Supporter Spotlights — North Cascades Institute

North Cascades Institute is so grateful for the many supporters who make transformative learning experiences in nature possible – from individuals, businesses who give cash and in-kind, grant funders, service clubs, and much more. Thank you!

Rotary Club of Mill Creek and Rotary Club of La Conner

We are incredibly grateful to the generous members of the Rotary Club of Mill Creek and the Rotary Club of La Conner for supporting our youth programs in 2024. Their support helped make it possible for us to serve nearly 1,700 students in Mountain School last year, providing immersive nature experiences to youth from different backgrounds and communities.

My favorite part of Mountain School was when we went through the forest and there was moss everywhere! Draping from the trees, on rocks, it was BEAUTIFUL and there were the coolest leaves that looked like they came from dinosaur times. This whole place is beautiful.

—Mountain School student

Are you a member of a local service club?

Please reach out to our Grants Manager Althea Leader at grants@ncascades.org if your service club is interested in supporting our transformative youth programs
Please reach out to our Outreach & Events Coordinator Britt Coy at outreach@ncascades.org to schedule a presentation for your service club to learn more about the Institute's programs

Linda and Mac MacGregor, Longtime Institute Supporters

In the late 1980s, Linda and Mac MacGregor attended a presentation by Institute co-founder Saul Weisberg. Impressed with his vision for the Institute, they became annual supporters of Mountain School. Since then, they have attended many donor events, brought their family to the Environmental Learning Center for their annual “Christmas in July” celebration, and introduced many others to the Institute’s work.

The Institute is grateful for their very generous support, including funding all the initial books of the Wild Ginger Library, purchasing the Salish Dancer big canoe, helping expand staff housing in Marblemount, annually supporting Mountain School, and providing challenge matches for fundraising appeals.

Additionally, the MacGregors named the Institute in their will and started an endowment in 2023 to support our youth programs. Now retired, they enjoy traveling (they've explored over 100 countries on seven continents!) as well as spending time with their children and grandchildren.

"Many years ago, we decided that we needed a purpose in our gifting that would help make our selection from the many charitable options more directed. Supporting programs that helped children would be our purpose. North Cascade Institute fits that purpose perfectly and continues to do so. Because of NCI’s consistent 4-star rating with Charity Navigator, we’ve never questioned whether our contributions were being used inefficiently. In addition to annual contributions, we also started an endowment to fund the Institute’s innovative and impactful youth programs in perpetuity."

Learn more about joining the Institute's Headwaters Club, Legacy Circle, starting an endowment, and other ways to make a lasting impact

Concept 360 and Eagle River Designs, Corporate Partners

We want to thank two of our retail vendors Concept 360 and Eagle River Designs who contribute a percentage of their proceeds to support our work! Shop for a cause by purchasing items in our online store and feel good knowing that your purchases will benefit youth environmental education.

North Cascades Institute is a proud 1% for the Planet Environmental Partner.

If your company is interested in becoming a corporate partner or sponsor, contact our Grants Manager.

Hugh Campbell and Dianne Dalton, Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Donors

We want to share our immense appreciation for Hugh Campbell and Dianne Dalton who started their endowment at North Cascades Institute in 2018 after taking the minimum distribution from Hugh’s IRA (Individual Retirement Account). Giving from their IRA is an easy way to have a tax-deferred donation every year that helps kids get outdoors who otherwise wouldn’t have such opportunity. Hugh spent over 36 years climbing with The Mountaineers (he was 66 when he did his last climb at South Early Winter’s Spire) and it’s where he and Dianne met (she asked for help during a map & compass class). They have also been volunteers for Washington Trails Association, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, and Friends of Camano Island Parks for more than 20 years. “I believe getting young people outside is the only way youth will know there is something worth saving,” said Hugh. “I wished I would have had something like Mountain School when I was in 5th grade,” said Dianne.

Learn more about how to make a meaningful and tax-efficient investment for the future by donating from your IRA today!

Jon and Joan Christoffersen, Donor Advised Fund (DAF) Supporters

Many thanks to Jon and Joan Christoffersen who have been Institute supporters since 2005 and have been giving through their Donor Advised Fund (DAF) since 2009!

“We love nature and we love the North Cascades! We believe the future is in the hands of the next generation. Giving annually to North Cascades Institute through our DAF marries good tax planning with giving that fosters environmental stewardship for years to come. While it was a tax-driven decision to establish our DAF, it has been a perfect way to leverage our charitable objectives. There is a lot of information available about DAFs, but the basic idea is to take a highly appreciated asset, receive full tax credit for your 'donation' to your DAF, yet avoid paying any capital gain on your sale to the DAF. There are some administrative and financial restrictions to be aware of, so donors should chat with a financial advisor or estate attorney to make certain that establishing a DAF is suitable for them and that they are following the rules. With that being said, it is NOT complicated!”

