Impact Stories

Impact Stories

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Joy and Generosity Fuel Adventure

I adore this time of year. The comforting contrast of dark green cedars against bright snow. Breathing in the crisp air. Feeling the grounding weight of an extra full pack while I let my mind float to a cold winter sky. Coming home with rosy cheeks, kicking snow off my boots at the door, and feeling the warmth of a fire embrace me like a bear hug. I experience so much joy in the winter when I am able to get outside and then return home. This joy heals and sustains me. Read more…

Your gift powers conservation and advocacy

For many of us who live in the PNW, outdoor experiences on public lands have provided us with opportunities to connect to nature, experience joy and belonging in the outdoors, and adventure with purpose. As a kid in Seattle, accessible parks and trails shaped some of my best memories. Hiking under old growth cedars at Discovery Park and along the coastal dunes of Grayland Beach State Park ignited my joy and connection to nature. Read more…

Mountaineers Books: Support the Stories that Move You

As I sit down to write a year-end letter to the readers of Mountaineers Books, I’m trying to envision who exactly I am writing to, who is reading this? Are you a climber, a sea kayaker, a mountain biker? Are you a lover of mountaineering literature or do you collect books of nature photography? Read more…

Impact Giving | You Shape the Future of Our Outdoor Community

Since 1906, Mountaineers members have come together to discover the best ways to go farther together. Today, members still continue to find ways to promote the benefits of getting outside to resource and elevate our mission using their shared love of the natural world, along with a healthy dose of imagination, hospitality, determination, and generosity. Read more…

Youth Outside | E.P.I.C. Adventures with Kids: Training and inspiring future youth leaders

It starts with a twinkle of curiosity in their eye. The twinkle turns into an adventurous grin, and in an instant, a child can become lost in their imagination. We want to nurture the spark of joyful adventure when working with youth in the outdoors, and that’s why the goal for each Mountaineers youth program is to introduce kids to the benefits of outdoor experiences. Read more…

Scholarships Empower Kids Like Izy

Izy loves everything about the outdoors. As a single mother working in social services, I’ve always made a modest salary, but I didn’t want my financial hardships to keep Izy from going to summer camp. I wanted my daughter to have the experiences that other kids have like climbing, sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, whitewater rafting, hiking, learning to respect our natural world, and even things like outdoor cooking and first aid.  Read more…

Equity & Inclusion Update: 2022 Trail Markers & the Road Ahead

At The Mountaineers, we aspire to offer outdoor opportunities for everyone, and are committed to building a community where all people feel belonging. Our Equity & Inclusion (E&I) Committee was founded in 2018 to work across the organization, in partnership with staff and volunteers, to bring this vision to life. Reflecting the promise of transparency to our community, our committee shares written updates twice per year and holds an annual E&I Town Hall to highlight key trail markers in our work. Today we’re excited to share the progress we’ve made since our April Town Hall, and to announce that applications are now open to join the E&I Committee in 2023.  Read more…

Impact Giving | Branch Support Pilot Gets a Running Start

As a values and mission-driven nonprofit, everything we do at The Mountaineers is in service of our vision to get more people outside and create advocates for our natural world. Earned revenue, like book sales and course fees, help us to provide world-class outdoor training, books, and experiences. These provide a strong foundation for us to grow our impact through philanthropy. Donations help to fund youth partner programs, conservation & advocacy work, shared services across all locations and activities, scholarships, and more. Read more…

Impact Report for Fiscal Year 2021: The Mountaineers Annual Report

We are proud to share our fiscal year 2021 Impact Report, an annual publication highlighting the ways that programs, publishing, and people combine forces to impact our outdoor community and the future of outdoor recreation. Read more…

Impact Giving | Celebrating the Memory of Barbara J. Allan (1927-2021)

In the summer of 2021, I received a phone call from lifetime Mountaineer MaryJane Steele delivering the difficult news that Barbara Jean Allan had recently passed away. A biochemist and researcher at the University of Washington, Barbara was a passionate outdoorswoman and environmental advocate. The lifetime she spent in the mountains inspired her to give back in many ways, and for her, that included protecting the legacy of outdoor education by planning for a bequest to benefit The Mountaineers. Read more…

