Passion Drives Hope! Organizational Purpose
The purpose of Hope Ascents is to help mountain climbers raise money for charity.
When a climber chooses to raise money for charity with Hope Ascents, we will provide them with education, support, and technology. We will educate our climbers by providing material on how to train for climbs, how to pick the right mountain, and how to choose a charity. We will support our climbers in their fundraising by helping them plan fundraisers, giving them templates for fundraising communi
cations, and helping them network with other members that are fundraising through blogs and forums on the Hope Ascents website (http://www.hopeascents.org). Lastly, we will help each climber create a personalized web page on our website to help raise awareness and money for their cause. The goal for Hope Ascents is that 100 percent of the money donated to each climber goes directly to that climber’s supported charity. The board of directors and private donors will cover operating costs and fees for collecting donations online, and climbers and sponsors will cover the cost of the expeditions. Hope Ascents will not act as a guiding or expedition service. Differentiation
There are other nonprofit organizations that raise money for charities by climbing mountains, but Hope Ascents is different for a few reasons.
1) As an organization, we do not plan to support one, dedicated cause. Climbers that raise funds with Hope Ascents will get to select a registered 501 (c)(3) charity of their choice to support. This will appeal to a more diverse group of potential fundraisers and thus benefit a wider variety of charities.
2) Climbers don’t have to climb on an expedition organized by Hope Ascents to raise money. While Hope Ascents will organize one or more charity climbs available to the public each year, we understand that there are many limiting factors to joining that climb. Therefore, Hope Ascents will support people that climb on a Hope Ascents sponsored climb, climb on an expedition they organize themselves, or climb with another guiding service.
3) Hope Ascents will not hold climbers financially responsible if they don’t meet their pledge promise. Because financing the mountain climb will remain the responsibility of the climber, it will not be included in a climber’s pledge promise. Therefore, climbers are able to set a pledge promise that they feel comfortable trying to meet for their charity without fearing that they will have to financially cover the difference if they don’t meet their goal.
