Trailheads

Building a Community Network

In her journey to become a climbing instructor, Alexis proved that a one-time outing can be inspiring, but sustained support is needed to overcome persistent obstacles, such as a lack of gear, transportation, or a sense of belonging. When people have a continuous support structure, outdoor access becomes a permanent, life-shaping part of their identity rather than just a fleeting moment. Recognizing that this level of transformation requires consistency, the Outdoor Foundation fundamentally changed its strategy—shifting from broad, one-off grants to long-term investments in local networks designed to create lasting change. 

“We recognized the importance of a deeper investment in systems that promote sustained outdoor participation and break down the persistent barriers to outdoor access,” says Lesford Duncan, executive director of the Outdoor Foundation. “And we knew it would require multi-year commitments in strategic communities to really shift the dial.” 

Thrive Outside’s strategy is modeled after the framework popularized by the Stanford Social Innovation Review, which emphasizes that complex social problems are best solved when different organizations coordinate their efforts toward a common goal. The framework includes five core elements: 

1. Common Agenda: A unified goal for the region 
2. Shared Measurement: Metrics to track progress 
3. Mutually Reinforcing Activities: Diverse organizations working in synergy 
4. Continuous Communication: Constant dialogue among stakeholders 
5. Backbone Support: Dedicated leadership to drive the agenda

To turn these principles into a local reality, Thrive Outside empowers specific organizations to lead the charge. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, Duncan explains that Thrive Outside invests in diverse local groups—ranging from nonprofits and community foundations to city parks and recreation departments—to address barriers in their respective areas.  

The Thrive Outside Initiative operates in 15 communities across the country. In 2019, it launched with four pilot cities: Atlanta, GA, Grand Rapids, MI, Oklahoma City, OK, and San Diego, CA. Since then, it has steadily grown, adding regions such as Detroit, MI, Seattle, WA and, most recently, Western North Carolina and Pittsburgh, PA, in late 2025. According to Duncan, the long-term goal is to expand the network to 32 communities over the next decade. 

A Blueprint for Success 

While the program is now spreading across the country, it all started with a few key success stories, including San Diego, where the collaborative model was first tested. Prior to Thrive Outside’s involvement, the San Diego community offered “a lot of separate or siloed efforts working to expand outdoor access,” Duncan explains. Individual youth programs for surfing, climbing, hiking, and environmental stewardship operated “in their own respective corners.” 

To bridge these gaps and turn the “Collective Impact” theory into reality, Thrive Outside provides multi-year grants that enable local organizations to stop living paycheck to paycheck and start building long-term career pipelines. The funding is provided through three primary nationwide channels:

• Coalition Backbone Support: This funding establishes a central organization to align diverse partners, such as nonprofits, federal agencies, and local groups into a unified network. In San Diego, this “backbone” role is filled by the San Diego Foundation, which coordinates efforts with federal agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local groups like Outdoor Outreach and the YMCA of San Diego County to maximize community impact.   
• Professional Career Pathways: This channel transforms outdoor hobbies into professional, resume-building skills by funding intensive technical instruction and leadership training. A proven example of this is the 25-week paid Leadership Program, where participants master risk management and group leadership over 285 hours of coursework.   
• Direct Economic Stipends: To ensure that the outdoors is accessible to everyone, Thrive Outside removes financial barriers that often force youth to choose between a minimum-wage job and a leadership experience. In San Diego, for example, the program provides stipends of up to $1,500 for participants in the Outdoor Outreach Leadership Program.

   

The Ripple Effect  

Thrive Outside’s effect on San Diego reaches far beyond the funding, Leadership Program and technical training. By building deep partnerships with the San Diego Unified School District, the initiative successfully integrated outdoor recreation into both in-school and after-school programming.   

Outdoor Outreach also created outdoor experiences for youth in the mental health system at Rady Children’s Hospital. “We saw measurable increases in youth resilience and youth mental health and reductions in mental health symptoms, just as a result of recreating outdoors,” says Duncan. 

Building Resilient Communities  

Improving mental health has become a cornerstone of Thrive Outside’s mission. In late 2025, Thrive Outside Western North Carolina supported recovery from Hurricane Helene by helping children and families manage trauma and stress through outdoor activities. Duncan emphasizes that this focus on well-being is central to the program, noting, “We’re really seeing the outdoors as a solution for some of our most pressing social and public health challenges, including the youth mental health crisis.”   

In North Carolina, Thrive Outside also rallied significant support from outdoor industry companies, such as VF, whose employees helped repair trails in the Pisgah National Forest. Core funding support was also provided by the Morrison Family Foundation, Hunter Family Foundation, and Philos Foundation. Eagles Nest Outfitters, a popular hammock company based in Asheville, NC, is donating proceeds from its hammock sales to benefit Thrive Outside Western North Carolina. 

The Funding Gap

Despite these successes, maintaining Thrive Outside’s momentum is increasingly difficult as economic concerns spur companies to adjust their philanthropic priorities.  “The outdoor industry has been in a difficult financial position over the past few years, limiting corporate partners ability to invest as robustly as in the past,” says Duncan. “It makes it hard to sustain the deep, multi-year work that’s necessary to really move the needle on these complex social issues.”  

As Thrive Outside’s local partners receive less funding from corporate and philanthropic donors, some are struggling to “simply keep the lights on,” making it difficult to prioritize the “marathon” of breaking generational barriers, says Duncan. Without consistent support, community networks might fracture, potentially leaving underserved youth with fewer opportunities to overcome obstacles.  

This is exactly why a sustained, multi-year bridge is so vital. For a leader like Alexis, that consistency was the difference between staying isolated and finding her voice. Without long-term support, the hurdles of her youth might have remained impassable.  

By investing in Alexis long-term, not just for an afternoon, the program did more than help her find her way; it put her on a career path and equipped her to assist thousands of others in accessing the outdoors. Today, as Senior Field Instructor, she supports the next generation on their climb. Her journey shows that committing to systemic change doesn’t just help one person reach the top—it empowers them to lead others toward their own summits.