In addition to making an unrestricted or memorial gift, you can contribute to one of NSP’s designated funds: the Educational Endowment Fund, or the Minnie Dole Memorial Fund.
Education Endowment Fund
The Education Endowment Fund, also called the “Forever Giving Fund,” is a fund set aside to specifically support NSP education programs. Our programs include:
- Outdoor Emergency Care
- Avalanche
- Certified
- Instructor Development
- Mountain Travel Rescue
- Nordic/Backcountry
- Outdoor Emergency Transportation
- Outdoor First Care
- Women’s
- Alumni
- Young Adult Patrollers
This fund was designed to grow through charitable giving and lifetime membership dues. Currently, roughly 7 percent of the fund balance can be spent annually on these education programs. We are aiming to increase the balance so that we can start to fund some significant projects.
Why was it created?
NSP’s legacy includes the creation of an education and training program for outdoor rescuers. The organization spends a great amount of time and money developing, maintaining, and delivering our gold standard education programs to develop and cultivate the best outdoor rescuers in the world. We want to provide the opportunity for donors to direct their giving specifically toward the continued growth of this quality education and training. This is a contribution toward ensuring the preservation of our legacy.
What has the Fund achieved?
The Fund was activated to fund scholarships for young adult patrollers to attend Powderfall in 2017. The experience allowed great exposure for these future patrollers to learn and meet seasoned patrollers from across the country and contribute to their training as the next generation of outdoor rescuers.
As awareness of the Fund begins to spread and the Fund continues to grow, we look forward to funding major projects like the augmentation of our training materials and the ability to provide new OEC books to all instructors. We welcome proposals from our membership about additional projects that the Fund can support. This is a great opportunity for you be part of strengthening our legacy! Please contact our finance department with your proposals.
Who chooses how the money is spent?
Our executive director makes recommendations on how the Fund should be utilized, and our national board of directors can approve or disapprove the requests for expenditure.
Minnie Dole Memorial
Minnie Dole Memorial contributions honor exemplary patrollers and make a lasting tribute to their service.
Charles Minot Dole, often referred to as Minnie Dole, founded the NSP in 1938 and guided the organization to become the largest winter rescue organization in the world. He embodied the founding credo of “Service and Safety.” Memorial donations in his name honor patrollers who exemplify this creed – they are remembered for their excellence, enthusiasm, and unwavering commitment to patrolling. (For more about Minnie Dole, see Our History.)
Please use the Minnie Dole Memorial Contribution Form to create a memorial donation. The form will guide you through the information the NSP office needs to honor the patroller and notify his or her family of your gift.
For all memorial donations of $500 or more, NSP will list the honored patroller’s name on the Memorial Plaque proudly displayed at the national office in Lakewood, Colo. Further, a plaque will be sent to the patroller’s family and to their home ski patrol for display in the patrol room.