Learn more about why Donor Advised Funds have surged in popularity in recent years as one the easiest and most tax-advantageous ways to give.

Celicia Yeoman and Cambia Health Foundation

Many thanks to Celicia Yeoman who has been supporting the Institute through Cambia Health Solutions’ workplace giving campaign since 2017. “I wanted to support the Institute's efforts in making sure that kids had access to learning about the North Cascades."

We also want to thank Cambia Health Foundation for providing a 50% match to all of Celicia’s donations!

There are many other companies and organizations that offer annual employee giving campaigns, donations through payroll deduction, and corporate matching opportunities. Check with your Human Resources Department to see what programs they offer and maximize your power to foster environmental stewardship today!

Jan Stack-Leuze and Jeffrey Leuze, Headwaters Club Legacy Circle Members

Jan and Jeffrey have been generous Institute supporters since 2017 and became Headwaters Club Legacy Circle members that same year after notifying us that they had named the Institute as a beneficiary in their estate plans.

"When we first met Saul Weisberg in the spring of 2017 on his visit to eastern Washington and heard his vision for the growth of NCI, we knew this was something we wanted to support. While our support started with the graduate program, we know that continuing to support the education of young people in conservation, especially in such a beautiful place as the North Cascades, is absolutely vital. It is for this reason that we decided to leave NCI a legacy gift in our wills and will continue to support their efforts in educating children of all ages on the importance of protecting our vulnerable environment."

You can join our Headwaters Club Legacy Circle and leave the world a better place by naming the Institute as a beneficiary in your will, life insurance plan, trust, or retirement account.

Brian & Joan Poor, Monthly Donors

Brian and Joan have been generous Institute supporters and engaged participants since 2010 and started contributing monthly in 2017.

We love and support NCI for the wonder and the wander of the North Cascades.

For the wonder of mountain lady slippers along a beaver pond, and for tiny wrens with big voices perched somewhere on rocky canyon walls. For the wonder of Lily and her cubs on Sourdough and the glacial turquoise of Diablo.

For the wander among mossy logs and dappled trails with new friends and passionate naturalists at the gorgeous Environmental Learning Center. For the wander with sketchbooks and guidebooks, and the wild joy of discovery of the Skagit flats and the North Cascades.

In short, we support North Cascades Institute because we want to share the wealth of lifelong curiosity and the rich joy of wonder and exploration. We support engaged learning of our watersheds and ecosystems for the youth of our region and applaud their leadership forward.

With gratitude to all, Joan and Brian Poor

You can make a big impact by giving small! Monthly giving is a budget-friendly way—starting at just $5 per month— to provide the Institute with dependable funding to help even more people experience the North Cascades.

Skagit Valley Food Co-op, Corporate Partner

We are so grateful to Skagit Valley Food Co-op for their generous support! As part of their commitment to community giving, the Co-op donated 4% of their profits made on March 22, 2024 for a total of $2,731. These proceeds went towards our Mountain School program for 5th graders and will help over 1,000 Skagit County students access outdoor education this year.

If your company is interested in becoming a corporate partner or sponsor, contact our Grants Manager.

Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Grant Funder

For over 20 years, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation has supported North Cascades Institute and Youth Leadership Adventures, helping engage learners from diverse backgrounds, and grow future leaders who are inquisitive, determined, open, and inspiring. In the spirit of their founder, the Foundation’s generous support of our school and youth programs helps spark a lifetime of loving, learning from and protecting the natural world.

If you are you involved with a public or private foundation and would like to learn more about supporting the Institute's programs, please reach out to our Grants Manager.

Gear Aid, Corporate Partner

For over a decade, Gear Aid has helped keep our youth programs and our gear going strong on backcountry adventures. From providing in-kind gifts, repairs, and funding, Gear Aid has helped the Institute offer hundreds of students life-changing experiences in nature. We're honored to be one of their ongoing partner organizations, working together to champion renewal, reuse and preservation in the outdoors.

To learn more and shop Gear Aid's product line, visit gearaid.com/shop.

North Drinkware, Corporate Partner

North Drinkware is a dedicated supporter of North Cascades Institute and a proud member of 1% for the Planet. As part of their mission to protect the mountains and improve surrounding communities, North Drinkware donates 1% from all sales of their Mount Baker pint glasses & tumblers to the Institute, to help inspire others to support environmental stewardship. All glasses are hand blown by local artisans in Portland, OR, and make great gifts for the holiday season. Shop the Mount Baker line at northdrinkware.com/shop