2014 NOLS State of the School Report

2014 State of the School Report

THE LEADER IN WILDERNESS EDUCATION The mission of the National Outdoor Leadership School is to be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment.

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MILESTONE NUMBERS ARE NOTEWORTHY and deserve celebration and gratitude. However, this year I was drawn to other stories behind the headlines that made up our year.

A key accomplishment of 2014 was the development of our new strategic plan. While the plan itself is indeed an accomplishment, I was most taken with how our view of our capability and opportunity has changed from plans of 25 years ago. At that time, the key issue in our planning debates was about whether we could grow, with major fears that expansion would lead to the demise of what we held so precious. Given that, we placed an almost exclusive emphasis on quality and not quantity. We had limited scholarship support and nearly non-existent philanthropic support, so any student we were to reach needed to pay nearly all of their tuition cost.

We had something precious and also thought it was likely fragile. With a sense that it was either quantity or quality, we strongly chose quality. The choices for that time were thoughtful and wise choices, but that was 25 years ago.

Fast forward to the new plan. I find it fascinating to contrast the stories. We now have nearly 10 times the students we did 25 years ago, yet a desire for additional growth was constantly expressed during the most recent planning process.

There is a confident feeling that we do not face a question of quality or quantity, but rather we should strive to reach more students while also increasing our educational excellence. Our growth goals are matched by educational excellence goals. In addition, there was a push for reaching more students coupled with a broader student

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demographic. This expansive vision is truly one of the key summaries of the new plan, and thus one of the important backstories to our past year.

A second key backstory to the last year is about the completion of Campaign NOLS. Exceeding the goal was noteworthy and important, and I want thank all of you who contributed to the cause and made it happen. And at first blush, achieving the goal was the story. But the story behind the goal is even more compelling: Campaign NOLS changed the way we think. Everyone who gave to this campaign made a financial gift, but the gifts NOLS received were opportunity and opportunistic thinking. Donations demand that we use our best opportunistic thinking to look at how we can build, expand, and extend our mission. It is the ultimate gift.

These two stories of course weave together well. There are many reasons our current plan and vision can be expansive, whereas the vision of 25 years ago had to be more limited and contained.

As was the case 25 years ago, we accomplished this extraordinary work, while also continuing to build a beautiful and cherished community. The difference today is that we have just redefined that community as much larger, broader, more inclusive, more significant, more impactful. And in the process, we will extend our mission beyond our wildest dreams!

John N. Gans Executive Director

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU some of my history with NOLS so you may begin to understand where my passion stems from, why I have the perspective I do, and why I am so honored to accept the NOLS Board of Trustees Chair position.

When I was a young boy, a friend’s older brother had gone on a NOLS course, and I was mesmerized by his stories of climbing steep peaks and rappelling down sheer cliffs, crossing swollen streams on a Tyrolean traverse, and hiking on glaciers in the middle of summer. I knew I had to experience all that first hand, so I equested a catalog.

When the catalog arrived, I voraciously read it from cover to cover. I was transfi ed by the course descriptions and imagined myself in each of the locales, practicing the different skills needed for each discipline. I settled on the Advanced Mountaineering Course in the Winds. Of course, I had no mountaineering experience, but the advanced course sounded so much cooler. When my lead instructor found out during the course, he got really ticked off.

Nevertheless, the course was fantastic, and I really felt a growing sense of self-confidence every day. We learned to function well as a team and learned many leadership skills in one of the most beautiful classrooms I had ever experienced.

As I have reflected on it, I realize that I went into the Winds as a boy and came out a man. That may sound like a bit of hyperbole, but it is true. After my NOLS course, I approached life differ-

ently: I became responsible for others and to myself. I felt calm, competent, and confident that I had the skills to accomplish just about anything I set out to do. And most importantly, I wasn’t afraid to fail. Those traits have served me well over the past 36 years, both professionally and personally.

Over the years, the school has grown up: strong, mature, sophisticated, confident yet humble, appropriate, of substance and, dare I say, acquiring a fine patina.

While we have accomplished a tremendous amount in these past 49 years—and we have much to be proud of—we can’t become complacent. We didn’t get here by resting on our laurels. We got here because we strived to be the best wilderness leadership school in the world every day. We took a good hard look at ourselves in the mirror on issues about safety, financial management, and leadership curriculum and made hard, innovative, and calculated decisions to assure the longevity of the school. We must continue to do so while reinventing ourselves to remain relevant to today’s students. We must retain the courage of our convictions and be willing to try new things to propel the school forward in the next decades. Let’s not be afraid to fail.

CONTENTS: Laying Foundations for the Future 5 A look at two strategic plans

Going Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Reflections of NOLS Northeas

50 Years of Wilderness . . . .

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The role NOLS plays in protecting wild spaces

Route Completed . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Campaign NOLS’ success

GIVING Planned Giving . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Annual Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

HIGHLIGHTS Risk Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Financial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Duncan Dayton, Chair of the Board of Trustees

NOLS SUPPORTERS . . . . . . . . . 23

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AITRAN DOAN

A Nomad Between Two Worlds Aitran Doan first read Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air, a staple on many an adventurer’s bookshelf, in the seventh grade.

The precocious preteen soon learned that one of the guides on Everest that fateful day, Scott Fisher, taught for an outdoor school called NOLS, and thus began her flirtation with the idea of expeditionary wilderness travel.

“At that time, I was one of thousands of inner-city immigrant children in a crowded public high school,” Doan recalled, “My mom made $6,000 a year and we lived on government welfare.”

The financial mountain of a NOLS course seemed impossible to climb, so for Doan, it was “just something to dream about.” That is, until she received the help of a NOLS scholarship and outside funding assistance through the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program. In the summer of 2012, four years after her initial dream of NOLS sprung from the words of Krakauer, Doan made her way from Brooklyn to Wyoming for a Wind River Wilderness course.

