impactgiving
Ending the Year on a High Note By Brianne Vanderlinden, Assistant Director of Development
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very winter I warm a kettle of cinnamon and cloves and sit down to write holiday cards to friends and family who supported me throughout the year. This personal ritual is something we practice as an organization as well. As I write this, our board members are signing nearly 800 holiday cards to donors who contributed $100 or more in the last year, and I’m pleased to share this is 200 cards more than last year. This kind of increased support speaks to the values of our community members who care so deeply about each other and our wild places. Even from a distance, donors are helping us create ways to stay connected. This year has been hard. The last-mile-of-the-longest-distanceyou’ve-ever-hiked-carrying-extra-weight sort of hard. But as we close the book on this challenging chapter, the team at The Mountaineers is giving thanks to our incredible community. In fiscal year 2020, donors, foundations, and corporate partners contributed $1.48 million in philanthropic support, only $140,000 shy of our pre-COVID goal! We’re not through the woods yet, but we are successfully weathering this storm, and it’s a direct result of having members and supporters like you.
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Ed Monrad and Amelie Mabbutt both grew up in Washington, albeit on different sides of the state. Ed’s memories of hiking and backpacking with his grandfather are dotted with Mountaineers Books 100 Classic Hikes guidebooks, and he smiles as he remembers the originals still sitting on the shelves at his mom’s house. As kids, both Ed and Amelie spent countless hours in the hills and mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Today they live in The Netherlands, where they apply the knowledge and skills they learned through Mountaineers Books to their adventures in the Swiss Alps. “The mountains of Washington State hold special places in our hearts, and we both miss them dearly! The work that The Mountaineers does to protect those mountains, and most importantly, teach people the skills they need to make those mountains accessible, is a powerful combination that we feel strongly about supporting in any way we can.
I believe it is important to give back to The Mountaineers because young members represent our future.
“The Mountaineers has influenced our lives in three significant ways. First, Mountaineers Books helped to get us outside with inspiration for family hiking and backpacking adventures. Second, in The Netherlands, we are following a multi-year study to become accredited International Mountain Leaders - a professional certification to lead treks that don't involve ropes. The study includes a lot of course materials through books written in German, which we don't speak! Luckily, we can supplement our learning with Mountaineers Books titles, and there's been at least one for every subject! Finally, we feel fortunate enough to have jobs that allow us to make philanthropic contributions to an organization that holds great meaning for us, even half a world away. Being a part of Peak Society has opened up conversations we otherwise would not have had - and we expect it's just beginning.”
—Joan Burton, Peak Society, 70-Year Member
—Ed Monrad and Amelie Mabbutt, Peak Society, 19-Year Members
We thought it would be fun to connect with a handful of our donors to hear why they feel good about supporting The Mountaineers, especially during times like these. Their responses brought a smile to our faces and tears to our eyes. Especially in 2020, it's empowering to remember why our collective work matters.
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Ed Monrad and Amelie Mabbutt
mountaineer | winter 2021
