In a year that so many of us were challenged emotionally and physically, the Northwest Outward Bound School Community really stepped forward to support the school in 2020! We were able to exceed our 2020 donor support goal due to the generosity of our donor community, and we saw an increase of 65% in the number of major gifts in 2020, compared to 2019. Overall there were 322 donors that gave to support our programming in 2020, with an average gift of $683. You can view our 2020 Donor Giving Report HERE.
Ending 2020 in a strong way has set Northwest Outward Bound School up for success in 2021. For example, in Fall 2020, we began to safely bring students back on courses in Washington through our partnership with the Methow Valley School District. In this adapted, day-long program, approximately 75 students in grades 7-9 built leadership and teamwork skills through socially-distanced activities including rock climbing and rappelling in local outdoor recreation areas. Takeaways from these activities regarding how to manage these courses safely is already being applied in our 2021 Oregon course planning. We couldn’t have run these courses without the generous support of our donor community.
Our course offerings for 2021 include a diverse variety of activities including rafting, rock climbing, mountaineering, backpacking, and sea kayaking. We’re also excited to be serving students in the Portland area through our partnership with Reynolds School District and Portland Public Schools, and with our Public Schools Program we’ll be serving over 700 students in 2021, with virtual courses beginning in late January, and moving to in-person as soon as COVID allows. And, the year ahead for alumni engagement is bright. We will be having a variety of engagement opportunities for NWOBS alumni throughout the year, and we hope to see you in our Circle Up virtual meetups, or through one of our service days outside!
We’ve increased our fundraising goal for 2021 to support even more students on courses throughout Oregon and Washington. With your support, we can collectively help students heal from the pandemic’s impacts of isolation, and develop the leadership skills and social-emotional learning, both of which are so critical right now.
For more information or to ask questions about making a gift, please reach out to us at [email protected] or call our Development Director, Valerie Plummer at 503-459-3515.
Photo Credits: Joel Reid (top), Jack Copland (bottom)