Now, the Stanford University freshman finds herself using her NOLS skills in unanticipated places.

“NOLS taught me how to be a leader in the real world. In a day-to-day basis, there’s no clear leader, no secretary of the dorm,” Doan said of how the challenges in the backcountry built the foundation for self-leadership in the frontcountry.

Doan is a self-proclaimed “nomad between two worlds” and believes NOLS can help to bridge this gap one day.

“With my prep school friends, I talk about NOLS and travel. With my inner-city immigrant friends, I talk about government welfare, paying the bills, working long hours to go to school,” she explained.

“One day, I would love to talk to my low-income friends about NOLS and travel and my upper-class friends about socioeconomic challenges.”

And as a bright young woman who practices what she preaches, Doan is helping to advance this cultural bridge by giving to the NOLS Annual Fund.

“Nature is a space of refuge and meditation,” she said of wanting to share a NOLS education with others. “It is where we can all go to live out the questions we have and, hopefully, live out our answers.”

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“NOLS taught me how to be a leader in the real world. In a day-to-day basis, there’s no clear leader, no secretary of the dorm,” Doan said.

Wind River Mountains, JUAN QUEIROLO

LAYING FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

THE CONCLUSION OF ONE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE LAUNCH OF THE NEXT AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2013, NOLS celebrated a long list of accomplishments, ranging from establishing an annual NOLS Faculty Summit in the name of staff excellence to bringing in $21,187,500 over the course of Campaign NOLS. This year, we launched a new list of initiatives, which continue the work in the realm of educational excellence and longterm sustainability.

The 2008–2013 NOLS Strategic Plan laid out a plan to “increase strength, depth, breadth, and balance” of the school.

Over the past fi e years, NOLS bolstered the strength of education our students receive through both our instructors and curriculum. In addition to the refocused NOLS Faculty Summit, we put a great deal of energy into analyzing the efficacy of our curriculum and making appropriate adjustments.

Concurrently, we educated a record number of students, reaching a total of 254,000 graduates by the end of our 49th year as both NOLS Wilderness Medicine Institute and NOLS Professional Training grew considerably.

Part of what our students have learned is the role that a wilderness ethic can—and should—play in the frontcountry. The example NOLS has set through our actions demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and wild spaces (learn more on page 9).

In addition to reaching more students, NOLS succeeded in reaching a wider variety as a result of very intentional diversity and inclusion work. NOLS hosted a record number of cultural competency seminars, increased our female-to-male field instructor course participants from 45 percent to 47 percent (34 percent the year before), and, thanks in part to the Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship, staff

This combination must be maximized through a continued commitment to excellence in curriculum and teaching, especially in the context of a diversifying and growing student population.

2013

of color grew from 5.2 percent to 6.9 percent in one year.

NOLS will continue work in each of these realms, just as before the 2008–2013 Strategic Plan was laid out. The initiatives that comprise the next strategic plan will guide the school into the future with fi e foci. Each of these priorities was identified through an exhaustive process that involved the full breadth of the school. The fi e strategic initiatives for the NOLS 2014–2020 Strategic Plan are: EXTEND NOLS’ INFLUENCE WITH IMPROVED MARKETING NOLS is a crucial educational institution with offerings of significant relevance to new and repeat students. We must take well-informed action to reach and educate new, as well as traditional, audiences.

EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EXPERIENCES NOLS experiences are profound and lasting due to the combination of curriculum, pedagogy and field practices, staff excellence, and support systems for program and staff.

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT The NOLS community of graduates and former staff is an incredible opportunity for enrollment, advocacy, and philanthropic support. We will expand offerings and services to support alumni and engage this group as drivers in expanding the NOLS brand and reach.

PLANNING FOR THE DYNAMIC OUTDOOR CLASSROOM NOLS will anticipate and prepare for a wide range of natural and human impacts on wilderness classrooms to support growth and adaptability school-wide.

SERVICES AND SYSTEMS OPTIMIZATION Since our beginning in 1965, we have adapted to internal and external challenges and opportunities. We will continue to refine the NOLS business model to efficientl promote the NOLS mission into the next 50 years while maintaining the fiscal discipline and stewardship that has kept the school on solid financial footing And with an eye on 2020, progress has already been made toward strengthening NOLS through each of these strategic initiatives. Find the full Vision 2020 Strategic Plan at www.nols.edu.

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GOING HOME

NOLS BACK EAST, THEN AND NOW FOR MANY, THE ADIRONDACKS ARE A PLACE WHERE

they first experienced a deep connection with exploration and wilderness; it is where they learned to climb, paddle, backpack, or ice climb. It has fostered many a bond with wild places.

This prior connection and sense of exploration in the East is also true of NOLS. In 1970 and 1971, NOLS offered courses exploring some of the very same places NOLS Northeast students travel today.

NOLS East operations were based out of the Horace Mann School’s John Dorr Nature Center in Washington, Connecticut. There, students spent the first few days of a course learning skills such as canoeing, rock climbing, firearm use, preparation of small fowl and animals, chainsaw use, and ecology. What is less known about these courses is that they were a road show of sorts, traveling through some of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the Eastern United States. Courses linked together idyllic wilderness classrooms and created a classic NOLS experience.

Paula Hunker was a NOLS East student in 1970 and hired as an instructor right after her course. She taught NOLS East courses with fellow NOLS instructor Mary Jo Newbury.

“Our course was like a mini semester, long before they started the semester programs in Lander, [Wyoming],” said Newbury.

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“We had different skills that we wanted to teach, so we had to move to hit on those skill sets,” Hunker said with a huge smile and laugh.

