ANNUAL REPORT 2007 Access Fund History
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2007ANNUAL REPORT 2007 Access Fund History The Access Fund is the national advocacy organization that keeps U.S. climbing areas open and conserves the climbing environment. Founded in 1991, the Access Fund supports and represents over 1.6 million climbers in all forms of climbing: rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, and bouldering. Over the last 18 years we have spent millions of dollars on land acquisitions, local conservation projects, support for grassroots activism, climber education, and representation in the public policy arena. We now have over 15,000 members and affi liates and the support of the climbing industry. We work with hundreds of corporate and community partners, 70 affi liated local climbing organizations, and 30 regional coordinators to advocate on behalf of climbers in the U.S. table of contents Access Fund History 2 The AF Perspective 3 Financial Report 4/5 Member Profi le 6 2007 Sharp End Awards 7 2007 Policy Highlights 8/9 Grassroots: LCOs 10 Grassroots: Grants 11 Grassroots: TeamWorks 12 Grassroots: Adopt-a-Crag 13 2007 Access Fund Members 14/15 Member Profi le 16 Corporate Partners 17 Regional Coordinators 18 Community Partners 19 Ambassaadors 20 Local Climbing Organizations 21 Mission / Vision 22 Board of Directors and Staff 23 photo Jim Thornburg 2007 The AF Perspective 2/3 Last year, the Access Fund’s 17th, was Looking ahead, we will continue a year of change and progress. We to expand our current stewardship enjoyed a 5% growth in membership, projects, membership, policy work the addition of eight new local and grassroots network of local climbing organizations and an climbing organizations. We will work increased number of Adopt-a-Crag with our partners in the Outdoor events. We maintained our top four Alliance to protect roadless areas and star rating with advocate for common Charity Navigator, sense reforms to with 79% of your The new team is hardrock mining laws. contributions poised to build upon Additionally, the board going directly to has adopted a two programs which our past success and year plan to enhance support our mission. make the Access the Access Fund’s We gave away ability to support land thousands of dollars Fund even more acquisitions. to local climbing effective. organizations to We would like to support grassroots thank all of you, our initiatives and launched a new national members, corporate partners, regional competition aimed to get young coordinator, affi liates, and friends people out of the gym and into the who have supported our work this outdoors on stewardship projects. year. We wouldn’t be able to do what We organized and hosted a National we do without your commitment and Climbing Management Summit and generosity. worked to keep climbing areas open throughout the country. 2007 saw the transition of a number of staff. We are happy to report that as of January 2008 the Access Fund is fully staffed with an exceptionally strong Dan Nordstrom team. There is a lot of new energy President of the Board and enthusiasm in our offi ce. The new team is poised to build upon our past success and make the Access Fund even more effective. Climbing continues to grow in the U.S., with more and more climbers Brady Robinson visiting the most popular areas. Land Executive Director development, underfunded federal agencies and confl icting management priorities continue to threaten climbing access across the country. Clearly we still have a lot of work before us. 2007 Financial Report: The Numbers support total Membership Dues $470,515 Corporate Sponsorships and Grants $303,586 In-kind Contributions $258,824 Special Events $51,776 Contributions, Legacies and Bequests $144,726 Net Investment Income $11,679 Other Income $4,477 Total support $1,245,583 Functional ExpEnsEs National Policy, Acqusitions & Special Programs $421,489 Climber Outreach & Education $309,933 Communications $171,795 Fundraising $143,812 General & Administrative $103,261 Total functional expenses $1,150,290 photo Keith Ladzinski 2007 Financial Report: The Numbers 4/5 2007 was a strong and stable year for the Access Fund, thanks to the generosity of our members and partners. With their support, we were able to direct $903,217 to program services, including $309,933 to climber outreach and education, $421,489 to policy and advocacy, and $171,795 to our publications. We maintained our 4-star Charity Navigator rating with 79% of total operating expenses going to programs that directly benefi t the climbing community. Individual, foundation, and organizational support accounted for $925,841 of our income, while grants and corporate partners donated $303,586. We could not continue to be this effective without the ongoing commitment of the entire climbing community. Membership Dues 38% Corporate Sponsorships and Grants 24% Sources In-kind Contributions 21% Net Investment Income (loss) 1% Special Events 4% Contributions, Legacies