They say that the only constant in life is change, and here at SheJumps—we couldn’t agree more. Yet, while some changes can feel bold and concrete, other changes creep up over time. One second I’m counting down the days to ski season and then the next I’m floating down a river on a standup paddleboard!
That’s sort of how it feels to see our organization after 12 years. The idea that SheJumps is now in its 13th year could not be more fitting as we look back on the accomplishments and challenges of our ‘small but mighty’ organization.
Our 2018-2019 fiscal year* was not the banner year we saw previously and that is because thanks to you we are finally growing into the mature, sustainable nonprofit organization that is focused on nurturing what we have all worked so hard to create. Our hope is that the legacy surrounding our mission and vision will extend far past the verbal history of knowing it all started with three friends who saw that outdoor challenges lead to big leaps in life. Our lack of financial growth did not impinge our ability to annual grow how many people we were able to impact.
Thank you for your support, which enables us to continue impacting more people.
Highlights of 2019 include our rebranded logo and new website. Through many trials and tribulations, we found a logo that represents the more polished and accomplished nonprofit that we are becoming, and also allows more flexibility, a nod to climbing mountains, and of course, our endeared girafficorn. Our website (always in development!) now features an easier way to find access to all events and features the bold, bright, and inspirational imagery that express the spirit and vision of our organization.
In 2018, we were able to bring our team together for a first annual SheJumps summit. We hosted a 3 day event in Alta, Utah to bring our volunteers, board, and small staff together and unify a collective vision. We also took this time to highlight and engage our ongoing DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) efforts. DEI work is a major focus of our organization.
Wild Skills, our youth program that continues to attract attention from around the world also continued to grow. Our newest Wild Skills program, Jr. Ski Patrol, took hold in 2018-2019 as well. The 13 Jr. Ski Patrol events we hosted made a huge impact on the ski industry, and garnered attention from major publications, iconic resorts (such as Jackson Hole), and cultivated a powerful partnership of National Ski Patrol. It’s all part of a vision to ensure that a girl can see anything is possible and it naturally bridges the interest that so many of our volunteers and supporters have to give back to the next generation. As a response to this interest, we also created Wild Skills coordinator positions to provide a specific volunteer role for growing access to the outdoors for youth.
This report is our storybook of all these accomplishments and more. We hope you will continue to support our organization as we tackle the new challenges that only an adolescent can endure. Thanks to your support and generosity, we have a future—and the future is bright!
Sincerely,
Claire Smallwood
Executive Director & Co-Founder
*We run our fiscal year from July 1-June 30 because when we set this nonprofit up so many years ago, we couldn’t imagine wanting to deal with ‘year-end reports’ and taxes in the middle of ski season. Seeing as we (Vanessa, Lynsey, and myself) all are self-identified skiers—Lynsey being an actual professional (!), we thought it made sense. So - keep that in mind when you read the report.