She shared stories of rigging the war canoe with a Grumman canoe sail and of paddling it to race the ferryboat across Lake Champlain. Boots weighed 10 pounds, zip bags were strapped onto Kelty frame packs, wool pants and double sweaters were standard issue, and dinner consisted of Billycans over a fire.

Hunker also remarked how transferable and timeless the NOLS model is, “The friendships, the leadership, all these things [were] the same as they are today.”

In 2011, NOLS Northeast opened in the Adirondack Park and continued to test the NOLS model. This past year marked the fourth summer of NOLS Northeast and featured 11 courses: the 21-day Adirondack Backpacking and Canoeing Adventure and the two-week Adirondack Backpacking Adventure courses for students ages 14 and 15, as well as a new nine-day Adirondack Backpacking—Prime course for students age 23 and over.

“I’m glad you are going back there, there is a great niche for NOLS,” Hunker said. It is truly a place where reputation preceded and NOLS has been welcomed with open arms.

In fact, many NOLS supporters ask, “What took you so long?”

“ The friendships, the leadership, all these things [were] the same as they are today.”

—Paula Hunker, Former NOLS Instructor

For many, the Adirondacks are a place where they first experience a deep connection with exploration and wilderness; it is where they learned to climb, paddle, backpack, or ice climb.

2014 STATE OF THE SCHOOL REPORT 7 Mount Katahdin, Maine, MARC JOHNSON

ROCKY MOUNTAIN POWER

Shared Values of Sustainability Since our founding in 1965, NOLS has consistently strived to minimize the footprint we leave in the backcountry. Through our commitment to the Leave No Trace ethic and our minimum-impact practices in the wilderness, we encourage our students to care for wild places so we will all be able to enjoy them indefinitel .

Our commitment to the environment is not restricted to the backcountry. Environmentally conscious BRAD CHRISTENSEN frontcountry operations have long been part of NOLS culture. For example, our solar roots go back to 1985 when the NOLS Board of Trustees donated two solar panels to NOLS Mexico. These panels were connected to a car battery and used to power the cassette tape player. The solar program has only grown from there.

“Solar power provides the clean, reliable energy we need to support sustainable operations at NOLS,” said Karly Copeland, NOLS sustainability coordinator. “The solar panels also grab the attention and imagination of our students and communities, educating them on the value of renewable energy.”

In 2007, NOLS received its first award from Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Renewable Energy program to put toward a 25-kilowatt solar array at NOLS Rocky Mountain. This started a wave of solar power production, including the 24.8-kilowatt solar array on the Noble Hotel supported in part by Blue Sky funding in 2011. Blue Sky is a grant award program supported by Rocky Mountain Power and their customers to increase the generation of solar power in their operating region.

“NOLS is demonstrating leadership by making a commitment to renewable energy,” said Craig Nelson, Rocky Mountain Power customer and community manager. “Our Blue Sky customers have made it possible to build these solar panels and support renewable energy throughout the West.”

In 2013, we celebrated our fourth award from the Blue Sky program with the installation of a 23.5-kilowatt solar array on the roof of the NOLS International Headquarters, the largest consumer of energy at NOLS. The solar arrays installed by NOLS in the past seven years produce 109,864 kilowatt-hours of energy annually. This momentum continues to inspire and motivate NOLS students and staff to conserve our natural resources, whether in the wilderness or our backyard.

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“NOLS is demonstrating leadership by making a commitment to renewable energy,” said Craig Nelson.

Alaska, NACHO GREZ

50 YEARS OF WILDERNESS

HEROES OF THE CONSERVATION MOVEMENT MARDY MURIE, DAVID BROWER, AND OTHERS stood behind an outdoor desk as President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law their legacy: the Wilderness Act. Bound by Congress, designated wilderness defined by that act, and new wilderness areas that would be designated in the years to come, would be set aside from the march of progress and the expansion of the human population in perpetuity.

A year later, Paul Petzoldt founded NOLS in the foothills adjacent to one of the country’s brand new wilderness areas: the Popo Agie Wilderness in the southern Wind River Range. The promise that this classroom would retain its wild and natural character gave Paul—and continues to give us to this day—certainty in NOLS’ ability to rely on the integrity of an intact and unbroken wild landscape where we can run authentic wilderness expeditions for years to come.

Wilderness and NOLS have always been closely connected. And, when the time came to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act last fall, NOLS pulled out all the stops. We supported national wilderness outreach efforts and local celebrations. We taught lessons at the faculty summit and developed new wilderness curriculum. We wrote stories in our publications and we handed out hundreds of “Wilderness 50th” lapel pins at the annual banquet. We connected with NOLS graduates young and old who have made wilderness stewardship, management,

or access a part of their lives and their work. We are proud to have celebrated this important milestone in style.

In the meantime, our advocacy for new wilderness areas, and access to them, continues. NOLS actively supports Utah’s public lands initiative, which, should it bear fruit, will designate most of our Utah operating areas as wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, and national conservation areas. NOLS also lent its support to a wilderness proposal in the Southwest at the Cochise Stronghold. This was the product of a diverse and unique constituency coming together to find common ground and put forth a shared vision for wilderness designation. As National Forests plan for their future, we participate in those planning processes and promote conservation zones where the opportunity is right. NOLS’ conservation ethic, and our willingness to be a voice for preservation, are leaving a legacy of rugged and inspiring landscapes for the students of the future.

The other half of the policy paradigm is ensuring access to these landscapes. By working with a diverse cross section of interests, from commercial outfitters with permits to budding nonprofit educational programs that struggle for access, NOLS is helping to ensure access for as many people as possible while preserving the integrity and solitude of the wilderness experience. While there is still much work to be done, NOLS is well positioned to be a key contributor to the conversation for years to come.

The wilderness depends on it.

NOLS is helping to ensure access for as many people as possible while preserving the integrity and solitude of the wilderness experience.

