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.
It likely comes as no surprise that the end of the year is one of the largest fundraising opportunities for nonprofits around the globe. Whether it stems from a healthy dose of holiday spirit, a desire to give back, or a strategic reduction in taxes, many people are thinking about their personal philanthropy during this time. The Mountaineers is no different - over 32% of Mountaineers donors choose to make a gift between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.
On October 1, 2021, we kicked off a new fiscal year with a Board-approved operating budget of $9.78M. Of these funds, approximately $8.21M will come from earned revenue streams like book sales, course fees, membership dues, facility rentals, lodge stays, and youth programming. The remaining $1.57M is raised through a combination of cash and in-kind donations, and is made possible through contributions from individuals and families, foundation and grant support, and corporate sponsors. These donor funds are what make mission-critical programs like scholarships, conservation and advocacy, volunteer support, and youth access programs possible.
As part of our annual fundraising plan, The Mountaineers facilitates a comprehensive year-end appeal campaign that helps us reach our ambitious $1.458M cash fundraising goal. We invite you to keep reading and learn more about how year-end giving works at our organization and why it’s so important!
Year-End Appeal Basics
- Goal: This year, we invite you to help us reach our $150,000 goal, making it possible to deliver on our mission in ways that we cannot do with earned revenue alone.
- Who we ask: Mountaineers members and donors
- What we send: 11 blogs, 8 emails, 1 social media fundraiser, and 1 mailed fundraising appeal letter
- When: Nov 15-Dec 31
- Why: Funds raised directly support donor-funded programs like scholarships, youth, conservation, volunteers, books, and more
The Mountaineers year-end appeal campaign runs for 6 weeks starting with the global day of giving, #GivingTuesday. During that time, we share impact stories that highlight how your donations support critical programs across the organization, as well as introduce you to youth and adult members who directly benefit from these programs. Three years ago, we started the tradition of dedicating #GivingTuesday to raise money directly for donor-funded scholarships. We’re continuing the tradition this year, and look forward to introducing you to Joanna Maltbaek, who’s paying her scholarship forward by getting involved with Seattle’s basic alpine climbing course, and Jen and her two young girls, who rely on scholarships to experience summer camp.
Growth over the Years
- Fiscal Year 2018 (Oct 1, 2017 - September 30, 2018): 350 donors contributed $70,000
- Fiscal Year 2019 (Oct 1, 2018 - September 30, 2019): 435 donors contributed $85,000
- Fiscal Year 2020 (Oct 1, 2019 - September 30, 2020): 500 donors contributed $100,000
- Fiscal Year 2021 (Oct 1, 2020 - September 30, 2021): 750 donors contributed $135,000
Last year, we were honored by the groundswell of support from our community in response to our year-end appeal. More than 750 donors teamed up and contributed over $135,000, greatly surpassing our original goal of $100,000 to ensure critical donor-funded programs had the resources needed to serve our organization.
This Year Only: New Peak Society Gifts Will Be Matched
In fiscal year 2021, we also saw more donors than ever before make a Peak Society-level donation of $1,000 or above - 60 in total! This year, with hopes of inspiring even more members to join our leadership giving circle, a small handful of donors have chosen to dramatically increase their donations to The Mountaineers and pooled together $20,000 for a special Peak Society challenge. This giving season, any donor who elects to join the Peak Society for the very first time with a gift of $1,000 or more will see their contribution 100% matched, up to $20,000. This means that new Peak Society donors can double the impact of their gift instantly! If you’ve been considering upgrading your membership type and increasing your support for organization-wide efforts like conservation and advocacy, outdoor access, and volunteer leadership development, there’s no better time to do so. The opportunity expires at midnight on December 31, 2021.
How to Participate
We rely on members and volunteers like you to help us reach our mission-critical fundraising goal. There are many easy ways to participate in The Mountaineers year-end appeal, and gifts of all sizes help us cross the fundraising finish line! All donations received from November 15 through December 31 help us reach our $150,000 goal.
- Make a gift online before the clock strikes midnight on December 31.
- Mail a check made payable to The Mountaineers to: 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115.
- All checks dated between November 15 - December 31 will be counted in the year-end appeal fundraising total.
- Submit a gift through your Donor Advised Fund (The Mountaineers Tax ID: 27-3009280).
- Contact Development Associate Ken Mullins to make a gift of securities.
- Increase the impact of your gift through your employer’s matching gift program.
This year’s fundraising goal is $150,000 and we need your help to get there. If you haven’t had a chance to make your gift in 2021, now is your chance to welcome 2022 in support of The Mountaineers! Add your name to the list of donors today.
