Impact Stories

In a normal year, The Mountaineers would facilitate a month-long giving campaign in May to foster donations that leverage our mission and boost our programming. In light of COVID-19 and April’s organization-wide virtual Gala campaign, we are adjusting our traditional fundraising efforts and reducing regularly-planned electronic communications. The following is an excerpt of a letter from Tom Vogl mailed to longtime members and donors to provide an update on our organization and demonstrate a need for support. Read more…

We get it. Today your inbox will be flooded with messages from many of Washington’s nonprofits and beyond. Today is an important day because the need for philanthropy in the time of a global pandemic is more epic than ever before.  Read more…

We are halfway through The Mountaineers fiscal year and what a journey these last six months have been. When our Board of Directors approved an operating budget of $9.28M in October to support outdoor programs, places, and books, they never would have guessed that our plans would be disrupted by the catastrophic impacts of a global pandemic. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on a combination of earned revenue and philanthropic support to sustain operations, we’ve been challenged to pivot and re-imagine how The Mountaineers can best serve our community as incoming revenue slows to a trickle. Unrestricted charitable support from individual donors is paramount to our ability to sustain core operations. In this May edition of our monthly Impact Giving blog series, we are shining light on the Peak Society and how these leadership-level donors support our organization in good times and in bad. Read more…

Welcome back to our monthly Impact Giving blog series where we shed light on how charitable donations support mission-enhancing programs of The Mountaineers, such as scholarships and conservation efforts,and the strategies we use to in our fundraising program. We’ve already previewed a few ways donors choose to elevate The Mountaineers with philanthropic support, and this month we’re excited to pull back the curtain on one of the most popular ways that donors and sponsors make a difference in our community: fundraising events! Read more…

Welcome to our fourth installment of our Impact Giving Series where we shed light on how charitable donations support The Mountaineers. This month we’re talking about the importance of estate planning and how members can plan gifts to support The Mountaineers in their will and become members of our Summit Society.  Read more…

As we begin 2020, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be part of The Mountaineers community. We’re ringing in the new decade with celebration and it’s all because of you! Read more…

Together, we are a powerful voice for the outdoors because we are anchored by our shared values of adventure, education, volunteerism, community, and advocacy. We know that meaningful change does not happen without a strong community, and engaging our community to connect with and protect the outdoor experience is something we can’t do alone.  Read more…

Volunteerism is at the core of The Mountaineers mission. Everything we accomplish is the result of volunteer initiative, and our "flavor" here in the PNW is that of a vibrant volunteer-driven community. We often say that volunteers are our "secret sauce", and that's more true than ever as we enter a new decade of adventure. Read more…

In July 1984, my dad climbed Mount Rainier and dedicated the climb “to his unborn daughter” in the summit log. His love of the mountains would soon be infused into my life forever. Read more…

It may come as no surprise that the high-holiday season is one of the largest fundraising opportunities of the entire year. Through generosity, goodwill, and a strategic reduction in taxes, many people are thinking about their personal philanthropy during this time. In fact, more than 26% of Mountaineers donors choose to make a gift during the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. Read more…

Do you remember when you first fell in love with the outdoors? As the middle of five children growing up on Lake Winnepesaukee in New Hampshire in the 70s, I was encouraged to play outside all day. The water was so clean that we drank straight from the lake. I realized from a young age the importance of having close access to the outdoors for body and mind. Read more…

Whether you hike, ski, climb, or paddle, we’d be willing to bet your life has been positively impacted by a Mountaineers volunteer. Volunteers are the heart of our organization - they lead our trips, teach our courses, run our branches and committees, and build our Program and Outdoor Centers. This giving season, consider making a gift in honor of the volunteer who has made a difference in your life. Read more…

One of the key ways we provide equitable access to the outdoors is through donor-funded scholarships. This #GivingTuesday, we are asking for your support to raise $25,000 to provide scholarships to 75 students and ensure that life-changing Mountaineers opportunities are available to all.  Read more…

As someone who’s volunteered with The Mountaineers more than 100 times over the last three years, perhaps it’s most appropriate to think of Krishna Dase (KD) as a Super-Duper Volunteer.  Since joining in 2016, KD has supported backpacking, climbing, scrambling,  snowshoeing, navigation, and hiking courses across nearly all branches. He’s a snowshoe and scrambling trip leader, intermediate climbing student, Everett climbing committee member, Kitsap scrambling committee member, and Seattle hiking committee member. He’s also a Mountaineers scholarship recipient.  Read more…

Last month we kicked off an Impact Giving series to talk about the many ways charitable donations expand our mission. We will publish a new story each month to share how philanthropy expands Mountaineers programs and empowers us to keep doing what we do best: get more people outside, expand the tradition of volunteer-led outdoor education, cultivate stewards of our public lands, and publish books to inspire adventure, exploration, and conservation. Read more…

A gift in support of Mountaineers scholarships on #GivingTuesday has the power to create strong outdoor communities, and on December 3, all donations received on this global day of giving will directly support scholarships at The Mountaineers.  Read more…