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CAMPAIGN NOLS

ROUTE COMPLETED ON DECEMBER 31, 2013, NOLS SUCCESSFULLY wrapped up a fi e-year campaign, raising an incredible $21,187,500 for the endowment and annual fund. The successful completion of Campaign NOLS: Endowing Our Core Values is a landmark accomplishment. Through the support of the NOLS family–our alumni, parents, friends, and staff—we have strengthened our programs and will continue to produce the competent, ethical leaders the world’s communities need.

By tapping the tremendous commitment, vision, and creativity of our supporters, we have ensured that we will remain an organization dedicated to our core values of leadership, community, safety, excellence, wilderness, and education. We are deeply grateful for the many supporters who generously gave to Campaign NOLS. Thank you!

This commitment to the future stems from our community’s steadfast belief in our core values. With over 80 percent of America’s youth living in or near urban centers, our community understands that it is more important than ever to get them out into nature. At NOLS, what our students learn about their own abilities and group dynamics will spill over into all their pursuits.

To create a stronger global community and a healthy planet, we need leaders who know how to listen to, and communicate with, people from every background. We need leaders who can adapt to challenges presented by a turbulent market or a changing climate. At NOLS, we believe that positive, ethical leaders change the world. Thank you for helping us develop these leaders.

With over 80 percent of America’s youth living in or near urban centers, our community understands that it is more important than ever to get them out into nature.

Patagonia, BEN FOX

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JOHN AVANT JR. MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

The Legacy of a Remarkable Young Man During the final week of a 1985 Wind River Wilderness course, every student on the expedition wanted one young man to lead the group during the student-only “walk out:” John Avant Jr. As a young man, John always loved the outdoors, spending summers backpacking and canoeing in the mountains of North Carolina. Being selected by his coursemates was testament to John’s leadership and character. It meant they knew they could depend on him when the unexpected happened.

All of the students had had the opportunity to exercise tolerance for uncertainty early on the course when an instructor fractured his leg and needed to be evacuated by helicopter. Several students, including John, helped fashion a litter and carry the instructor down the mountain.

Five years after his NOLS course in the Wind River Mountains, John Avant Jr. was in a fatal car crash. Last year, John’s father, John Avant Sr., learned that former Board of Trustees Chair Kate GunnessWilliams had been on his son’s course. He reached out to her. Gunness-Williams remembered John as one of her closest friends on the trip and sent Avant excerpts from her diary that pertained to John and several photographs of him taken during the trip. He was someone she could laugh with or lean on when the going got tough.

In 1997, the Avant family created an endowed scholarship in memory of the remarkable young man lost too early. The fund supports two students from the Columbus, Georgia area on NOLS courses each year. Avant believes that John would have wanted to pay the NOLS experience forward.

“Of all the experiences John had growing up, I think NOLS was the most meaningful,” explained his father. “I think it would have meant a lot to him to be able to provide that experience to others who might not otherwise be able to do it.”

Avant believes the NOLS experience is invaluable and is excited to help make it available to those who do not have economic means to attend on their own.

“There is no substitute for learning leadership skills firsthand, and NOLS instructors exhibit those traits and pass them on to the students,” Avant explained. “And, as [Gunness-Williams] put it, ‘John’s great spirit lives on through connections like these.’”

Avant believes the NOLS experience is invaluable and is excited to help make it available to those who do not have economic means to attend on their own.

Salmon River, Idaho, CRAIG MUDERLAK

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PLANNED GIVING

A LEGACY IN LEADERSHIP AND WILDERNESS EDUCATION FOR MANY DONORS, A PLANNED GIFT TO NOLS IS the capstone of their charitable giving career. For most, it’s the largest gift they’ll make in their lifetime. But for all, it’s a way to establish a lasting impact on the school and the lives of its students, carrying the donor’s legacy forward in perpetuity.

The members of the NOLS Summit Team have chosen to include NOLS in their estate plans or make a deferred gift to NOLS. As a part of our recognition society for legacy donors, Summit Team members express their steadfast belief in the power of a NOLS education. Planned gifts grow NOLS’ endowment, ensuring the opportunity for future generations of NOLS students to have meaningful wilderness experiences.

A thoughtful planned gift also creates financial benefits for the donors, often providing important tax relief for donors or their heirs. Summit Team members find planned gifts to NOLS a great option; it pairs a sound financial decision with creating a legacy that reflects their personal values.

In fiscal year 2014, the Summit Team had 7-percent growth, marking a continued increase in the average growth over the past fi e years. NOLS is a relatively young organization, and as such, the majority of our alumni are also young.

We intend to grow the Summit Team and our planned giving program in the coming years, providing the foundation that makes NOLS the international leader in wilderness education.

I ndicates a monetary gift from a current or former member of the NOLS Board of Trustees. # Indicates a monetary gift from a NOLS employee employed in FY14.

1 Indicates donors who have given annually for 10-19 years.

2 Indicates donors who have given annually for 20-29 years.

3 Indicates donors who have given annually for 30+ years. *

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Summit Team Anonymous (1)

D. Steven Fox

Judith L. Lane

James A. Acee

John N. Gans#2 and Stephanie A.

