The Outdoor Foundation
The Outdoor Foundation is a public charity based in Boulder, Colorado. The organization says it is the philanthropic arm of the Outdoor Industry Association and works to expand access to outdoor recreation, address barriers to participation, and encourage the next generation of outdoor participants.
The Outdoor Foundation at a glance
In short: The Outdoor Foundation gave $657K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $51K), top state Minnesota. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $657,212
- -20.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +8.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $50,555
- -26.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $1,697,791
- -19.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (3 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (20% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Outdoor Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 21497, Boulder, CO 80308
Phone: (303) 444-3353
Website: https://outdoorfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Outdoor Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Wilderness Inquiry ($115K). Together the top 10 received $590K.
Grant Size Distribution
60 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 22 grants of 60 (37%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grants were distributed across multiple states. The largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota (20%), Michigan (19%), Virginia (19%), Washington (15%), and Maryland (8%). These figures describe the locations of reported recipients, not necessarily the full geographic scope of the foundation’s work.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Outdoor Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 13 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $47K; repeat grants $52K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 69% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−14%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $586K (2020) to $1.3M (2022). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $657K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wilderness Inquiry St. Paul, MN | Youth Outdoor Part. | $115,400 |
| Seattle Parks Foundation Seattle, WA | Youth Outdoor Part. | $100,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | Youth Outdoor Part. | $100,000 |
| Detroit Parks Coalition Detroit, MI | — | $100,000 |
| Chesapeake Bay Trust Annapolis, MD | Youth Outdoor Part. | $50,000 |
| City of Grand Rapids Grand Rapids, MI | Youth Outdoor Part. | $25,000 |
| Maine Audubon Falmouth, ME | Youth Outdoor Part. | $25,000 |
| National Wildlife Federation Reston, VA | Youth Outdoor Part. | $25,000 |
| River City Outdoors St. Louis, MO | Youth Outdoor Part. | $25,000 |
| Riversport Foundation Oklahoma City, OK | Youth Outdoor Part. | $25,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,697,791 | $824,925 | $1,231,540 | $657,212 | 13 | $21,126 |
| 2023 | $2,111,705 | $1,020,247 | $1,753,203 | $824,372 | 12 | $48,052 |
| 2022 | $2,849,383 | $2,636,844 | $2,217,006 | $1,313,469 | 15 | — |
| 2021 | $2,612,993 | $2,553,438 | $1,659,800 | $759,949 | 8 | $10,646 |
| 2020 | $1,662,305 | $1,423,237 | $1,095,688 | $586,300 | 12 | $-493 |
| 2019 | $1,275,083 | $1,907,778 | $1,693,219 | $871,173 | 29 | $12,190 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to pursue charitable and educational purposes related to outdoor recreation and education, including preserving the natural environment, addressing outdoor-industry issues, and promoting participation.
Its filing describes two areas of work: convening and participation, including community-level partnerships and Thrive Outside support for existing programs and the infrastructure, planning, and resources to build lifelong engagement with the outdoors; and research on outdoor activity, participation trends, and youth inactivity. The foundation’s website describes Thrive Outside as connecting communities to the outdoors through equity-focused local partnerships.
In 2024, several grants were reported with the purpose “YOUTH OUTDOOR PART.” The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported: Wilderness Inquiry says it connects people of varied ages, backgrounds, identities, and abilities through shared outdoor adventures; the Detroit Parks Coalition describes its work supporting healthy, equitable parks and community parks programming; and Seattle Parks Foundation says it partners with community to champion thriving and equitable parks and public spaces. The Nature Conservancy describes its mission as conserving lands and waters, while RiverSport Foundation says it builds community through rowing and paddle sports.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $657,212. Grant amounts ranged from $16,812 to $115,400, with a median of $25,000. Its largest reported grants included $115,400 to Wilderness Inquiry; $100,000 each to Seattle Parks Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and Detroit Parks Coalition; and $50,000 to Chesapeake Bay Trust.
Other reported grants included $25,000 each to the City of Grand Rapids, Maine Audubon, National Wildlife Federation, River City Outdoors, RiverSport Foundation, The San Diego Foundation, and West Atlanta Watershed Alliance.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kent Ebersole as president; Dr. Arlene Charles as former COO; Lesford Duncan as executive director; Amy Dominquez-Arms as chair; Hilary Hartley as secretary-treasurer; Jen Boldry, Danica Carey, Bill Neff, and Nate Simmons as directors; and Jen Neuhaus as past chair.
The Outdoor Foundation is led by Kent Ebersole, President on the 2024 filing; 1 of 10 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kent Ebersole
President
New on the 2024 filing
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amy Dominquez-Arms
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jen Boldry
Director
Board Member → Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bill Neff
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Danica Carey
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nate Simmons
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lesford Duncan
Executive Di
Director → Executive Di, 2024
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$163K (2024)
Arlene Charles
Former COO
Chief Operat → Former COO, 2024
On filings since 2021
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jen Neuhaus
Past Chair
Chair → Past Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hilary Hartley
Secretary-Tr
Director → Secretary-Tr, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Ray Rivera (2019–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Joe Pellegrini (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Stephanie Maez (2021–2023) — Executive Di
- Former: Beaver Theodosakis (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Sally McCoy (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Steve Barker (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Aangeenbrug (2019–2020) — Executive Director
- Former: Jennifer Mull-Neuhaus (2019–2020) — Vice Chair & Chair
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $163K, to Lesford Duncan (Executive Di).
Frequently asked questions about The Outdoor Foundation
How much does The Outdoor Foundation give each year?
The Outdoor Foundation gave $657K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $824K across 12 grants.
What is The Outdoor Foundation's typical grant size?
The Outdoor Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $50,555, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Outdoor Foundation that year got $47K on average.
Where does The Outdoor Foundation give grants?
The Outdoor Foundation's top state is Minnesota, with 20% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Michigan (19%) and Virginia (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Paul, MN (2 grants).
Does The Outdoor Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on The Outdoor Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Youth Outdoor Part." (11 grants).
Who are The Outdoor Foundation's largest grantees?
The Outdoor Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Wilderness Inquiry ($115,400), Seattle Parks Foundation ($100,000) and The Nature Conservancy ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Outdoor Foundation?
The Outdoor Foundation reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $825K.
What does The Outdoor Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to pursue charitable and educational purposes related to outdoor recreation and education, including preserving the natural environment, addressing outdoor-industry issues, and promoting participation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Outdoor Foundation?
The Outdoor Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check outdoorfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Outdoor Foundation's EIN?
The Outdoor Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1549065. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 30, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 22, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 28, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Outdoor Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-outdoor-foundation-morg_6c020a09c414430d9457529b987713f9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_841549065_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Outdoor Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-outdoor-foundation-morg_6c020a09c414430d9457529b987713f9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Outdoor Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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