This #GivingTuesday, The Mountaineers community stepped up once again to support scholarships for our growing outdoor community. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we believe an inclusive outdoor community inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love. We empower others to safely and responsibly pursue outdoor activities by connecting people to place, leveraging that connection to inspire advocacy and stewardship efforts. Read more…

After you #OptOutside this Black Friday, consider giving in support of outdoor access. On Tuesday, December 3, The Mountaineers will participate in #GivingTuesday and once again all donations received on this day will directly support Mountaineers scholarships.  Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we know the power of nature to restore our souls and inspire our spirits. We're proud of the service of our active-duty and veteran members and their efforts to preserve our own Freedom of the Hills for future generations. To celebrate Veterans Day, we highlight a Mountaineer whose dedication helps our club and our country. Read more…

You did it! We asked for your help to get more kids outside more often and now we can! Last month you helped us raise over $30,000 toward a 15-passenger Ford Transit and this month we brought it home. Thank you to the 34 donors who made it possible, and to the 9 donors who made their first gift to The Mountaineers! We’d like to give a special shout out to The Bradley Family Foundation and donors Ken Seamon and Jane Biddle who extended your support with the matching gift challenge  and to the Gary E. Milgard Family Foundations for helping to make the van possible!  Read more…

With a membership of nearly 14,000 that spans the Puget Sound, it’s inspiring to think of the many ways The Mountaineers brings value to our community. Outdoor education courses, lodge stays, trips to explore on land or water, year-round youth and family programming, and unique lectures and events are just some of the ways that members and volunteers engage with our organization. Mountaineers Books greatly expands on that impact, reaching millions of homes across the world. Read more…

On Tuesday, December 3, 2019, The Mountaineers will participate in #GivingTuesday and once again all donations received on this day will directly support Mountaineers scholarships. Read more…

Thank you to everyone who continues to submit for matched volunteer hours. Every bit helps The Mountaineers! As we shift our programs online, don’t forget that virtual committee meetings, planning future courses, preparing online curriculum, hosting virtual events, and more can be submitted for matching hours with your employer. You can reach out to development@mountaineers.org with questions or further inquiries.

Leverage the impact of your volunteer commitment by submitting for a match today!

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Employer matching is making a notable difference with charities across the nation, contributing almost $5 billion to U.S. nonprofits each year. Even with such high participation levels, billions of dollars are left on the table annually. Read more…

“You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.”
- Dr. Suess, Oh The Places We’ll Go

Summer at The Mountaineers is the best! The kids are excited to be out of school and we’re able to take hiking trips in the middle of the week. In the last few weeks, we drove 14 youth to Heybrook Lookout with our Rock the Park (RTP) Mountain Workshop where we experienced an enjoyable day hike, talked about the history of the lookout, practiced our navigation skills, and we took a second RTP group to hike by Rattlesnake Lake and learn about the Cedar River Watershed.    Read more…

The hard truth is that public lands legislation is complicated, victories can be slow, and our public lands are chronically underfunded. The threats to these places are becoming increasingly urgent, and our ability to respond to issues – and thus create space for you to engage – is limited by staff capacity and funding. In order to provide more opportunities for outdoor recreationists to learn about and understand the issues facing our public lands and become an even stronger voice for threaten landscapes, we need to bring on a staff position focused on public lands advocacy and engagement. To make sure we not only keep our footing on this precarious ground, but also find ways to play offense and not just defense, we need your help.  Read more…

“We’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so… get on your way!” - Dr. Suess, Oh The Places We’ll Go

Dear Friends, 
 
We are going places! Our Explorers Program just came back from their annual 4-day climbing trip to Mazama; Mountain Workshops will be hiking in Snoqualmie Pass this week with Solid Ground as part of Rock the Park Program; and our summer camp field trips are coming and going every day, filling the program center with laughter, camp songs, and the smell of sunscreen.  Read more…

Since our founding in 1906, we have pushed the boundaries of what's possible. United by an appreciation for adventure and driven by a sense of purpose to give back, we've redefined limits, set new standards in outdoor education through volunteer-led courses and award-winning books, and fiercely defended the outdoor experience. Read more…

When longtime Mountaineers member John Waldhausen reflects back on his time as a basic alpine climbing student, he can’t help but smile. Memories of field trips with his Small Instruction Group (SIG) at Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, and the Tooth come rushing back to him. As a working professional, John took the course hoping to learn to climb mountains safely in his limited spare time. By the time it ended, he’d made long-lasting connections with our community of adventurers - some that he continues to climb with nearly 10 years later.  Read more…

Every April, The Mountaineers hosts our Annual “Adventure with Purpose” Gala, a fundraising event that includes special guest speakers, dynamic programming, and a variety of live auction packages ranging from nature photography workshops to Everest Base Camp treks. This year, gala attendees had the opportunity to buy into a priceless trip up Mount Rainier with former lead climbing ranger and Mountaineers Books author, Mike Gauthier (who’s summited Washington’s famed mountain more than 180 times), and Mountaineers CEO, Tom Vogl. Read more…