Cristi L. Larsen

S. Robbins

Joan F. Adibi

Kessler2

Joshua M. and Debra F. Levin

Peter S. Ross

Barry Auskern

Jon C. Geissmann

Fred N. Littooy2

Mary M. Ryan

Douglas P. Bacon

Daniel S. Gelfand

David H. Long

David I. Schiff

John L. Barton 2

Helen J. Gemmill

Walter D. and Valerie S. Long

Michael Schmertzler

Douglas C. Benoliel

Eric N. Gilbert1

Sharon and Wylie D. Lowery

Catherine C. and Mark F. Sieffert

Kathleen A. Beres and Miller D. Einsel

Thomas L. Glazier1

Douglas S. Luke*2

Eric Singer

Allen W.1 and Gillian K.1 Blyth

Peter R. Goldman

Allen B. Macomber*2

Winton C. Smith

Scott Bradley

Lynn Gossard

Stanley and Wendy O. Marsh

Jeanne1 and Jerry W.1 Southwood

Elizabeth Britt

Andrea J. Grant*

Keith A. Marshall

Robert I. Spengler

Caroline B. Burnett*1

Bonnie P.1 and John1 Gruetzmacher

Ellen C. Matz

Anthony K.#1 and Erika Stevens

Daryl J. and Ana P. Burtnett

Molly M. 2 and Bruce E. 2 Hampton

William C. Mayo

Cynthia B. Stevens

Susan E. Chamberlin*1

N. Stuart Harris

Michael F. McTeigue

Robin B. Supplee

Alpin C. Chisholm

John W. Hathaway

G. Craig Meacham

Alexis P. Surovov

Pip J. Coe#1

Gary D. Hermalyn

Ann C. Mills

Wyllys Terry

Sherwin B. Cotler

Diane D. Herth

John W. Molander

Gene R.*2 and Susan C. 2 Tremblay

Joyce Courtney

Dorothy C. and William A. Hilshey

Stephen J. Moseley

Michael A. and Pamela B. Valentine

Brian R. Dannemann 2

Christopher W. Holinger

William C. Murdock*1

Leslie F. van Barselaar# and David R.

Wendolyn S. Holland

David M. Neary

Kallgren#

Katharine Dernocoeur

Joanne Hurley

J.C. Nemecek

Ruth G. and Robert Wall

Danielle Dignan

Ann L. Iijima* and Myles G. Bakke

Ronald C. and Elizabeth C. Nordstrom

S. Lee Warner

Mark J. Donahue

William L. Jamieson

Robert M. Parker1

Richard G.1 and Loni1 Weber Wilford H. Welch

Duncan N. Dayton

*3 2

Robert H. Donoho

Christopher M. and Melanie

Cameale Johnson

David R. Pennes

Catherine L. Douglas and Mark

Cleveland T. and Rachael G. Justis

Thomas E. Perlman1

Timothy B. Weymouth

A. Sargent

Cheryl M. and Daniel F. Kelley

Allen E. Perrel

Jennifer S. Whiting

Susan T. English1

Steven L. Kral

Marshall R. Peterson

Reid A. Wiecks1

Elizabeth A. Peterson

Gregory L.1 and Patricia R.1 Wright

1

3

Cynthia S. and Michael J. Evanisko

Janice S. Ladley

Paul M. Ford and Dennis W. Pendleton

Sheila C. Lally

Patrick M. Pettit

Elizabeth H. Yacubian1

Carole L. Forgan

Richard H. and Cathy Lampman

Marc B. and Lorraine Randolph

Charles L. Zwick

1

1

2

For Moseley, the profound impact of NOLS comes from “introducing urbanites to the backcountry.”

Pacific Northwest BEN FOX

STEVE MOSELEY

Investing in Our Future Leaders Steve Moseley believes in investments. As a long-time investor in private companies, he understands that it can be as beneficial to identify questions as it is to find answers. As a NOLS alumnus, he is familiar with planning ahead for all uncertainties, be it an unexpected rainstorm or the end of one’s life.

“I pack well and expect surprises. For me, in the frontcountry that means preparing diligently and knowing what I don’t know,” explained Moseley, a 1992 Wind River Mountaineering graduate. “Terrible weather can arrive without warning but NOLS grads are ready—we pack our raingear at the top of our packs.”

In a world where over 55 percent of Americans between age 45 and 64 haven’t yet drafted a will, Moseley’s NOLS training is putting him ahead of the curve. This past year, he and his wife sold a business, catalyzing some mid-life considerations. As investors, they saw the benefit of investing in programs like NOLS that offer both social and environmental returns. For Moseley, the profound impact of NOLS comes from “introducing urbanites to the backcountry.”

“It’s disturbingly and increasingly easy for people to grow up and live on this planet with no awareness of their natural environment,” he said. “If they don’t know something exists, how can they be expected to value and protect it?”

Moseley demonstrated his dedication to the NOLS mission by investing in the future leaders of our planet with a gift in his will. With this final gift, he will be able to extend the same benchmark life experience he had as a high school student to others for years to come.

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THE NOLS ANNUAL FUND

ETHICAL LEADERSHIP FOR A GLOBAL COMMUNITY ALL OF US AT NOLS EXTEND OUR DEEPEST gratitude and thanks to all the supporters of the NOLS Annual Fund this past fiscal year. Your commitment to the school contributes to the excellence that makes NOLS the leader in wilderness and leadership education.

The 2014 NOLS Annual Fund Campaign was a major success for the school because of you. We exceeded the financial goal by 20 percent, raising $1,968,495.00. Our sustainable giving club grew for the second year in a row, and we received the second highest total of unrestricted gifts in the school’s history. Of the 4,490 individual gifts we received toward the annual fund, 4,352—or 97 percent—came in as unrestricted. These unrestricted funds provide NOLS the fl xibility to use them where they are needed most.

More importantly, your contributions allowed us to empower our students to see beauty in the outdoors, inspire them to become effective leaders, and show them how they can use the knowledge gained on their course in their lives and community. Thank you!

India, ALEXIS ALLOWAY

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2013

2014

Goal: $1,558,000 Funds raised: $1,597,740 Percent unrestricted gifts: 82% Number of donors: 4,215 Number of new donors: 1,580 Donor retention rate: 59%

Goal: $1,636,000 Funds raised: $1,968,495 Percent unrestricted gifts: 97% Number of donors: 3,288 Number of new donors: 694 Donor retention rate: 44%

SARAH HARVIE

The Continuing Lessons of Wilderness Education Long before taking her first NOLS course, Sarah Harvie was learning backcountry cooking skills from the NOLS Cookery.

