GiveBIG to NOLS this Wednesday
Last summer, 17-year-old Seattle resident Georgia Ray attended a NOLS Alaska sea kayaking course through the Student Conservation Association, a NOLS Gateway Partner. The lessons she learned at NOLS extend beyond technical and leadership skills in the wilderness setting, translating back to her life in the frontcountry.
“Interacting with my coursemates, in the very open environment provided by NOLS, let me know how my words are perceived and interpreted,” recalled Georgia, “Today I use this knowledge with my family and friends to be a clearer and better communicator. I use this to give instructions or suggestions, particularly feedback, in a friendly or sensitive way.”
Georgia enjoys an arch on her sea kayaking course.
On Wednesday, May 2, NOLS will participate in the Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG campaign. The one-day, online giving event aims to inspire Seattle area residents to donate to their favorite local non-profits to build a stronger community. The NOLS Pacific Northwest branch location allows us to partake in GiveBIG, and we do so with the goal of raising $5,000 for one full scholarship to send a Gateway Partner student from the Seattle area, like Georgia, on a NOLS course.
NOLS Gateway Partners are organizations and institutions that provide educational opportunities to populations underrepresented in the outdoors. By providing these students with full-tuition scholarships to attend NOLS courses, the school is able to narrow the gap between underserved communities and a life in tune with nature. Gateway Partners in the Seattle area are the Student Conservation Association, Seattle Summer Search, and Metrocenter YMCA Leadership Development Expeditions—BOLD and GOLD Mountain Schools.
Each donation made to NOLS through the Seattle Foundation between midnight and midnight (Pacific Time) on May 2, 2012, will receive a pro-rated portion of the matching funds (or "stretch") pool. What does that mean? If NOLS raises 3 percent of all the money raised through GiveBIG, then we will get 3 percent of the stretch pool. The more you give, the more of the stretch pool NOLS will get. Additionally, throughout the day “Golden Tickets” will be randomly drawn and a lucky donor will have their contribution matched with an additional $1,000.
Last year, every $100 in donations resulted in an additional $14 from the stretch pool, so every gift really does make a difference and results in more funding support for NOLS!
GiveBIG to NOLS on Wednesday and help us send a Seattle area student on a life-changing adventure.
Permalink | Posted by Larkin Flora on Apr 30, 2012 in the following categories: Campaign NOLS, On The Net, Pacific Northwest
Donor Profile: Scott Bass Learns it's in the Details
Last summer, NOLS grad Scott Bass and his 12-year-old son, Tyler, travelled to Wyoming to summit the Grand Teton. The second highest peak in Wyoming at 13,775 feet, the Grand towers sharply above Jackson Hole valley. Even though Scott hadn’t climbed in the high mountains in 22 years, he felt like it’d only been a week since he got off his North Cascades Mountaineering course. Skills he learned at NOLS came back naturally as they kick stepped through 2011’s epic snowpack up Garnett Canyon to the lower saddle of the Grand.
“I think that speaks to the depth of the experience of doing it for a month in the Cascades,” Scott explained. “It’s embedded in me now.”
Scott Bass mountaineering on his NOLS course in 1989.
Now an investment advisor, the 43-year-old Atlanta, Ga. resident feels the lasting impact of his NOLS course beyond the backcountry in the business world and at home. One of the sayings that stuck with him is that “details save lives.”
“That really resonated with me,” he recalled. “Certainly in that environment it is important to set protection in the snow, be roped up properly, and use proper technique when you’re travelling across a glacier, but it also applies to everything in life.”
Scott keeps this in mind when dealing with clients and tells it frequently to his kids. For him, this means to “make sure that you think things through, that you take the right precautions. If you’re going to do something, do it right,” he stressed.
Scott and son Tyler on Jupiter Peak in Park City, Utah.
The same goes for Leave No Trace principals in the backcountry. Many people enter the wilderness without the minimal impact mindset.
“People don’t come by [it] naturally. We’re so used to thinking ‘Oh somebody’s going to come behind me and fix this or clean this up.’”
But for Scott, that just doesn’t cut it, which is another reason he appreciates what NOLS teaches. He prefers the untouched wilderness.
“Maybe nobody’s been there for days or weeks, at least that’s how I perceive it,” he said, “The experience that I have is with something that is pristine and new, I should leave it that way so that the next person can have the exact same experience.”
To Scott, this is the most important lesson NOLS can impart on students.