The Nature of Belonging

Have you ever walked into a space, say a meeting room or a new bar, and known immediately that you were out of place? Read more…

Impact Giving | Mountain Workshops: Inspiration, instruction, and inclusion for the next generation

Leaving the cars behind, a group of young teens were a little unsure, but excited, as they walked up the trail together. Hiking is not something that they would usually choose to do on a summer afternoon. We’re just looking at a bunch of trees? Where do we go to the bathroom? Is there even cell service up here? Jiordi Henderson, Recreation Lead at Seattle Parks and Recreation and one of the chaperones for the day, hoped that the kids would be able to unplug. Read more…

Impact Giving | Gearing Up New Adventurers

It’s a hot afternoon in July, but the Seattle Program Center basement is invitingly cool. Ethan Metzger, Gear Library Manager, sits at an old wooden desk. He is surrounded by shelves full of packs, snowshoes, and boots from floor to ceiling. A rolling workbench is cluttered with repair and cleaning supplies and a couple of large tents are set up to air out.  Read more…

Impact Giving | Q&A with Diann Sheldon

Diann Sheldon has been a friend and faithful supporter of The Mountaineers for more than 10 years, where she has found deep joy in experiencing nature with others. In 2012 Diann mustered the confidence to start her own guiding business, Discover Nature, where she leads hikes to help others connect with nature in Mt. Rainier National Park.  Read more…

CEO Update: State of the Organization Recap - March 2022

Reflecting back on the last two years, it’s fair to say that it’s been one of the most challenging times in The Mountaineers history. I suspect that most of us will never forget those very early days when we were just starting to learn about Coronavirus and we were emphasizing the importance of hand-washing, without knowing how profoundly the pandemic would impact us. Almost exactly 2 years ago, The Mountaineers halted the majority of our operations as the world around us shut down, and we headed into an unknown and unstable landscape. Yet even in those early days, our community came together with an immediate and aggressive response to set us up for success in the future. Read more…

Impact Giving | Our Most Valuable Resource: How Donations Support Volunteers

On any given weekend, you can find hundreds of people enjoying local parks, forests, waterways, and more under the leadership of a Mountaineers volunteer. Last year, we had an average of 11 Mountaineers activities every day. 2,300 volunteers donated more than 200,000 hours of service in 2021 to connect people with safe and meaningful outdoor experiences. The Mountaineers has an administrative staff of just 25 people to support programs; this kind of impact simply would not be possible without our extensive network of volunteer leaders, instructors, lodge hosts, and committee members.  Read more…

Impact Giving | Why Does the Mountaineers Need Donations?

Over 116 years, The Mountaineers has undergone many changes. In 2011, we made the transformational decision to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, thereby allowing tax-deductible contributions in support of our mission. This strategic shift better aligned us with the founding spirit of The Mountaineers and cast a broader vision for our role in the community. Today, we field questions from old friends and new members alike: Isn’t The Mountaineers just a club for outdoor enthusiasts? Why does it need donations? Members pay membership dues, course fees, buy books, or volunteer… isn’t that enough?  Read more…

Impact Report for Fiscal Year 2020 | The Mountaineers Annual Report to the Community

The Mountaineers is a community united by a passion for adventure and driven by a deep sense of purpose. For more than 114 years we have redefined limits, set new standards in outdoor education through volunteer-led courses and award-winning books, and fiercely defended the outdoor experience. Read more…

2021 Recap: A Year in Review

The Mountaineers is an incredible community of adventurers, students, instructors, advocates, and leaders. We’re proud of our community for persevering through another demanding year, prioritizing safety, and fostering connections to the outdoors. As we close the door on 2021 and look ahead to 2022, we reflect on our core values and how they’ve guided us through this past year.  Read more…

Impact Giving | Why Year-End Fundraising is Important for The Mountaineers

The close of the calendar year offers us many reasons to celebrate. Snow is beginning to fall in the mountains, friends and families are gathering for holidays, and some of our favorite traditional dishes are making their way to our tables. At The Mountaineers, we also celebrate you: our members, volunteers, readers, and donors, who help make the magic of our community possible through your charitable giving. Read more…