She spent her childhood summers at a YMCA Camp in Alberta that was run by a former NOLS instructor. Having been introduced to NOLS at this early age, Harvie always considered NOLS the industry standard in her own career in the outdoors.

In 2006, Harvie received a scholarship to attend the Yukon River Instructors Course, allowing her to take the leap and leave her job at a non-governmental organization to gain professional development in the outdoor industry. In the wilds of the Yukon, she learned to have confidence in her abilities as a leade .

“By observing three highly competent outdoor leaders assess the same situation and have very different perspectives on approach, I learned that there is no one magical right answer,” Harvie explained. “Thus, I was able to stop focusing on finding the ‘right answer’ and have confidence that my decision met the goals of the expedition.”

Today, Harvie continues to use her NOLS skills as both NOLS instructor and business owner.

She credits NOLS with giving her the tools to open a massage therapy practice and uses tolerance for adversity and uncertainty on a daily basis.

“The course gave me a comfort with the unknown that has allowed me to take risks and try new things,” she said.

As a result, the learning never stops. After eight years as an instructor, Harvie still discovers something new from each course she works and knows this is exponentially true for students, “even if they never go camping again.”

“Time and time again I have seen students take their NOLS experience and go on to be successful in whatever they put their mind to,” she said. “Donating to NOLS is an easy choice when I can see the impact a NOLS course has on students’ lives—both during and after courses.”

“ Time and time again I have seen students take their NOLS experience and go on to be successful in whatever they put their mind to,” Harvie said.

Yukon, PASCAL BEAUVAIS

2014 STATE OF THE SCHOOL REPORT

15

RISK MANAGEMENT

RISK MANAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS management program as a core component of how we conduct courses and one of the ways we measure our success as a school. Our risk management program forms the basis of the NOLS culture and is fundamental in our resiliency as an organization. Our primary goals are to promote the health and well-being of students and staff while striving to achieve our stated curriculum and course objectives.

Our risk management performance in 2014 was adequate, and we achieved most of our goals.

The number of medical incidents reported was 30 percent higher than average due primarily to more illnesses than usual. This resulted in a medical incident rate 28 percent above average.

However, our medical evacuation rate of 1.03 evacuations per 1,000 program days was only 2 percent above average and was tied for the ninth lowest in the 30 years NOLS has been keeping such records. We did respond to a number of challenging medical and near-miss incidents. Following are the year’s notable records: • There have been 11,780 expedition students on NOLS courses for a total of 493,710 program days beween Thomas Plotkin’s death on September 22, 2011 and the end of fiscal ear 2014.

16

NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL

• Our most serious incidents involved two students with lower leg injuries who were evacuated by helicopter from 11,000 feet in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming, a student who sustained frostbite and eventually lost about a quarter inch of his right thumb, a diabetic emergency, two incidents of severe allergic reactions, and two incidents of appendicitis.

• Our emergency and evacuation systems are well designed and worked smoothly and effectively to provide emergency support at all NOLS locations in 18 countries and 15 U.S. states.

• We evacuated 155 students and 19 instructors from their courses for injury or illness. The majority of these were logistically simple, but 24 of them were more complex due to the severity of the patients’ conditions or the remoteness of their location. These evacuations used helicopters (12), powerboats (six), fi ed wing aircraft (three), and one each horse, walk, and litter carry. We refer to these as assisted evacuations.

• Of all expedition students, 96.6 percent completed their courses. Of those who did not complete their course (151 students) 2 percent were for medical reasons and 1.4 percent were for non-medical reasons.

NOLS Medical Incident and Evacuation Rates

Rate/1000 Program Days

IN 2014, WE RELIED ON THE STRENGTH OF OUR RISK

RISK MANAGEMENT IN ACTION

Pacific Northwest BENJAMIN LESTER

On August 6, 2013, a North Cascades Wilderness course in Olympic National Park had split into two student hiking groups and one instructor group for the day’s hike. It turned into a long day for one of the student groups, and in the evening they encountered some steep terrain. As they were evaluating their options—figuring out if they could continue or if they should turn around—one student suddenly lost his footing and fell. Within seconds, another student stepped forward to the same spot and also fell.

Both students tumbled down the slope through thick forest vegetation and came to rest on a bench about 50 feet below.

They were conscious, but one of them could not get up, though the other could and he went to help his friend. The other three students slowly and carefully descended the slope to the bench and provided first ai .

By this time, it was approaching 10:30 p.m. and the students determined that one of them had possible internal injuries and a head injury; he had vomited and there was blood in the vomit. They couldn’t get to the instructors because it was dark and the terrain was steep. They decided that the situation warranted activating the personal locator beacon (PLB) they had been supplied for this type of situation.

The students activated the PLB at about 11 p.m., which transmitted a signal to a satellite system monitored by the U.S. Air Force. The signal was picked up by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida who notified NOLS Pacific Northwest staff at 11:18 p.m. that a PLB registered to NOLS had been activated.

NOLS contacted Olympic National Park and began collaboration on a rescue response. At dawn two students from the group departed to find the instructors and when they arrived the instructors called NOLS with information on the injured students. Weather and mechanical problems with an Air Force helicopter delayed the rescue, and the mission was handed off to the U.S. Coast Guard. At 4:30 p.m. on August 7, the two injured students were hoisted aboard a USCG helicopter and taken to a hospital in Port Angeles, Washington. Their injuries were not as severe as the students initially believed.

