Our impact
What 2026 actually produced, including the numbers that did not go our way. Every figure here comes from our 2026 impact report.
A letter from our founder
This was our sixth winter, and it is the first season I can describe accurately.
569 unique participants came out with us in 2026, across 684 participants served. That is fewer than last year, and I want to be direct about why. Part of it is real: we ran 64 of the 79 program days we planned, and weather and low enrollment took the rest. Dartmouth Skiway had a hard year, with signups down sharply and only five of twelve scheduled days actually running. Those are things we need to fix, not explain away.
The other part is that we started counting honestly. For years we published numbers that mixed signups with attendance and counted returning participants more than once. Our older materials said we had served over 3,150 individuals. The real number, counting each person once, is 2,089. I am the one who published the wrong figures, and I did not do it to mislead anyone. I started this organization without a background in nonprofit management or data, and I learned how to count properly later than I should have. Every number in this report is built from a primary source, using the same definitions across every year, and it will stay that way.
Here is what I am proud of. Participants rated their experience 4.84 out of 5. Every single one of the 135 who answered our survey said they felt welcomed. 94.1% of them said they would come back. We held a day worth about $150 at $20, and we delivered $83,905 in subsidy doing it. 76 unique volunteers gave 2,295 hours, and every day on snow happened because they showed up.
Our revenue was $77,630, down 28% from 2025. That entire gap is a one-time federal grant that did not repeat, not a decline in support. Set that grant aside in both years and our organic revenue grew 13%, with donations more than doubling. On the same dollars, our community turned that revenue into $249,763 of value, which is $3.22 for every dollar raised.
We chose depth over growth this year. Smaller groups, better instruction, more affinity programming, and a real accounting of what we do. I would make that trade again.
Zachary McCarthy
Founder and Executive Director
The people
1,016 total signups in 2026 across participants and volunteers. Behind that number are 569 unique participants and 76 unique volunteers. Since we started, 2,089 unique participants since 2022 have been on snow with us. Prior seasons were 503, 471 and 638 unique participants.
The experience
This is the part we care most about, because a subsidized day that people do not enjoy is not access, it is a statistic.
I really enjoyed the leave no person behind policy, because I'm usually the slowest person.Intro to Backcountry participant, 2026 season
The money
Revenue in the 2026 financial year was $77,630, down 28% from 2025. The entire difference is a one-time federal CORA grant that did not repeat. Excluding that grant from both years, organic revenue grew 13%: donations more than doubled and sponsorship rose 29%. Community support did not decline.
Financial year 2026, July 1 2025 to June 30 2026, cash basis
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $77,630 |
| Expenses | $92,472 |
| Net | Minus $14,842 |
| Of expenses, program delivery | $48,597, 52.6% |
| Of expenses, operations | $38,431, 41.6% |
| Of expenses, development and comms | $5,444, 5.9% |
| Community value delivered | $249,763 |
| Value per dollar raised | $3.22 |
| Total participant subsidy | $83,905 |
One salaried staff member, the Executive Director, anchors personnel cost across both the program and the operations lines, alongside seasonal guides. Payroll totals and the Executive Director salary are published on the transparency page with the filings they come from.
We ran a deficit of $14,842 in 2026. We are saying that plainly rather than burying it, because a nonprofit that only publishes its good years is not being transparent. The transparency page has the filings.
What we subsidize
This is the clearest single expression of what a donation does. Every column is a real program with a real market rate.
Subsidy per participant by program type
| Program | Fair market value | What you pay | Average subsidy per participant |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-resort day | $150 | $20 | About $127 |
| Intro to Backcountry | $255 | $150 | About $151 |
| AIARE Level 1 | $630 | $275 | About $355 |
The last column is the average across every participant in that category, including free places, reduced places and event rates, so it is not simply the first column minus the second.
Blended across the 613 subsidized participants, the average subsidy was $137, and the total was $83,905.
The volunteers
76 unique volunteers gave 2,295 hours in 2026. That is the number that makes a $20 day possible, and it is the single largest contribution any group makes to this organization. Six of them are mountain coordinators who run a venue for the season. How to become one.
What did not work
We planned 79 program days in 2026 and ran 64, so 15 planned days did not run. Measured on signups, our total cancellation rate, participant and volunteer places booked that did not convert to a confirmed place, was 12.0%, down from 13.6% in 2025 and the lowest we have recorded. Most of what we cancel is weather and volunteer availability rather than lack of interest. It is still the number we are most focused on improving, because a canceled day is a person who had arranged childcare and taken a day off.
Signups at Dartmouth Skiway fell sharply, and five of twelve scheduled days there actually ran. We are working with them on a smaller, more reliable schedule rather than a bigger one.
The full report
Everything above, with the methodology and the detail behind it, is in our 2026 impact report.