Hi friends! We are so excited to share our #givingtuesday top 10 favorites.
As we begin to close 2018, we’d like to challenge our followers and supporters to give big! We are asking for those of you that can give monthly, to pick an organization to give to for an entire year.
There are plenty of amazing organizations out there that are dedicated to elevating underrepresented voices and experiences in the outdoors (and the US, in general). As climbers, there are also some very specific initiatives we have to tackle together such as protecting public lands, environmental equity and access, promoting health, wellness, and outdoor education for youth, and opportunities to enter the sport entirely.
There are also plenty of organizations that are not listed. Many of the large cities around the U.S. have organizations dedicated to creating opportunities for children of color to enjoy and explore the outdoors in a way that’s safe and inclusive (for more information, please email us at browngirlsclimb@gmail.com). There are also many groups dedicated to social, economic, and environmental justice for historically marginalized groups.
For the climbers out there, we propose a new ‘project’ for this year, set aside an amount that’s reasonable to you and give for an entire year. If you already do this, evaluate how you might be able to support these initiatives through one time donations, volunteering, or straight up spreading the word.
We’re psyched to see how the year unfolds. Make sure to share your new commitments with us by tagging #browngirlsclimb #sendingmeansgiving
In no particular order…
- Brown Girls Climbing
- Mission: to provide a safe space for girls of color to receive the healthy social-emotional and physical benefits of exercise and outdoor leadership.
- Current Projects: 2018-2019 Mini Winter Camp
- Goal: Raise $8k for fall scholarship for girls of color
- Native Women’s Wilderness
- Mission: To inspire and raise the voices of Native Women in the Outdoor Realm. To encourage a healthy lifestyle grounded in the Wilderness. To educate Natives and non-Natives on the rich beauty and heritage of the Ancestral Lands beneath our feet.
- Current Projects: Check out their new (and affordable) swag here!
- Indigenous Women Hike
- Mission: A collective of Paiute women on a journey to reconnect with our landscape and heal our bodies through healthy lifestyle changes.
- Current Projects: Find specific points of action here.
- Goal: $5k for a gear library
- Outdoor Asian
- Mission: To create a diverse and inclusive community of Asian and Pacific Islanders in the outdoors.
- Current Project: Mt. Tahoma Snowshoeing Overnight Dec 9th-Dec10th
- Queer Nature
- Mission: Our program envisions and implements ecological awareness and place-based skills as vital and often overlooked parts of the healing and wholing of populations who have been marginalized and even represented as ‘unnatural.’… to build inter-species alliances and an enduring sense of belonging.
- Current Project: Check out their awesome shirts here
- Goal: $8k through t-shirt sales
- Outdoor Afro
- Mission: Supports reconnecting African-Americans with natural spaces and one another through recreational activities such as camping, hiking, biking, birding, fishing, gardening, skiing — and more!
- Current Project: Make a donation to Outdoor Afro and support swimming lessons for Black children.
- Goal: $7M and Facebook will match this amount!
- Latino Outdoors
- Mission: We inspire, connect, and engage Latino communities in the outdoors and embrace cultura y familia as part of the outdoor narrative, ensuring our history, heritage, and leadership are valued and represented.
- Current Project: Deception Pass Hike Dec. 1st. Find more info here.
- Goal: $15k in individual contributions by the end of the year.
- Camber Outdoors
- Mission: Equity in the outdoors, from boardroom to backcountry.
- Current Project: From jobs boards to mentorship, learn more about Camber’s projects here.
- The Access Fund
- Mission: to keep climbing areas open and conserve the climbing environment
- Current Project: Learn about national and local initiatives here.
- 1Climb
- Mission: To take kids climbing and to take climbing to kids.
- Current Project: Partnering with Boys and Girls Club across America to introduce 100,000 kids to climbing