This incident highlights some of the risks of backpacking in mountainous terrain, but is also an example of the depth of emergency response systems at NOLS. The students had been taught first aid skills and emergency procedures, they were equipped with a satellite communication device, they had written guidelines for when to use the PLB and how to use it, and, as expected, went to find the instructors at first light to act as a backup to the PLB. The response with NOLS, Olympic National Park, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Coast Guard was complex and illustrates that emergency evacuations from remote wilderness areas can be delayed by weather, mechanical problems, and other variables.

2014 STATE OF THE SCHOOL REPORT

17

GARY MORRIS

A Lifelong Team Player What leads a person to form a lifelong relationship with NOLS? For Gary Morris, it was the reallife application of leadership skills.

As a founding partner of a law firm dealing in intellectual property law, he manages his team with the broad vision of an expedition leader. He credits NOLS with teaching him “the value of compassion and sensitivity when telling others what to do.”

On his 1995 North Cascade Mountaineering course, his instructors noted that he was “a true ‘team player.’ He did well in leadership rolls and communicated well in group settings.”

Morris uses his NOLS leadership training regularly—in and out of the law office—recognizing others’ leadership qualities and giving them the opportunity to use them.

“Sometimes, helping someone else even in a small way can make the difference between success and failure of a group activity,” the two-time NOLS graduate explained.

The “team player” attitude continues to inspire Morris’ ongoing relationship with NOLS. Already a longtime NOLS donor, in 2007 he enrolled in the monthly giving program with the NOLS Annual Fund, providing ongoing funding for NOLS projects. His support stems from a steadfast belief in the NOLS mission and an understanding that “the personal changes many experience on NOLS courses make the world a better place.”

“The personal changes many experience on NOLS courses make the world a better place,” Morris said.

Pacific Northwes , NICK CROSS

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

STRONG FINANCIAL FOUNDATIONS IT IS WITH GREAT PRIDE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ONCE

NOLS Balance Sheet Aug. 31, 2014 and 2013 ASSETS

2014

2013

Cash

$17,943,000

$17,411,000

Investments

5,344,000

3,400,000

Endowment investments

30,641,000

24,227,000

Receivables

620,000

755,000

Pledges receivable

1,301,000

1,254,000

Prepaid expenses

305,000

354,000

Merchandise

1,006,000

857,000

Other

1,193,000

1,132,000

Property, plant, and equipment net

29,179,000

29,710,000

$87,532,000

$79,100,000

Accounts payable

$5,498,000

$4,950,000

Student deposits

6,418,000

6,724,000

TOTAL ASSETS

again announce that the financial position of NOLS has never been stronger. Through the hard work of staff and the guidance of our supporters, we have operated in a very fiscall responsible manner at all levels of NOLS. We know that the greatest strength of NOLS is our mission, but a strong financial foundation is also necessary to carry that mission into the future. Through a combination of a growing endowment, identified reserves, and lack of long-term debt, we believe that we are building that foundation.

Our endowment is an increasing piece of our fina cial foundation, providing support for our scholarships and mission. Over the last fi e fiscal years, the value of the endowment has nearly tripled, reaching $30,641,000. We are certainly grateful for the support from our friends in building this

corner of our financial foundation. Fiscal year 2014 continued several years of positive investment results with a gain of nearly 20 percent. The trust placed in us by the supporters of our endowment is humbling, and the prudent management of this important resource continues to be an important goal for us as it is a key to the success of our mission.

The financial resources that have been generated over these years from operations and by support from our donors are an important responsibility and opportunity for NOLS. A key part of both our recently completed and new strategic plans has been to create and fund cash reserves. These reserves have been created to sustain us in difficult circumstances and to allow us to pursue opportunities to expand our reach and mission. We will continue to invest and use our financia reserves with integrity to support our students and mission.

LIABILITES AND NET ASSETS

Total liabilites

$11,916,000

$11,674,000

Net assets

$75,616,000

$67,426,000

$87,532,000

$79,100,000

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

2014 STATE OF THE SCHOOL REPORT

19

OUR STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES IS REFLECTIVE OF

NOLS Statement of Activities For the fiscal years ending Au . 31, 2014 and 2013 UNRESTRICTED

TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED

PERMANENTLY RESTRICTED

TOTAL 2014

TOTAL 2013

$30,125,000

$-

$-

$30,125,000

28,758,000

Other program revenues

2,057,000

-

-

2,057,000

1,966,000

Total program revenue

32,182,000

-

-

32,182,000

30,724,000

REVENUES AND OTHER SUPPORT PROGRAM REVENUES Tuition and fees

FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES Contributions and grants

1,285,000

766,000

1,183,000

3,234,000

5,998,000

Released from endowment

547,000

(547,000)

-

-

-

331,000

(331,000)

-

-

-

Net assets released from restriction for Program Buildings and Equipment Total fundraising revenue

367,000

(367,000)

-

-

-

2,530,000

(479,000)

1,183,000

3,234,000

5,998,000

111,000

152,000

-

263,000

253,000

1,623,000

3,313,000

-

4,936,000

2,541,000

INVESTMENT AND OTHER REVENUE Interest and investment income Net realized and unrealized gains on investments Gain (loss) on sale of equipment

67,000

-

-

67,000

1,000

1,801,000

3,465,000

-

5,266,000

2,795,000

36,513,000

2,986,000

1,183,000

40,682,000

39,517,000

Program

26,151,000

-

-

26,151,000

25,464,000

Administration

5,477,000

-

-

5,477,000

5,011,000

Fundraising

864,000

-

-

864,000

909,000

TOTAL EXPENSES

32,492,000

-

-

32,492,000

31,384,000

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS

$4,021,000

$2,986,000

$1,183,000

$8,190,000

$8,133,000

Total investment and other revenue TOTAL REVENUE AND OTHER SUPPORT

EXPENSES

20

NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL

our continued focus on meeting both our educational and financial goals. We continue to thrive financially in very challenging times, and this past year we set a new high for NOLS in operating revenue and achieved our highest overall change in net assets in the school’s history.