Impact Giving | $150K Awarded to Mountain Workshops to Get More Youth Outside

Thanks to the advocacy and engagement of our outdoor community, conservation and outdoor recreation received strong support from our State Legislature this budget cycle. Earlier this year we shared the great news that outdoor programs in Washington State received record levels of funding, including $4.5 million dedicated to the No Child Left Inside (NCLI) grant program. Read more…

Impact Giving | Lifelong Engagement through Leadership

Over my last four years working for The Mountaineers, it has been a great honor to observe and learn from three amazing Board Presidents, each with their own unique abilities and unwavering commitment to the health of our organization. I may be biased in my admiration of strong women in leadership, but one president stands out as particularly inspiring to me. This spring we honored retiring Board President Lorna Corrigan, an accomplished attorney and 30-year member of the Everett Branch who recently completed her third and final year of presidential leadership. Read more…

It all adds up! $45,000 raised for our programs and publishing

The many ways our community works together to accomplish big goals never ceases to amaze me. On the heels of our Virtual Gala last month, we launched our annual spring fundraising drive with a goal of reaching 300 donors and raising $30,000 in unrestricted donations to support our outdoor education and conservation mission. This grassroots-style fundraising campaign asked members and donors to consider making a gift of any size - it all adds up to big change! Read more…

Impact Giving | Announcing New Estate Planning Resources

It's estimated that 50-60% of Americans do not have a will in place. While not often a topic of public conversation, we have heard from many members that they are interested in setting up their first will but aren’t quite sure where to start. For this reason The Mountaineers has invested in a new resource for members, providing the latest information about estate planning and tax-smart ways to plan for your future. This online support will be available at any time of day, so that you can find the educational resources you need at a time that makes the most sense for you. Read more…

Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home Lauches June 1

Braided River author Lynda V. Mapes has traveled across the West Coast to give voice to the region’s orca whales, iconic to the Pacific Northwest’s beautiful—but ecologically imperiled—marine ecosystem. In this excerpt, she travels to OrcaLab in British Columbia, where passionate and determined volunteers are led by founder Paul Spong. Located on Cracroft Point, above Johnstone Strait in British Columbia, they have been documenting the daily lives of the more robust northern resident orca pods since 1970. Read more…

Thank You! Your Support Adds up to BIG change

Today we extend big thanks to the 101 donors who contributed over $11,600 to help us reach our first matching challenge during this week’s #GiveBIG celebration. With your help we unlocked the $10,000 match, raising $21,600 toward our $30,000 spring fundraising goal. Thank you to the 28 new donors who answered the call to triple their donation and gave $2,250 towards our surprise matching challenge. It's not too late to help us reach our full match potential. We only need 10 more first time donors with a gift of $25 or more to release the full $2,500 opportunity!  Read more…

Adventure With Purpose: A Recap of Our 2021 Virtual Gala

Each spring we gather our community to celebrate our collective achievements and support future efforts to transform lives and protect wild places. With the pandemic preventing us from gathering in person, we hosted our second (and hopefully final) virtual Gala. Read more…

We Are Puget Sound Photo Exhibit Launches at The Seattle Aquarium

Just in time for Earth Day, a new photo exhibit from Braided River is launching in celebration of the stunning Salish Sea. Read more…

Youth Outside | On the Road: How our youth van helped us navigate COVID-19

A little over a year ago, a colleague and I ventured about an hour north of Seattle to the little seaside town of Anacortes. Although tempted by views of nearby Mount Erie State Park, we were on our way to pick up the newest addition to The Mountaineers: a 15-passenger van. The vehicle was fated to take Mountaineers youth to the lakes, trails, and mountains surrounding Puget Sound. Read more…

Impact Giving | Investing in the Future: A Conversation with Lily and Amber Walker

Sometimes a story asks to be told. As part of my role as Assistant Director of Development, I have the privilege of connecting with members to learn how Mountaineers philanthropy has positively impacted their lives. In last fall’s #GivingTuesday scholarship fundraising effort we introduced 18 year-old scholarship recipient Lily Walker, a five-year member of our year-round teen program, the Tacoma Mountaineers Adventure Club (MAC). Read more…