Wander With Outdoor Grant
Wander North Georgia is a family run small business with a values driven mission. We are committed to helping support local makers, businesses, artisans, and anyone who shares our love of outdoor spaces and the unitive power they provide.
ABOUT THE “WANDER WITH” PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
The “Wander With,” partnership program is a new community initiative by Wander North Georgia in collaboration with our friends at Outdoor Journal Tour. In an effort to decrease the racial and cultural inequities present for the BIPOC outdoor community, WNG has created a grant program for those doing the good work to diversify outdoor spaces. The $2,500 grant is open to BIPOC owned/operated organizations with an outdoor focus and majority BIPOC constituency. More than just a grant however, WNG is seeking a community partner with whom they can develop a significant working relationship. WNG is both willing and interested in facilitating in-person touch points, joint events, in-kind sponsorships and other partnership activities with the grantee.
GRANT CRITERIA Open to all BIPOC owned/operated, outdoor focused organizations in the state of Georgia. 501(c3) status is encouraged but not required. Eligible applicants must:
Have an outdoor focused mission/program structure. Meaning 50-75% of all programing must be allocated to outdoor activity, conservation, stewardship, exposure, education or other adjacent categories.
Be BIPOC owned/operated. 51% of the owners of the organization must identify as Black, Indigenous or a person of color.
Serve a predominately BIPOC demographic. The intention of this grant is to provide economic support to organizations that have a primary constituency of people who identify as BIPOC. The goal is to support diversity, equity and inclusion in outdoor spaces.
Be able to demonstrate an immediate need for funds in the support a specific program or activity. For example: Gear for a BIPOC campout, program materials for a retreat, support for an outdoor outreach program etc.
Be willing to commit to a 6-month engagement with Wander North Georgia. Organizations must be willing to form a partnership with WNG designed to enhance both organization’s mission. The details of said engagement can be determined after grant award by both parties.
Should have a total operating budget of $100k or less. This grant is designed to help boost the program and outreach efforts of organizations that may not be eligible for traditional funding. Because of that, we want to be sure that we are supporting organizations with the greatest need.
Agree to submit a mid-term and final grant report.
Taken directly from the Wander North GA website.
Meet Deborah. We are excited to announce that she and her hiking group @ch8singwaterfalls are the first ever recipients of our Wander With Diversity Grant in collaboration with our friends at @outdoorjournaltour. Deborah has been leading hikes for years and her plan is to build a gear library and provide free transportation and meals for her community meetups.
Deborah’s passion is to increase diversity and access to the outdoors and she has been doing so for years by celebrating the common ground we all stand on. She named her group @ch8singwaterfalls as she wants all of us “to embrace the chase as we continue to evolve and share and shine.”
We’ve had the privilege of meeting her and her group a couple of times along with a ton of DMs back and forth the last few weeks. And we are so excited to be able to play the tiniest of roles in helping her expand on her vision. She’s an amazing person who is never not smiling or being positive. If you’re not following her yet, slide over now and give them a follow. And thank y’all so much for shopping small as it allows us to partner with awesome groups like Deborah’s
And a special thanks to Kenya and Michelle at @outdoorjournaltour for partnering with us on this. The Wander With Grant is for $2,500 and Kenya and Michelle added $1,000 with 100% of those funds going directly to Deborah and her vision for making the outdoors accessible to all.
To learn more about the Wander With program, check out the link in our profile as there will be two recipients selected every year with the second application period going live in June 2021.
Our new family Kenya and Michelle of The Outdoor Journal Tour reposted the above message from Josh at Wander North GA, and wrote: Remember the “Wander With” BIPOC grant we were working on with our friends @wandernorthga?? Well, meet our very first recipient @ch8singwaterfalls!! We are so honored to be apart of something so awesome ❤️
Read more below from @wandernorthga and go give @ch8singwaterfalls a follow!!
Amazeballz, right!! Who knew the universe would take the pain from a loss years ago, mold it into this passion and open up such amazing opportunities? Who knew we would be integral in changing the narrative of outdoors, one adventure at a time, embr8cing the ch8se? Who knew? Who knew that the most spectacular relationships would be formed, and hundreds of lives changed? Who would even imagine that visiting an awesome little store in downtown Clayton, GA would years later manifest such goodness? Definitely not this city girl.
I am in awe of these beautiful beings that have impacted my life in such a huge way. Josh, Kenya, Michelle, you triple treat, dream team are my newest heroes. I am forever grateful for your generosity and dedication to inclusion and diversity. I am honored to be the first recipient of the Wander With Outdoor grant, which has already shifted our trajectory. I am astounded in this moment.
I am elated to know each of you and value our connection. I appreciate your support, wisdom and guidance. I am eagerly looking forward to what our future holds as I prepare for impact. Thank you for the open invitations. Ya'll need to know, I'm kinda like that red wine stain in your favorite t-shirt, nearly impossible to get rid of. Basically, you're stuck with me for life. Let's get real comfortable. Seriously, with the my Sister Sledge music playing in my head, "We Are Family, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey nah, I got all my family with me."
In all of my ramble, and tripping over my words, humble, grateful, thankful, blessed, sums it up. Thank you for seeing me and acknowledging my efforts. This is one of my proudest accomplishments, one of my proudest victories ever. Beyond everything I attempt to express, THANK YOU, fits best.
My friend Veronica Very always reminds me that my story is a wonder. I agree!
"My Name is Deborah McGlawn and My Story IS A Wonder!"
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