In considering the past year, there is much that is familiar from the year prior. In both years, we received strong philanthropic support—most notably through gifts to Campaign NOLS, our annual fund, and in support of the Wyss Wilderness Medicine Campus. We are also proud of our stewardship of our endowment investments in which we achieved a return of nearly 20 percent this past fiscal year.

The combination of strong philanthropic support, positive investment returns, and another strong operating year resulted in the record increase in our overall net assets.

The education of our students is, as always, our primary focus. We recognize the importance of being excellent stewards of our financial resources. Our positive financial results are due to the support and efforts of many and will help us to carry our mission into the future for students of the future.

THE LAST SEVEN YEARS HAS BEEN A TIME OF

NOLS Seven-Year Financial Highlights 2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

Total assets

$87,532,000

$79,100,000

$71,140,000

$66,675,000

$59,341,000

$55,140,000

$54,113,000

Total liabilities

11,916,000

11,674,000

11,847,000

13,112,000

12,932,000

13,329,000

13,069,000

Net assets

$75,616,000

$67,426,000

$59,293,000

$53,563,000

$46,409,000

$41,811,000

$41,044,000

REVENUE Program

$32,182,000

$30,724,000

$29,512,000

$28,661,000

$27,009,000

$25,897,000

$25,356,000

Contributions

3,234,000

5,998,000

4,923,000

5,126,000

2,516,000

1,945,000

1,862,000

Investment

5,199,000

2,794,000

978,000

1,833,000

943,000

(1,754,000)

(553,000)

67,000

1,000

62,000

(160,000)

30,000

7,000

16,000

40,682,000

39,517,000

35,475,000

35,460,000

30,498,000

26,095,000

26,681,000

26,151,000

25,464,000

24,326,000

23,313,000

21,389,000

20,666,000

20,641,000

Other Total revenues EXPENSES Program Fundraising

864,000

909,000

974,000

837,000

746,000

819,000

754,000

Administration and interest

5,477,000

5,011,000

4,445,000

4,156,000

3,765,000

3,843,000

3,711,000

Total expenses

32,492,000

31,384,000

29,745,000

28,306,000

25,900,000

25,328,000

25,106,000

Change in net assets

$8,190,000

$8,133,000

$5,730,000

$7,154,000

$4,598,000

$767,000

$1,575,000

continued growth in both the educational impact and fina cial position of NOLS. Our net assets have increased in each of the last seven years and have more than doubled over this time. The last two have been our best in terms of the growth of our overall net assets. These continued positive results are indicative of the strength throughout NOLS and of our commitment to our goals with an eye to the future.

While each of the last seven years is a collection of unique stories, NOLS has consistently seen strong operating results and support from our friends. Contributions to our mission have continued to grow through gifts to the NOLS Annual Fund, NOLS Endowment, the International Base Camp Initiative, Campaign NOLS, and the Wyss Wilderness Medicine Campus. Gifts to these campaigns over the past seven years have exceeded $26 million. Thanks to the support and efforts of many, we continue to build on the successes of our past and look to our future with a strong financial position.

NUMBER OF STUDENTS NOLS field course

4,320

4,210

4,056

3,889

3,782

3,688

3,898

NOLS classroom courses

16,763

15,853

14,288

13,258

11,580

10,503

10,227

Total students

21,083

20,063

18,344

17,147

15,362

14,191

14,125

Number of student days

217,559

208,787

205,155

202,957

192,667

186,475

188,829

Scholarship recipients

603

624

613

618

480

534

421

Scholarship awarded

$1,527,000

$1,543,000

$1,519,000

$1,462,000

$1,307,000

$1,195,000

$1,076,000

2014 STATE OF THE SCHOOL REPORT

21

TOBEY RITZ

Returning to a Dream It took Tobey Ritz 30 years to return to NOLS as an instructor. It wasn’t that he’d forgotten about the school; he just needed to take his own path to get back.

As a student on a Wind River Wilderness course in 1976, the then-17year-old learned to make real decisions with real consequences for himself and his coursemates. He managed bad weather, steep terrain, and group dynamics—ultimately embracing the adversity. He developed a personal leadership style in line with his introverted nature. All of this and more led his instructors to recommend him for an instructor course.

On his course evaluation, his instructors poignantly praised his leadership, saying that he was “an excellent student. Judgment and concern for others were strong points. Quiet, but intelligent.”

Despite this encouragement and the dream of working in the wilderness, Ritz took another path, pursuing a career as a civil engineer. For him, learning had become a lifelong process and he continued applying the lessons from his course to life in the frontcountry.

“Concepts like expedition behavior can be applied to anything you do as part of a team,” Ritz explained. “I can be selfish, but having a framework I can go back to and remind myself that being selfish is in many ways self defeating, and selflessness and helping others is generally more satisfying and rewarding, helps me to be a better human being.”

This selfless attitude is part of the reason Ritz ultimately returned to NOL .

“Becoming a NOLS instructor late in life, at 48, was a way to give back to young people and also continue the process begun so long ago of growing and learning about myself and others,” said the longtime annual fund donor.

“There are few places that enable an individual the opportunity to grow and learn so much about themselves and how to become part of a team in such a short period of time.”

And Ritz believes that of these, NOLS is the best.

Becoming a NOLS instructor late in life, at 48, was a way to give back to young people and also continue the process begun so long ago of growing and learning about myself and others,” said Ritz.

Wind River Range, Wyoming, KYLE DUBA

National Outdoor Leadership School 284 Lincoln Street • Lander, WY 82520 www.nols.edu • (800) 710-NOLS Cover: Patagonia, BEN FOX; Back: Alaska, STÉPHANE TERRIER