Two years after his course in Washington, Scott donated to NOLS when he began earning regular paychecks. It’s not the only organization he contributes to regularly, and he has a method for selecting them.
“I think first, ‘What are the things that have had the most impact on me in my life, for me as a person?’”
NOLS is in Scott’s top three, and he continues to give back to the school through the annual fund.
“I want to make sure that other people have the opportunity to do what I did, to experience the wilderness. I know that there are people who can’t afford it and programs that need additional funding. I want to help support NOLS.”
To learn more about the NOLS Annual Fund and Campaign NOLS: Endowing Our Core Values, visit NOLS Giving, or contact us at (800) 332-4280 or development@nols.edu.
Permalink | Posted by Larkin Flora on Apr 23, 2012 in the following categories: Campaign NOLS, Pacific Northwest
NOLS Southwest Makes a Splash for Campaign NOLS
NOLS Southwest participated in an unusual fundraiser for the NOLS Annual Fund two weeks ago
Every year at Summit Hut’s outdoor “Sidewalk Sale,” Southwest branch staff hosts a booth and mingle with customers and other local non-profits. This year the Tucson, Ariz. gear shop rented a dunk tank. Representatives from the non-profits sat above the tank and raised funds for their organization at $1 per chance to drop them into the pool.
Decked out in a woman’s bathing suite, bathing cap and wig, NOLS Southwest’s Special Project Manager Andrew Megas-Russell took to the tank for the benefit of NOLS. Andrew heckled the crowd, took several dunks, and managed to raise $88 for the NOLS Annual Fund during his hour in the tank.
NOLS SW Special Project Manager Andrew Megas-Russell prepares for his next dunk.
Last week, while the branch directors were in town for their bi-annual meeting, NOLS Southwest Director Lindsay Nohl hand delivered the money to the development office in Lander, Wyo.
Thanks Andrew, Lindsay, and everyone down at NOLS Southwest for their support of the NOLS Annual Fund and Campaign NOLS!
Permalink | Posted by Larkin Flora on Apr 12, 2012 in the following categories: Campaign NOLS, Southwest
Donor Profile: NOLS Pro’s Brian Fabel, Advocating for NOLS In and Out of the Field
When Brian Fabel attended a job fair in Washington, DC, he had no idea what that fateful meeting it would be. He recalls talking with a NOLS marketing representative, who told Brian stories about the school’s expeditions.
Brian remembers thinking, “I have to do this!”
An internship with NOLS Professional Training, a Winter Outdoor Educator course, a job as the operations assistant back in NOLS Pro, an instructor course, and four different positions within NOLS later, Brian has landed as the marketing coordinator for NOLS Pro, helping to spread the word about NOLS’ customized training opportunities. Even after the launching his career at NOLS, Brian didn’t really understand the school until he received a scholarship and took his first course.
“It was during my Winter Outdoor Educator that I saw how life changing NOLS courses could be. As I looked at my instructors I thought, ‘I want to do what they are doing. I want to help others experience this,’” Brian recalled.
Brian still gets out into the field to instruct winter courses. His favorite teaching moments are when the weather turns really cold—students take care of each other, prevent cold injuries, and push through the tough work of doing simple tasks while winter camping.
As he approaches the five-year anniversary of his student course, Brian has been reflecting a lot on how rich his life is as a result of choosing NOLS as a career.
“The experiences I have gained through working for NOLS have provided sound judgment that transfers to all parts of my life.”
In the past year, Brian has also become an advocate for staff giving and Campaign NOLS, spearheading a fundraiser at NOLS Headquarters in Lander, Wyo.
When asked why he supports NOLS financially, Brian’s explanation is simple. “It occurred to me that returning my scholarship—the very thing that enabled me to participate in my first NOLS course—would be the best way to provide others the path of personal enrichment and professional development I have experienced.”
For more information about Campaign NOLS: Endowing Our Core Values visit NOLS Giving, or contact us at (800) 332-4280 or development@nols.edu.
Permalink | Posted by Larkin Flora on Feb 21, 2012 in the following categories: Alumni, Campaign NOLS, Instructor News, Professional Training
Adventure Medical Kits Supports the NOLS Scholarship Fund
Demonstrating their commitment to outdoor education and safety, Adventure Medical Kits (AMK) raised money for NOLS last month at the 2012 Outdoor Retailer (OR) Winter Market. During the first two days of OR, AMK sold their award-winning SOL Escape Bivvy with all proceeds going to the NOLS Scholarship Fund.
