If I randomly had $25,000 of spare cash on hand that I had to donate to a local non-profit, I would give it to the OutdoorsForAll Foundation. I’m biased because I used to work there, but I think it is a really great organization that provides opportunities for folks with disabilities to enjoy a wide range of outdoors experiences such as skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, snowshoeing, or kayaking. They also run outdoor summer camps for youths and adults. While working there, the biggest bummer was that many of their programs had financial barriers to participation, and grant funding was only able to support a small number of participants, meaning that many of the people who got to participate in this nonprofit’s great programs had to come from families with enough disposable income to afford. That is especially a bummer because it is clear that experiences with different outdoors activities have an incredible impact on folks with disabilities and it would be really amazing if everyone who could benefit from these services and programs could access them.
It seems like many nonprofits kind of exist to fill a social need that really the government likely ought to provide, depending on your point of view, and in this way I think OutdoorsForAll is particularly special. While I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to participate in outdoors experiences, it doesn’t feel like a most essential need for life in the way that housing or food security does. There are nonprofits doing their best to try and meet those needs, but it’s my opinion that the government should be structured to meet all of its citizen’s most critical needs like healthcare, housing, or food security. For that reason I’ll be giving my hypothetical $25,000 to OutdoorsForAll, and keep hoping for a more progressive government.