Connecting People Outside | REI Cooperative Action Fund

All smiles, a child helps an adult climb a woodland tree. — Connecting people outside

Supporting organizations led by and serving Black and Indigenous communities; people of color; LGBTQ+ community; people with disabilities; women; and low-income communities through connections to the outdoors. Prioritizing organizations that cultivate connections, healing and joy outside.

Explore our current grantees

New grantee partners are announced each spring and fall.

All grants shown below are a minimum of $50,000.

Silhouetted against a sunlit desert face, a climber suspended midair in a bosun's chair ascends a cliff. — Adaptive Adventures

Group of cyclers on two wheel and recumbent trikes exploring a bike path. — All Out Adventures

A diverse group of kids in the outdoors holding an Atabey Outdoors flag — Atabey Outdoors

Two cyclists smile at the camera after finishing a Black Girls Do Bike ride. — Black Girls Do Bike

Before the start of their event, a group of runners pause on sunny morning in the park holding a Black Girls Run banner. — Black Girls RUN! Foundation

Three people jump in a field with mountains in the background — Black Outside

Image from Bikes Not Bombs — Bikes Not Bombs

Four black men smiling as they cross a foot bridge while hiking in the woods. — Boyz N The Wood

Eleven men and women of color dressed in fishing gear with fishing poles, smiling for the camera. — Brown Folks Fishing

Three people in a surfing lesson on the beach — Salted Roots (formerly Brown Girl Surf)

A woman climbing a wall at an indoor climbing gym — Catalyst Sports

Hands on hip in front of the US capitol building, a youth wears a tee shirt that reads Strong, Resilient, Indigenous. — Center for Native American Youth at Aspen Institute

A group of Lakota youth standing with two elders in front of a white Tipi — Cheyenne River Youth Project

A group of seven kids sitting on large rocks pose for the camera — City Kids Wilderness Project

A group of black youth exploring the outdoors. — ELSO Inc

A diverse group of students smiling, standing in a field surrounded by a lush green hillside. — Environmental Learning for Kids

A group of 11 people pose for the camera on a wooded trail — Equiticity

A young hiker leads the way on a sunny hike in the hills. — GirlTrek

A young man in a green shirt smiles — Greening Youth Foundation

A group of five HBCU students dressed in warm clothing, jumping in front of a barn. — HBCUs Outside

Image from Hike Clerb — Hike Clerb

A diverse group of seven college-aged people standing in front of a boat storage room. — Hudson River Riders

A group of people, wearing masks, stand at the end of a dock over the water — Justice Outside

A group of seven diverse youth standing next to a rain barrel smiling in front of La Plazita Gardens. — La Plazita Institute

Image from Latinas en Bici — Latinas en Bici

Wearing masks, a group of trail hikers holding a banner that reads Latino Outdoors pause for a afternoon photo op on a wooden bridge. — Latino Outdoors

A man smiles as he scales a wall in a climbing gym — Memphis Rox

Four young native youth smiling white sitting on surfboards in the ocean. — Native Like Water

Six Native women smiling in front of red sedimentary rock. — Native Womens Wilderness

Pausing at the base of a waterfall, a group of happy hikers hold an Outdoor Afro banner. — Outdoor Afro

A group of approximately two dozen people smiling on a trail overlook — Outdoor Asian

Two people alpine skiing, one using a bi-ski — Outdoors for All

Outdoor Outreach Image — Outdoor Outreach

A group of ten diverse youth smiling toward camera while hiking New Army Pass. — Outward Bound Adventures

A diverse group of ten queer youth smiling while holding taxidermied birds. — Queer Nature

Image from River Newe — River Newe

A large group of mountain biking youth taking a dusty path in front of an Arizona mountain range. — SiiHasin

Under sunny skies, a group of alpine hikers stand at the summit holding a sign that reads Mount Ida, twelve thousand, eight hundred and twenty five feet. — The Venture Out Project

A man rides an adaptive bicycle on a wooded trail — Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports

Against a backdrop of verdant woodland, a group of friends smile broadly for a mid-hike photo op. — WIld Diversity

A large group of Native people standing in a circle under a partly cloudy Montana sky in front of large boulders. — Yellow Bird Life Ways

We also support organizations in these categories

The treetop view of early autumn yellow and green leaves. — Creating Space Outside

A youngster practices their handstand in a city park. — Centering Health Outside

Time outside is a human right

Now is the time to deliver on that right. For everyone.