The bivvy is AMK’s new, heat reflective, highly water resistant, windproof, and, most importantly, breathable emergency shelter or primary sleep system for backcountry adventures. It weighs a trim 8.5 ounces, and at $50, it’s very affordable. Although it just began shipping this month, the SOL Escape Bivvy has already gleaned awards for 2011 Gear of the Year from both Gear Junkie and National Geographic Adventure.
So why did AMK decide to donate their proceeds to the NOLS Scholarship Fund?
“The question is more like, why didn’t we do this earlier?” explained AMK Chief Marketing Officer Frank Meyer, “I think the opportunity to learn outdoor and leadership skills should be afforded to as many people as possible regardless of income level.”
Each year, NOLS offers more than $1 million in scholarship assistance to applicants who demonstrate great potential to excel as NOLS students but lack the financial means to attend. Without the generous support of staff, alumni, the broader NOLS community, and organizations like Adventure Medical Kits, many students would not be able to experience an NOLS education.
“Adventure Medical Kits’ donation to the NOLS scholarship fund through the sales of Escape Bivvys at Outdoor Retailer was a great way to show our support to a core group of outdoor users,” concluded Meyer, “We look forward to continuing to support NOLS in the future.”
To learn more about the NOLS Scholarship Fund and Campaign NOLS: Endowing Our Core Values, click here.
Permalink | Posted by Larkin Flora on Jan 31, 2012 in the following categories: Campaign NOLS, In The News
Donor Profile: The Raizen Family, Spreading NOLS' Love
NOLS is thrilled to announce we met our year-end goal for Campaign NOLS! Thank you to all of our supporters—alumni, family, staff, and friends—who helped us raise $10 million before our Dec. 31 deadline. Together, we have secured an additional $2 million toward the campaign.
The final installment of our December Donors profiles features a family of NOLSies: all three kids are NOLS grads and the parents are long-time philanthropic supporters.
Teresa and Dan Raizen, long time NOLS supporters and parents of three grads.
When Teresa and Dan Raizen’s eldest son, Nat, went on his NOLS course he brought a copy of Dostoyevsky’s Brothers Karamazov—torn in half to save on weight. It was required summer reading for the high school senior who was the first of three Raizen children to attend NOLS.
“We’d only ever been car camping,” Dan explained of his desire to foster an outdoor ethic in his children. “When Teresa brought up idea of NOLS it really resonated. I said right away, ‘Oh that’s perfect!’”
Nat came home from the Wind River Mountains with great stories about his course, and his younger brother Ben was listening. He decided to go on the Salmon Backpacking and Rafting course the summer before his junior year, and Claire, the youngest, went before her sophomore year. All three came back more mature, confident, and resilient.
“Maybe because [Claire] was younger, I noticed an increase in her maturity level and awareness of responsibility,” Teresa noted. “She came back with more will to work and to take on things that she thought were a little scary before, laughing through the whole experience.”
As Waldorf educators, Dan and Teresa appreciate NOLS’ method of teaching. Waldorf-style education, at a basic level, is an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Both the NOLS and Waldorf pedagogies reflect a desire to help students become better people, imparting knowledge that goes deeper than its practical application.
“In Waldorf, you’re not just pouring in skills … you’re trying to make them as whole and complete as a human can be,” Dan said. “NOLS believes that young people have the capacity for leadership and we need to find ways to awaken these abilities to make them, in a deep sense, much better people.”
This shared philosophy is why Dan and Teresa are happy to support a school that also means so much to their kids. This year, they went beyond their long-time support of the NOLS Annual Fund to make a contribution to the endowment.
“We love the program,” Teresa explained, “When you see what a benefit it is for your own children and can extrapolate that it’s going to be a benefit for lots of people, that’s what we want to do. We want to make that benefit more available and keep a good thing going.”
Dan concluded: “Our goal is to help disadvantaged kids who would otherwise not have this opportunity. Beyond the broader aspect of supporting a place that does good work, we want to spread it a little more. That’s important.”
Permalink | Posted by Larkin Flora on Dec 30, 2011 in the following categories: Alumni, Campaign NOLS
Donor Profile: Daniella Hirschfeld, Giving Back to the NOLS Family
It’s the giving time of year, and with more donations coming in every day, the Development department is buzzing. We are all excited by the prospect of reaching our $10 million Campaign NOLS goal by Dec. 31. For more information about Campaign NOLS and the NOLS Annual Fund, visit nols.edu/giving.
