NEWTOWN CREEK ALLIANCE INCORPORATED

What NEWTOWN CREEK ALLIANCE INCORPORATED does

Newtown Creek Alliance Incorporated (NCA) is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring, revealing, and revitalizing Newtown Creek — the industrial waterway that separates Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. Founded in 2006 with first documented tour activity that April, the organization operates a community-led model spanning environmental restoration, STEM-based education, water quality monitoring, and policy advocacy. It serves K-12 school groups (with field trips fully subsidized in school districts 14, 16, 24, 30, and 32), local community members, and government agencies including the EPA, NYS DEC, and NYC DEP. The organization is a designated community stakeholder in the EPA Superfund cleanup of Newtown Creek (2010 designation, extended to 2032) and was a co-litigant in the 2010 ExxonMobil settlement that produced $25 million in community benefit money and penalties for the Greenpoint Oil Spill.

NCA's service portfolio is anchored in two physical sites — the 25,000 sq ft Kingsland Wildflowers green roof at 520 Kingsland Avenue (Greenpoint) and the Queens Landing Boathouse and Environmental Center — and is delivered through field trip programs, downloadable K-12 curriculum units, ArcGIS StoryMaps educational resources, locally produced education animations, an oral history project (Creek Speak), a continuous water quality sampling program run with LaGuardia Community College since 2016, the AirCasting-based air quality monitoring program, and the EarthCam-powered live Creek Cam. The organization does not develop proprietary technology; it integrates third-party platforms (ArcGIS, AirCasting, iNaturalist, EarthCam) and operates with a 1–10 person staff. Its programming is increasingly augmented by research-oriented offerings such as the 2026 TIDALS Summer Research Fellowship.

NCA's revenue mechanics are grant-and-donation-based. Funding sources include the ExxonMobil settlement community-benefit fund, government grants (NYC DEP Green Infrastructure Grant Program, NYS DEC Community Impact Grant), foundation grants administered via the Hudson River Foundation's NYCEF Newtown Creek Fund ($5,000–$25,000 typical size), City Parks Foundation, and the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund, supplemented by individual tax-deductible donations and modest tiered field-trip fees ($0 fully subsidized, $200 public school, $250 non-school, $300 private school).

Name

NEWTOWN CREEK ALLIANCE INCORPORATED

Legal name

Newtown Creek Alliance Incorporated

Website

https://newtowncreekalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Newtown Creek Alliance is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conducts environmental restoration, education, advocacy, and community programs for Newtown Creek, serving K-12 schools, local communities, and government agencies via field trips, water quality monitoring, and Superfund coordination.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education and Restoration Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Real-Time Monitoring & Smart Stormwater (Sensors, SCADA/IoT, RTC) (EUANAEAK), Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance (BPAHAJAJ)

Keywords

• Environmental education programs
• Waterway restoration services
• Community environmental advocacy
• Water quality monitoring
• STEM field trip programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting environmental restoration and education mission. Organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
2. Grants and Funding: Grants from government agencies and foundations including NYC DEP, NYS DEC, Hudson River Foundation, EPA, and others for specific programs and projects.
3. Education Programs: Field trip fees ranging from $0-300 depending on group type, with fully subsidized options for school districts 14, 16, 24, 30, and 32.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Newtown Creek Alliance is a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers place-based environmental education programs (field trips, curriculum units, StoryMaps, fellowships), conducts water quality monitoring and ecological restoration projects along Newtown Creek in Brooklyn/Queens, and runs environmental advocacy campaigns related to the EPA Superfund designation, combined sewer overflow, and the Greenpoint Oil Spill.

Product overview

Newtown Creek Alliance is a community-based environmental organization (501(c)(3) nonprofit) offering environmental education programs, restoration services, and monitoring tools. The organization provides field trip programs at Kingsland Wildflowers and Queens Landing, educational animations and curriculum units, interactive StoryMaps, water quality monitoring, and the Creek Speak oral history project. These offerings work together to advance the organization's mission of restoring, revealing, and revitalizing Newtown Creek through community education and environmental stewardship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Field Trip Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Documented return of wildlife including cownose rays, horseshoe crabs, American eels, oysters, bass, and herons to previously heavily polluted waterway
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RiverkeepercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Environmental advocacy partnership. Co-litigant in 2024 lawsuit requiring NYC to notify public of combined sewer overflow events. Long-standing collaboration on water quality advocacy and environmental enforcement.
• EarthCamminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to bring live webcam views of Newtown Creek. Camera stationed at Kingsland Wildflowers building showcasing marine traffic, industrial activity, waterfowl, and recreational boaters.
• NYU Grossman School of MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Air quality research partnership to identify air contaminants at five sites around Newtown Creek industrial corridor, testing for VOCs and Particulate Matter.
• Broadway StagescoreOthers · 1 January 2021Host of Kingsland Wildflowers green roof at 520 Kingsland Avenue. Houses EarthCam location. Partnership enabling outdoor classroom and education space.
• Hunters Point Parks ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership to expand Newtown Creek Urban Ecology Curriculum in Long Island City (2019). Collaborates on restoration projects.
• Perkins+WillcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Architecture firm that co-launched the Newtown Creek Vision Plan in 2018 with NCA and Riverkeeper. 150-page report with 85 proposed projects for remediation, restoration, recreation, and resilience.
• NYC Urban Soils Institute (USI) at Brooklyn CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partnership for Greenpoint Bioremediation Project. USI provided expertise in urban soil remediation, mycoremediation strategies, and compost tea amendments.
• Queens Vocational & Technical High School (QVT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012AirCasting program partnership where 26 students built air quality monitors, learned air quality science, and monitored pollution in their neighborhood using AirCasting platform.
• AWISCO Welding SupplyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2011Green infrastructure grant partner for construction of green roof on AWISCO's Maspeth building. Will manage 390,000 gallons of stormwater annually, reducing CSOs to Newtown Creek.
• Highview Creations LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2011Green infrastructure grant partner for AWISCO green roof project.
• Gowanus Canal ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Original creator of curriculum adapted by NCA. Partnership for environmental education curriculum development.
• Working Harbor CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Co-sponsor of free boat tours for educators and low-cost public boat tours of Newtown Creek.
• HabitatMapcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2010Brooklyn-based non-profit providing web tools for environmental organizing. Partnership for Creek Speak oral history project (interactive maps) and AirCasting citizen science air quality monitoring platform.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• HabitatMap: HabitatMap is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit providing citizen science platforms (AirCasting) and is the technology partner for NCA's Creek Speak oral history and air quality programs. Comparable in scale and mission overlap, focused on environmental health data and community mapping.
• Earthworks NYC: Earthworks NYC is a community-based urban environmental nonprofit focused on urban agriculture, green infrastructure, and environmental education in New York City. Shares NCA's combination of education, green infrastructure implementation, and community engagement approach.

Broad incumbents

• Earthjustice: Earthjustice is a national environmental law organization that litigates on Superfund and water pollution issues including in New York. Functions as a broader incumbent in environmental enforcement and CSO/pollution litigation, with NCA operating as a more locally-focused peer in this space.
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): NRDC is a major national environmental advocacy organization working on water quality, urban waterways, and Superfund policy. A broader incumbent with NYC programs that overlap with NCA's CSO and stormwater advocacy work, though at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Riverkeeper: Riverkeeper is the most direct peer — a New York-based waterway advocacy nonprofit that co-litigates with Newtown Creek Alliance on the 2024 CSO lawsuit and co-authored the 2018 Newtown Creek Vision Plan. Both organizations focus on water quality enforcement, Superfund oversight, and community advocacy around Hudson watershed waterways.
• Gowanus Canal Conservancy: Gowanus Canal Conservancy is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit conducting environmental education, restoration, and advocacy for the Gowanus Canal — also a NYC Superfund site. Directly comparable urban waterway nonprofit with similar curriculum, volunteer, and Superfund coordination roles; NCA adapted curriculum originally created by GCC.
• Hunters Point Parks Conservancy: Hunters Point Parks Conservancy is a Long Island City-based nonprofit that partners with NCA on Newtown Creek Urban Ecology Curriculum and restoration projects. Direct peer in waterfront parks management and urban ecology education along the Newtown Creek corridor.
• NY/NJ Baykeeper: NY/NJ Baykeeper is a regional waterway advocacy organization focused on protecting the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary. Direct peer in water quality monitoring, citizen science, Superfund enforcement, and litigation against polluters in industrial waterways around the New York harbor region.
• Hudson River Foundation: Hudson River Foundation is a key funder/administrator of the NYCEF Newtown Creek Fund and the broader Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship Program. Functions as both a peer funder and a peer in environmental science research supporting estuary restoration in the New York Harbor region.
• Bronx River Alliance: Bronx River Alliance is a NYC-based nonprofit dedicated to restoring and protecting the Bronx River through stewardship, education, and advocacy. Comparable urban waterway restoration nonprofit with similar education programs, green infrastructure projects, and volunteer engagement model serving local communities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/newtowncreekalliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/newtowncreek
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/newtown-creek-alliance-incorporated

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 NEWTOWN CREEK ALLIANCE INCORPORATED