and Bequests 12% Uses General & Administrative 9% Fundraising 13% National Policy, Acquisitions & Special Programs 36% Communications 15% Climber Outreach & Education 27% 2007 Member Profi le: Paul Diefenderfer - a.k.a. Dief profession: Owner of Phoenix Rock Why do you Gym, Desert Rat Forge, and Rope Guy support the Extraordinaire access Fund: I saw local local climbing area: Pinnacle Peak, crags lost to McDowell Mountains, and Queen development Creek Canyon, Arizona and didn’t want to lose any more. Crags are a limited and precious climbing background: I started resource. No crags —no climbing. The climbing in 1975 with an Arizona Access Fund is fi ghting the good fi ght Mountaineering Club rock climbing to keep crags open. I think about it class. I’ve been hooked ever since. this way—I pay to see movies and I climb around the western U.S. and go out to dinner so being a monthly get out once a week to the local donor of the AF is a no-brainer. crags. How have you seen the access Fund at work in your climbing community: Crags are a limited They have kept the Forest Service from removing bolts in the and precious resource. Superstitions, helped with re-opening No crags–no climbing. Pinnacle Peak, and are currently fi ghting to save access to Queen Creek Canyon. How long have you been a member of the access Fund: I got involved in your opinion, what aspect of the with the Access Fund when they were access Fund’s work is the most vital: breaking away from the American They provide support and guidance Alpine Club. I served on the board of in our local grassroot efforts, as directors from 1991 to 2000. well as deal with national policy that affects all of our climbing areas. photo Eric Draper 2007 Access Fund Sharp End Awards 6/7 Each year the Access Fund recognizes individuals and businesses for exemplary service to the American climbing community and commitment to keep climbing areas open and conserve the climbing environment. 2007’s awards and recipients are: sHARP EnD aWARD: rEEsE MARTIN MEMORIAL aWARD For leadership and activism in rEGIONAL COORDINATOR oF tHE YEAR: preserving climbing access and the For leadership and activism in climbing environment preserving climbing access and the climbing environment, and specifically Jeff squire and rob sullivan of the for their volunteer work as an Access Western Massachusetts climbers Fund representative coalition for the Farley Ledge Acquisition which is hailed as the Joe Josephson of the southwestern best crag between the Gunks and Montana climbers’ coalition has been Rumney. Farley Ledge had ongoing essential in the Montana climbing access issues, primarily due to community’s efforts to assure access parking shortages. The purchase of across the state. Recently and notably, the Erving, MA parcel will prevent Joe brought together the Forest land development and provide public Service, local and federal officials, access to the crag. Jeff, Rob, and the the media, and other user groups to Western Massachusetts Climbers successfully fight a proposed gating Coalition have worked closely with of access roads to Hyalite Canyon’s neighbors and local officials to assure vast ice climbing resources. Joe has the relationship remains positive and also been working closely with the lasting for the New England Climbing Bitterroot Climbers Coalition to save community. Fundraising was helped one of the best cliffs in Montana, Lost with grants from the Appalachian Horse Canyon, from being quarried. He Mountain Club and the Access Fund. is currently working closely with the Access Fund and the Outdoor Alliance troy Mayr and the Friends of to lobby Congress for reform of the Williamson rock for working tirelessly 1872 Mining Law. to reopen Williamson Rock in Southern California’s Angeles National Forest to climbing. Troy and the Friends of Williamson Rock (FoWR) have made incredible progress in the face of considerable odds. While climbing access is currently closed due to a disputed designation of a critical habitat, major strides have been made between FoWR and the U.S. Forest Service, creating an open dialog as well as finding guidelines to come to a solution to reopen Williamson Rock to climbing as soon as possible. 2007 Policy The Access Fund is the leading voice of the climbing community in both political and land management arenas. Much of the Access Fund’s policy work takes place in Washington D.C., where we meet with government offi cials about issues key to the interests of the climbing community. The land management aspect of our work focuses primarily on local land management plans. photo Jay Beyer 2007 Policy: Highlights from 2007 8/9 national climbing the Cleveland National Forest. Access Management summit Fund advocacy has included a trip The Access Fund organized to San Diego to meet with climbing and hosted a national climbing activists and lobbying USFS and Management summit and produced California's Congressional delegation an online information clearinghouse in Washington, D.C.