet Water technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sweet Water partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR)coreState environmental agency providing regulatory oversight, funding support, and technical guidance for watershed restoration initiatives across the five watersheds of southeastern Wisconsin.
- Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD)coreRegional municipal utility serving as key partner in water quality management and stormwater infrastructure coordination within the Greater Milwaukee watersheds.
- Municipal Partners (Cities, Villages, Towns)coreLocal government entities within the five watersheds (Milwaukee River, Menomonee River, Kinnickinnic River, Oak Creek, and Root River) providing funding, land access, and local implementation support for restoration projects.
- Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC)coreRegional planning agency providing technical assistance, data analysis, and planning coordination for watershed-scale restoration efforts across the seven-county region.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sweet Water competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- River Network: National nonprofit that supports and connects local watershed groups across the U.S.; comparable mission of building capacity for community-led watershed protection, but at a national scale rather than a single region.
- Center for Watershed Protection: National nonprofit providing technical tools, training, and research on watershed protection — comparable programmatic work around green infrastructure and stormwater best practices.
- The Nature Conservancy (Wisconsin): Global conservation organization with an active Wisconsin chapter pursuing water and land protection; comparable water-quality restoration work but operating at much larger scale and broader portfolio.
Direct peers
- Milwaukee Riverkeeper: Local watershed advocacy organization focused on protecting the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic rivers — directly overlapping with Sweet Water's geographic footprint and core mission of swimmable/fishable waterways.
- Clean Wisconsin: Statewide environmental advocacy organization in Wisconsin working on clean water and clean air — same state, overlapping donor base, and shared water-quality policy priorities.
- Alliance for the Great Lakes: Largest Great Lakes-focused nonprofit, working on water quality, shoreline health, and policy across the entire basin; directly comparable mission scope with Sweet Water but operating at a multi-state regional level.
- Groundwork Milwaukee: Community-based environmental nonprofit in Milwaukee focused on urban watersheds, green infrastructure, and environmental justice — directly comparable model of community-led watershed restoration in the same city.
- Wisconsin Wetlands Association: Statewide nonprofit dedicated to wetland conservation in Wisconsin; highly comparable mission scope focused on water resource protection within the same operating geography.
Others
- Great Lakes Commission: Binational U.S.–Canadian agency coordinating Great Lakes policy and programs; not a peer in the organizational sense, but a key coordinating body whose funding programs Sweet Water accesses through its municipal and state partnerships.
Regional players
- Ozaukee Washington Land Trust: Regional land/water-focused conservation organization serving portions of Sweet Water's watershed area; comparable mission of protecting water resources through land conservation in SE Wisconsin.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sweet Water social profiles
Digital presenceSweet Water financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sweet Water leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Sweet Water funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sweet Water 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 Sweet Water
What does Sweet Water do?
Sweet Water is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that convenes municipalities, government agencies, utilities, academic institutions, and businesses to restore the Greater Milwaukee watersheds (five watersheds across seven southeastern Wisconsin counties) to conditions safe for swimming and fishing. Its core offerings include watershed planning (Nine Key Element Plans, Water Quality Improvement Plans), public education and outreach programs (Respect Our Waters, Adopt Your Drain), MS4 stormwater compliance resources for municipal partners, the annual Clean Rivers Clean Lakes Conference, a Mini-Grant Program, and field water quality monitoring.
Is Sweet Water a public or private company?
Sweet Water is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sweet Water founded?
Sweet Water was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sweet Water based?
Sweet Water is headquartered in Milwaukee, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sweet Water make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Grants and Foundation Funding is the primary driver. The others are municipal Partnership Contributions and individual Donations.
Who are Sweet Water's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are River Network, Center for Watershed Protection and The Nature Conservancy (Wisconsin). Direct peers are Milwaukee Riverkeeper, Clean Wisconsin, Alliance for the Great Lakes, Groundwork Milwaukee and Wisconsin Wetlands Association. Great Lakes Commission is listed as an others. Ozaukee Washington Land Trust is listed as a regional player.
Does Sweet Water have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sweet Water.
What industry is Sweet Water in?
Sweet Water's product category is Watershed Restoration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAJAKAI, WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Organizations, with a secondary code of EUAHAFAK, Wellhead Protection & Source Water Protection Studies. Its NAICS code is 2213 and its SIC code is 4941.