OUT in the Wild | Application Preview
OUT in the Wild is seeking government grants to enhance its operations and broaden its impact within the LGBTQIA2S+ community through outdoor adventure programming. The funding will be allocated as follows: 50% for overhead costs such as insurance and gear, 25% for marketing and content creation, and the remaining 25% to support staff and expand programming.
The organization aims to host outdoor festivals in 3-4 new national locations, promoting visibility and confidence among LGBTQIA2S+ individuals in outdoor settings. In addition to festivals, OUT in the Wild plans to implement youth programs designed to provide safe, educational environments for LGBTQIA2S+ youth who may feel isolated in athletic and recreational spaces.
The grant would solidify OUT in the Wild's role as a social enterprise committed to elevating the LGBTQIA2S+ community while ensuring that its staff reflects diverse intersectional identities. During its initial years, the organization has operated on sweat equity, and funding would alleviate financial pressures, enabling growth and sustainability.
In terms of competition, OUT in the Wild faces challenges from The Venture Out Project, which offers similar outdoor activities but does not focus on rock climbing. Other competitors, like She Moves Mountains and Flash Foxy, cater primarily to female and genderqueer participants but do not engage the broader LGBTQIA2S+ spectrum fully.
OUT in the Wild's competitive advantage lies in its comprehensive approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion. By focusing on underrepresented groups, including BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, it aims to create a stronger, more inclusive outdoor culture that fosters community awareness and environmental stewardship.
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 1719991-97
Location: Bend, OR, United States
Length of Operation: 1-5
Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees
Annual Gross Income: Less than $100k
Annual Gross Expense: Less than $100k
Open to Loans: YES
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Funding Usage
50% of this funding will be used to cover overhead costs like liability insurance, permits, rentals facilities and technical outdoor gear for our clients and programs. The other 25% will be used for marketing Ana promotion of our events including compensation for content creators. The last 25% will be used to support our full time staff and will allow us to pay for additional work hours to build our programming.
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Business Plan
We hope to expand our programming to host multiple outdoor adventure festivals in 3-4 additional locations nationally, all of which will focus on fostering the LGBTQIA2S+ community in the outdoors. Our community has historically been underrepresented in the outdoors and we hope our events and programming will bring more visibility and educate our participants to feel confident and comfortable to get outside and thrive on their own. Additionally, we will launch our youth programs providing safe and educational spaces for LGBTQIA2S+ youth who often feel Isolated and unwelcome in athletic and outdoor spaces. Lastly, we hope to grow our programs to be inclusive of all identities. We want to be the guide and event company that has created a culture or inclusivity that the outdoor industry has never seen before, bringing marginalized communities together with communities of the majority to share in a vision of intersectionality, equity and inclusion. Our business model is a social enterprise and one that is mutually beneficial for the LGBTQIA2S+ community at large. Not only do our programs directly impact this community, but all of our employees are members of this community and make up many diverse intersectional identities. The success of this business will simultaneously uplift the leaders, guides and employees that have also faced historic and systemic marginalization. I’ve the past 3 years this business has been built on pure sweat equity by the founder and several contracted employees. Funding our business will allow us to continue this work without the stress and anxiety of financial instability for our team. It will give us the opportunity to grow our programs to the size that we believe will become profitable and financially sustainable
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Self Identified Competition
Our top competitor is a non-profit called The Venture Out Project which provides similar programming for the same community. They only provide camping, hiking, backpacking and rafting trips. We are the only company that provides Rick climbing programs that are inclusive of the LGBTQ community. Our second highest competitors are Female/Genderqueer focused guide companies She Moves Mountains and Flash Foxy. Both business run similar climbing programs and are inclusive of some members of the LGBTQ community but do not include many member of this community. Our business is taking DEI work in the outdoors to the next level. Our programs are inclusive to even more people including all of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, BIPOC community members and eventually all communities. We believe that creating an outdoor program based on uplifting the most marginalized communities, including BIPOC folks who identify as LGBTQ, we can create a new culture of inclusivity in The outdoors and actually make the outdoor community stronger which will in turn bring more awareness of how to care and protect our planet.
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Contact Applicant
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