This week, we continue our December Donors profiles with a look at a Decade Donor, a designation for those who have given to NOLS consecutively for the past 10 years or more.
Alumni donor Daniella Hirschfield, biking in the Vineman Triathalon
Daniella Hirschfeld has been giving to NOLS for 10 years, since the fall after she returned from her semester in Australia. As a college student, she gave small amounts, $5 or $10 a year. A couple years ago, as she had the means, Daniella started her own foundation, the Green Guided Fund.
“I wanted to focus my resources on things I really care about, and NOLS fit into the picture not just of things I find important but also from a global environmental perspective.”
Born a New Yorker, Daniella knew nothing about living in the wilderness before she went to Australia for her NOLS semester in 2001. As a student at Dartmouth College on the “D Plan,” she was required to take a semester off to explore other forms of learning. Daniella wanted to do something interesting and inspiring during her sophomore spring; her mom recommended NOLS, since her stepsister had done a course and had a phenomenal time.
The timing for her semester worked, but Daniella had no idea how much her semester away from Dartmouth would influence her feelings toward her career. Today, Daniella works in environmental policy at the community level, helping local governments become more sustainable for long-term climate change.
“I attribute the idea of working for the environment to NOLS,” Daniella declared. “I remember one lesson we had: in a hypothetical scenario Bongo falls, a waterfall we’d visited recently, was the location of a specific drug that would be a cure for multiple sclerosis. To access that drug they had to mine the area.”
Daniella and her female coursemates at Bongo Falls.
The class sparked a serious debate, with students arguing for both environmental protection and medical advancement. It got her thinking about wilderness, and she hasn’t stopped since. At her job in front country, Daniella often steps into multiple leadership roles as she works in different group contexts and settings.
“I am able to play the part that is necessary, stepping into an active followership role to empower my volunteers to do what needs to be done. That way, I can do the job side, and they do the leadership side,” she said.
Daniella got a good taste of what that takes while in Australia as the leader of her group’s Independent Student Group Expedition (ISGE).
“It was an amazing group and an amazing experience,” she recalled, “I was surprised by the trust and confidence my team had in me. I enjoyed being in that role, enjoyed being part of the team and leading them in a successful small group expedition.”
This nomination came after Daniella struggled with her slow hiking pace. She felt she was holding the group up and causing frustration, but as she grew as a hiker, she learned that where she stood in the pack mattered more than speed. Ultimately, she was able to overcome her own frustrations and perceived weakness to become a strong member of her team.
Daniella, enjoying the Aboriginal cliff art on her semester in Australia
“That’s what makes NOLS the leader in the field,” Daniella explained. “It’s not just about a certain set of skills; it’s about the whole package. It’s about the team working together, self-confidence, and a whole range of skills, not just how fast you can pack your backpack. Finding comfort in the natural world makes it a unique and valuable experience.”
Daniella has remained an active leader in the NOLS community through her local alumni chapter. This is because for her, NOLS is a big family.
“It’s not one thing, it is collective. NOLS develops relationships with local individuals, and does career enhancement for employees.”
And the NOLS family extends beyond NOLS branches and into the lives of alumni like Daniella.
“When you go on a hike with a group of people who have done NOLS, you instantly feel more comfortable. Especially when compared to random people from Meetup [a social networking site for groups], who you’re not sure will be comfortable when the temperature drops to 30 degrees, or if they’ll practice LNT. It enhances that family element.”
Daniella at the summit of Mount Cabot in New Hampshire
It is also important to Daniella that the school practices what it preaches. “NOLS isn’t just leader in wilderness education, but also the leader in wilderness and environmental protection. They partake in protecting the places they use.”
Daniella continues to support the NOLS and stay connected through her foundation’s contributions to the NOLS Annual Fund.
“NOLS really did change my life, and I place a lot of value in that. It is somewhat cost prohibitive, and I wish more people could have the NOLS experience. By giving to NOLS, I am helping provide other people with the opportunity that I had.”
Permalink | Posted by Larkin Flora on Dec 15, 2011 in the following categories: Alumni, Campaign NOLS, Leadership
Donor Profile: Erik Christensen Gambles for NOLS
With Campaign NOLS: Endowing Our Core Values nearing the end of its second calendar year, we approach the halfway point of our $20 million goal. To mark this exciting time and build energy for the second half of the campaign, we will be featuring unique and interesting donors regularly on the NOLS blog.
