Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed

What Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed does

Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in August 1997 and headquartered at 1404 Goodale Boulevard in Columbus, Ohio. The organization is dedicated to keeping the Olentangy River and its tributaries clean and safe through public education, volunteer activities, and coordination with local decision-makers. FLOW serves the roughly 250,000 residents of the 150-square-mile Lower Olentangy Watershed, which spans the City of Delaware, the Ohio State University campus, northern Columbus, and parts of Delaware and Franklin Counties.

FLOW's core operational programs include a volunteer Stream Quality Monitoring initiative sampling 40 sites across 20 tributaries and two river locations using macroinvertebrate diversity (Cumulative Index Value scoring) and water chemistry testing; three tree nurseries (Worthington, Weinland Park, Del-Co) producing native saplings for distribution; approximately 65 pollinator gardens; and the Salt Watch road-salt monitoring program run in partnership with the Izaak Walton League of America. The organization also maintains the Sawmill Wetlands Educational Area (17 acres), the Kempton Run riparian restoration, the Cranbrook Bridge project, and an ArcGIS-based interactive watershed mapping platform. Educational delivery is via a monthly webinar series, a teacher/homeschool curriculum, and a content wiki.

FLOW's revenue is derived from individual donations, annual membership dues, competitive grants (Columbus Foundation, Ohio Environmental Education Fund, American Forests, AARP Community Challenge), corporate volunteer partnerships, and an endowment fund. The organization is led by Executive Director Dara Naraghi with a 12-member volunteer Board of Directors chaired by Monica Backs, and operates with 1–10 paid staff plus a large volunteer base. FLOW does not charge fees for its services or resources distributed to watershed residents.

Name

Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed

Legal name

Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed

Website

https://olentangywatershed.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 that protects the Lower Olentangy River and tributaries through volunteer stream monitoring, native tree nurseries, pollinator gardens, habitat restoration, and watershed education for roughly 250,000 residents of central Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watershed Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Riparian & Watershed Reforestation (Streambank Stabilization) (AFAMACAK), Wetland, Riparian & Buffer Services (within forest landscapes) (AFAMAMAI)

Keywords

• Watershed conservation services
• Environmental education programs
• Volunteer stream monitoring
• Habitat restoration services
• Community forestry programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Memberships: FLOW accepts donations through its website and invites community members to become dues-paying members who vote in board elections.
2. Grants and Funded Programs: FLOW receives funding through grants including Columbus Foundation, Ohio Environmental Education Fund, and has been a 2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee.
3. Endowment Fund: FLOW maintains an endowment fund for long-term financial sustainability.
4. Corporate Volunteer Programs: FLOW partners with corporations for volunteer days that support nursery operations and restoration projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers community-based watershed protection for the Lower Olentangy River through volunteer stream quality monitoring (40 sampling sites), native tree and pollinator plant production and giveaway, multi-site habitat restoration (Kempton Run, Sawmill Wetlands, Cranbrook Bridge), and public education via webinars, workshops, and a Wiki. The organization coordinates with local governments, Ohio State University, and corporate volunteer groups to deliver these programs free of charge to approximately 250,000 residents in the 150-square-mile watershed.

Product overview

FLOW (Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed) is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 1997 dedicated to keeping the Olentangy River and its tributaries clean through public education, volunteer activities, and coordination with local decision-makers. The organization operates multiple interconnected environmental programs including Stream Quality Monitoring (sampling 40 sites for macroinvertebrate and water chemistry data), three Tree Nurseries (Worthington, Weinland Park, and Del-Co) producing native saplings, a Pollinator Garden Program with 65+ maintained gardens, the Salt Watch road salt monitoring initiative, and various habitat restoration projects (Kempton Run, Sawmill Wetlands, Cranbrook Bridge). Educational offerings include webinars, a watershed activity book, tree identification guides, and invasive species resources. The organization also provides Interactive Watershed Maps via ArcGIS for public use. These programs work together to achieve FLOW's mission of watershed protection through community engagement and scientific monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sawmill Wetlands Educational Area: A 17-acre wetland preservation area with oak-hickory woodlands and vernal pool wetlands, managed under FLOW's umbrella since 2019
• Worthington Tree Nursery
• Weinland Park Nursery
• Del-Co Tree Nursery

