The Outdoor Opportunity Coalition has a mission to build public and political momentum for a National Outdoor Opportunity Fund that would enable investments in programs to ensure that all youth across the U.S. can explore the great outdoors, receiving all of the health, educational and career-building benefits that come from that exploration.
Established in 2021 as an outgrowth of the Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E. Initiative of Nuestra Tierra, a New Mexico-based conservation movement that works to build outdoor opportunities and connections, the Outdoor Opportunity Coalition highlights the disparities in how American youth participate in and access outdoor activities, asserting that a national fund would incentivize the creation and growth of outdoor opportunity programs. The coalition is comprised of leaders from existing state outdoor opportunity funds and outdoor opportunity organizations.
One of the main focuses of the coalition is support for a National Outdoor Opportunity Fund Act in the U.S. Congress that would increase outdoor recreation opportunities for youth across the country through the creation of a congressionally chartered National Outdoor Opportunity Fund and an Outdoor Opportunity Grant Program.
“Existing state outdoor equity grant programs have demonstrable positive impacts on underserved youth, but annual requests for funding from these programs far exceed available funds. In addition to supporting highly successful existing programs, the National Outdoor Opportunity Fund Establishment Act would incentivize the creation of new outdoor opportunity programs, expanding benefits such as improved mental health, an increased sense of community, and expanded career opportunities to youth across the country,” the coalition states on its website.
This aims to build on existing successful programs, including The Outdoor Foundation’s Thrive Outside initiative, which awards capacity-building grants to diverse communities, and the New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund, which provides grants for transformative outdoor experiences, awarding $3.6 million in 2023 to 115 programs across the state.
Learn more about what the coalition is up to by visiting www.outdoor
opportunity.org. RM