This week, we begin the profiles with a look into the most original mode of donating I’ve ever heard of—gambling.
Two time NOLS graduate Erik Christensen and a close group of friends love wagering on sporting events (right now, it’s college football). Instead of taking each other out to lunch or forking over cash, the losers have to donate to a charity of the winner’s choice. Erik’s is NOLS.
Erik's first exposure to NOLS was through the Teton Science School, where he was a student in 1993. Located in Jackson, Wyo., Teton Science School and NOLS often share instructors.
That summer, Erik made his first trip into the Winds as a student on the Wind River Mountaineering course.
A young Erik on his Wind River Mountaineering course in 1993.
“It was very physically demanding; I was young and hadn’t prepared the right way. That course has been my gauge for all other physical fitness: if I could make it through that, I can do anything.” Erik recalled. “My course was amazing. I became fascinated with the Winds and have been back to explore a number of times.”
Most recently, Erik was sponsored by his employer in California to head back to NOLS for a 23 and over Wind River Wilderness course; he pitched NOLS as leadership training. Since returning from the field, he’s been sharing relevant parts of the NOLS curriculum in an organized setting at work.
“We're improving our communication skills, trying to give more appropriate feedback and learning about the different ways of making decisions. The group back at the workplace has been very receptive and, I think, impressed with what NOLS teaches,” Erik said.
For Erik, leadership is the most important thing students can learn on NOLS courses. It’s front and center in his life, and he tries to use those skills on a daily basis. “Leadership skills make people better. If you’re thinking about the way they are presented in the backcountry then you can apply them to your life,” he explained, “They just happen to be taught in a wilderness setting, but it transfers to the front country.”
Erik on the summit of Mt. Geikie, in the Wind River Range.
Erik hopes to return to NOLS a third time to keep his leadership skills fresh, but in the meantime he’ll continue making wagers with friends and supporting the annual fund. “I have a connection to NOLS and giving money helps me stay involved. I want to thank to the group of educators that have given time and energy to teaching all the students. Since I live far away, donating is the simplest way that I know how to do that.”
Lucky for NOLS, Erik wins those bets once in a while.
Permalink | Posted by Larkin Flora on Dec 6, 2011 in the following categories: Alumni, Campaign NOLS, Leadership
Campaign NOLS Update
Campaign NOLS: Endowing Our Core Values is a campaign to raise $20 million by the end of 2013. Consisting of $15 million to strengthen our endowment and $5 million for annual philanthropic support, this campaign aims to provide the school with financial stability for years to come. Campaign NOLS will furnish scholarship funding, protect our wild classrooms, and continue to develop curriculum—ensuring NOLS remains the leader in wilderness education.
As the first snows fall in Lander, Wyo., and we gear up for the giving season, it’s nice to take a look back at the progress of Campaign NOLS thus far. And what incredible journey it has been! In fiscal year 2011, which ended on August 31, we exceeded our Annual Fund goal of $1,386,522 by $24,299.10, and had a record 35 percent of staff participate in philanthropy.
This puts us well on our way to meeting our $10 million challenge by December 31, 2011. If we reach this goal, we will receive an additional $2 million toward the campaign from three generous donors. As of October 28, we have raised over $9 million; that means we have less than $1 million to reach our goal by December 31!
While we are focused on our goal, it is important not to lose sight of why we do what we do. One of the best things about working in Development for NOLS is getting to hear the stories from the scholarship students we helped send on a course. Emily Hendrick from San Francisco, one of our many scholarship students from this past summer, explained one of the greatest learning moments of her Outdoor Educator course:
One day we ended up one drainage over from where we had planned to be. Instead of telling us that we were going the wrong direction, our instructors let us make the mistake and learn from our actions. This was a much more valuable lesson to me than if they had just told us what do. It made me really think about group dynamics, leadership, and decision-making. Our instructors were role models in every way possible.
On a NOLS course there is no failure, there are just mistakes from which students can learn and grow as individuals and a group. The phenomenal field instructors at NOLS are what make moments like this possible for Emily and all of our students.
We sent many incredible students and staff into the field this year. Thank you to everyone who made the past fiscal year such a success. Together we can ensure that NOLS continues to bring the best leadership and wilderness education to all students, regardless of their financial obstacles.
Permalink | Posted by Larkin Flora on Oct 31, 2011 in the following categories: Campaign NOLS, Leadership