Products and services

• Stream Quality Monitoring Volunteer-based water quality monitoring program that samples 20 tributaries and two river locations for a total of 40 sampling sites, using macroinvertebrate indicators and water chemistry to assess stream health. Provided free to watershed volunteers and residents.
• FLOW Tree Nurseries Three volunteer-maintained tree nurseries (Worthington, Weinland Park, and Del-Co) that grow native tree saplings for distribution to homeowners and restoration projects in the watershed.
• Pollinator Garden Program Installation and maintenance of approximately 65 pollinator gardens throughout the watershed, tracked via an interactive map and delivered in partnership with community organizations.
• Salt Watch Monitoring Program National road salt monitoring program run in partnership with the Izaak Walton League of America, monitoring chloride levels in streams to assess road salt impact on water quality in the Lower Olentangy Watershed.
• Kempton Run Habitat Restoration Multiyear riparian habitat restoration project along Kempton Run stream corridor, involving invasive plant removal and native species replanting.
• Sawmill Wetlands Educational Area 17-acre oak-hickory woodland and vernal pool wetland site managed under FLOW's umbrella since 2019, featuring educational kiosks, boardwalk, nest boxes, and ongoing restoration.
• Cranbrook Bridge Project Pedestrian bridge construction over Slyh Run at Cranbrook Elementary School, including ecosystem restoration, prairie planting, and erosion control.
• Tree Giveaway Program Annual distribution of native trees and shrubs from FLOW's nurseries to watershed residents at no cost, promoting tree equity and canopy expansion.
• Seed Pack Giveaway Distribution of free native plant seeds including bee balm, oxeye sunflower, purple coneflower, and smooth blue aster to watershed residents to support pollinators.
• Educational Webinars Monthly webinar series covering topics including composting, wildlife, native plants, water quality, and conservation practices, archived on YouTube for watershed residents and educators.
• Interactive Watershed Maps ArcGIS-based interactive maps for watershed locator, pollinator pathway, flood zones, and stream flow monitoring data, available to the public.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities (DPU)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024DPU and FLOW collaborated on the Olentangy Trail Mural project to use educational public art promoting DPU's mission, beautifying a pump station, and reducing graffiti. DPU will install accompanying educational signage.
• Franklin County Environmental CourtminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Franklin County's Environmental Court assists FLOW with invasive species removal, brush disposal, and environmental enforcement at restoration sites including Sawmill Wetlands and Kempton Run.
• Accenture VolunteersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Corporate volunteer groups including Accenture have helped pot trees at the Del-Co Tree Nursery, supporting restoration efforts.
• Izaak Walton League of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022FLOW participates in the Salt Watch national monitoring program run by the Izaak Walton League of America. This program studies the effects of road salt on waterways and provides training and resources for volunteer monitoring.
• Cranbrook Parent Teacher Association (PTA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Following FLOW's bridge construction and restoration work at Cranbrook, community members formed a PTA which played a key role in advocating for the school's future when closure was considered in 2024.
• Ohio Division of Natural ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Installed story boards along the Sawmill Wetlands boardwalk as part of the educational signage project funded by Ohio Environmental Education Fund.
• Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020MORPC is referenced as a key stakeholder in watershed planning. MORPC expects watershed population to nearly double to 500,000 by 2050, driving need for greenspace planning.
• Friends of the Sawmill WetlandsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019In 2019, FLOW invited the Friends of the Sawmill Wetlands to come under FLOW's umbrella. This partnership has enabled successful restoration of the 17-acre Sawmill Wetlands Educational Area with ongoing habitat management.
• Western Reserve Land ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnered with Western Reserve Land Conservancy on Kempton Run habitat restoration, providing support for riparian conservation easement areas and native plantings.
• Del-Co WatermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Del-Co Water, which provides drinking water to eight central Ohio counties, hosts one of FLOW's three tree nurseries on its property in Delaware County. The partnership grew out of Del-Co's Environmental Sustainability Committee and has resulted in planting hundreds of trees for restoration.
• Engineers Without Borders (OSU Chapter)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2016OSU student organization built additional raised beds to expand the Weinland Park tree nursery capacity to over 850 potted trees, and built a bicycle-operated water pump using captured rainwater.
• Ohio State University (OSU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997FLOW has an ongoing partnership with Ohio State University dating to the organization's founding. OSU students conduct capstone projects on watershed issues, provide technical assessments for restoration projects, and use FLOW sites as living laboratories for environmental studies. Multiple OSU student organizations have also built infrastructure for FLOW's tree nurseries.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• River Network: National nonprofit that supports and connects local watershed groups across the US. FLOW operates within River Network's ecosystem and shares the same small-staff, watershed-scale, volunteer-driven model.
• Charles River Watershed Association: Massachusetts-based nonprofit focused on protecting the Charles River watershed through monitoring, restoration, and policy. Directly comparable in operating model (citizen science monitoring, advocacy, education) and watershed-specific scope to FLOW.
• Anacostia Riverkeeper: Washington DC-area nonprofit dedicated to restoring the Anacostia River through monitoring, enforcement, and community engagement. Highly comparable to FLOW in scale, watershed-specific focus, and reliance on volunteer-based water quality monitoring.
• Izaak Walton League of America: National conservation nonprofit focused on water quality, habitat, and outdoor recreation. FLOW is an active partner through the Salt Watch program, and the IWL shares FLOW's volunteer-monitoring and watershed-protection orientation.
• Chattahoochee Riverkeeper: Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring the Chattahoochee River basin through water quality monitoring, advocacy, and education. Closely comparable in mission, programs (volunteer monitoring, restoration, policy advocacy), and nonprofit structure to FLOW.

Broad incumbents

• Surfrider Foundation: National nonprofit focused on water quality, beach access, and coastal watershed protection through volunteer chapters and citizen-science monitoring. Shares FLOW's grassroots volunteer-monitoring playbook and advocacy orientation, but on coastal rather than inland river systems.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the largest global environmental nonprofits, with active Ohio chapter work in land and water conservation. TNC is a broader incumbent that overlaps with FLOW's habitat restoration, native plantings, and watershed-protection goals, but at vastly larger scale.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that creates parks and protects land for public use, with active programming in urban green space and water protection. Comparable to FLOW in mission on green space planning but operates at a much larger national scale with paid staff.

Regional players

• Ohio River Foundation: Ohio-based nonprofit focused on water quality, restoration, and education across the Ohio River watershed. Same state and overlapping mission with FLOW, but operates at a multi-state regional scale rather than a single sub-watershed.
• Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District: Local government conservation agency serving Franklin County, Ohio, that awarded FLOW its 2019 Blue Heron Award. Operates in the same geography with overlapping programs in stormwater, native plantings, and conservation education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCzEbRvcQpL_2r1LUEnHJ-Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/80293006928
• Instagraminstagram.com/flowcolumbus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-of-the-lower-olentangy-watershed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed