Leadership Development Fund

Each year, The Mountaineers designates funds to support the professional growth of our leaders. These funds are made available to individual leaders – as well as small groups of leaders – to support their attendance at conferences, workshops, courses, and other programs that are relevant to their volunteer leadership. 

The Leadership Development Fund is administered by the Education Department. Please contact Michelle Song, Associate Volunteer Development Manager, with any questions.

Objectives

The four main objectives of The Mountaineers Leadership Development Fund are to:

1. To provide recognition and benefit to The Mountaineers volunteer leaders.
2. To support our leaders to seek external training and expertise in industry best practices.
3. To support a train-the-trainer model whereby our leaders share what they’ve learned with others in the organization.
4. To elevate The Mountaineers standing in the outdoor community by providing professionally educated instructors.

Application Guidelines

Applicant Qualifications

Applicants must be current Mountaineers members, and they will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. Tenure and recent volunteer work with The Mountaineers.
2. Written support from the appropriate committee or branch.

Grant Selection

Leadership Development Fund applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage volunteers to apply early in the fiscal year, which runs from October to September.

Eligible Programs

The following are examples of programs that are eligible for funding through the Leadership Development Fund:

• Activity-Specific Conferences, Certifications, and Accreditations
• Leadership Training
• Experiential Education Training
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training

Exclusions

The Leadership Development Fund may not be used to fund individuals seeking the following certifications and trainings:

• Wilderness First Aid (WFA) or Mountaineering-Oriented First Aid (MOFA)
• Avalanche Rescue or AIARE 1

Application

Applicants must submit a formal Leadership Development Fund application, which includes a section that must be completed by the sponsoring committee or branch. Applications should be submitted at least 30 days prior to the start of the program that the applicant is seeking to attend.

View Application

Funding Restrictions

The following restrictions apply:

• All funding is discretionary, and no applicant is entitled to receive funding.
• Unless otherwise noted, applicants may only apply for up to 70% of the total program fees, with a maximum of $500 awarded per person per fiscal year. Total program fees may include the cost of registration, travel, and housing.
• Funding is conditional on the outcome of other scholarships. Applicants who receive additional funding – through their branch/committee or an independent scholarship – may only apply to cover the remainder of the program fees.

Applicant Responsibilities

Applicants are responsible for securing their own registration in all relevant programs. If an applicant is unable to secure a spot for any reason, the funding agreement is void. The applicant is responsible for paying program fees directly to the program provider (see below).

Receiving Funds

Leadership Development Funds are issued as a reimbursement after the applicant paid the corresponding program fees.

• Applicants should submit a reimbursement request form along with a receipt from the program provider. Please also include a copy of the Leadership Development Fund award letter.
• Please send paperwork to Sara Ramsay at:
  • sarar@mountaineers.org or
  • 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
• Applicants should aim to submit their reimbursement request form within 30 days after paying the program fees, but no later than September 15 of the fiscal year for which the funding was awarded. Reimbursement request forms received after September 15 of the current fiscal year may be denied.

Expectations

Successful applicants are expected to invest their training back into The Mountaineers community. The specific ways in which an applicant is expected to give back is documented in the Leadership Development Fund award letter. Volunteer work may include:

• Serving as course leader, committee chair, branch chair, or Board Member.
• Presenting learnings and key take aways at an applicable Activity Summit.
• Writing and sharing a blog to summarize their learnings for The Mountaineers community.
• Presenting an evening seminar or supporting a train-the-trainer event.
• Presenting at The Mountaineers annual Leadership Conference.

View Application