Started in 1966, Mountaineering Fellowship Grants have long encouraged American climbers age 25 years and younger to go into remote areas and seek out climbs more difficult than they might ordinarily be able to do. Unexplored mountain ranges, unclimbed peaks, and difficult new routes will be looked upon with favor.
The grants are made available through the Boyd N. Everett, Jr. Memorial Fund, the John R. Hudson Memorial Fund, the Rick L. Mosher Memorial Fund, Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI Challenge Fund), and from annual contributions from the public.
Grants… [view grant]
Ultra-light folks cut the handles off their toothbrushes. Cutting Edge Alpinisits scoff at toothbrushes... and everything else that might slow them down, like sleeping bags or food. The Lyman Spitzer Cutting Edge Award is for climbers that are pushing limits with the bare essentials.
Through the generous contribution of Lyman Spitzer, Jr., a long-time American Alpine Club member and lover of the mountains, the AAC initiated the Lyman Spitzer Climbing Grants Program. This program promotes state-of-the-art, cutting-edge climbing through financial support of small, lightweight climbing teams attempting bold first ascents or difficult repeats of the most challenging routes in the world's great mountain… [view grant]
You have climbing dreams, and we have Live Your Dream Grants! These grants are designed for you, the every-day adventurer, and you don’t need an elite outdoor resume (or even much experience) to apply. Live Your Dream Grants seek to fund unforgettable experiences that give you the skills and confidence to realize your climbing ambitions and allow you to dream even bigger next time. We encourage you to gather a friend or three, build your dream trip or experience, and then send us an application.
We like making dreams come true for everybody. We fund climbers of all ages and experience levels, as well as a range… [view grant]
The American Alpine Club's Cornerstone Conservation Grant funds essential infrastructure at climbing areas. Individuals or communities that see a need for local infrastructure can propose projects that will improve, conserve, and protect their climbing resources for years to come.Grants range from $1,000 to $8,000, depending on the size and scope of project.
The Cornerstone Conservation Grant has grown out of a… [view grant]
Climbing isn't just about finding the perfect line, it's also about protecting the mountains we love. Lara-Karena Kellogg embodied this spirit throughout her life. When she died during an attempt on the North Buttress of Mount Wake in the Alaska Range in April 2007, this grant was established in her name to help other climbers carry on her mission of conservation. It funds expeditions that support and improve the health of mountain environments and habitats.
Lara was a climber, a scientist, and a conservationist. She was always searching for the most beautiful line in climbing and in life. Learning new skill sets, seeking a new challenges, yearning for deeper knowledge. When… [view grant]
The American Alpine Club established the Scott Fischer Memorial Conservation Fund in memory of Scott Fischer, who lost his life on Mount Everest in May 1996. The goal is to help fund environmentally proactive expeditions to mountain regions throughout the world.
To qualify, expeditions should meet the following criteria:Propose a well-planned mountain conservation projects. Projects attempting to remove past expeditions' garbage and equipment or similar projects are given priority. Expeditions must exceed normal expedition clean-up procedures as outlined by the host country or land manager.
Awards are typically around $300.
Application Deadlines:
Your application must be submitted by April 1.
How Do I Apply?
It's easy, just fill out the attached… [view grant]
Grant Update
January 15, 2013
We are sorry but we are not accepting applications for the American Alpine Club Nikwax Alpine Bellwether Grant in 2013 due to the restructuring of our grants program.
Applications will be accepted again in 2014 with the application period being from January 1- March 1. Please contact us if you have any questions at grants@americanalpineclub.org.
[view grant]
The Research Grant Committee of The American Alpine Club administers funds from three endowments:The Arthur K. Gilkey Memorial Research Fund, the R L Putnam Research Fund, and the Bedayn Research Fund.
Through these funds, the AAC is able to support modest requests to assist scientific research projects within the scope of the AAC's charter.
The application deadline for an AAC Research Grant is March 1. Late applications will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted electronically via an emailed Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) attachment. An application is required. Please limit the length of proposals to no more than 10 pages total. You may… [view grant]
Jonny Copp and Micah Dash were two of America’s leading alpine climbers, adventuring to the farthest corners of the world in search of first ascents in the purest of style. It was on just such a mission in May 2009, in western China's Sichuan province, that Jonny and Micah were killed in an avalanche along with filmmaker Wade Johnson. With Jonny and Micah’s deaths we lost two of the great alpinists, characters, and storytellers the North American climbing world has recently known.
Jonny and Micah believed the summit meant something, but style was everything. They pursued climbing in the same manner they lived—with vigor and passion, and with a strong desire… [view grant]
With the untimely death of Sue Nott and her partner Karen McNeill on Mt. Foraker in 2006, The Club partnered with Mountain Hardwear to establish the McNeill-Nott Award in their memory.
The McNeill-Nott Award seeks to preserve the spirit of these two talented and courageous climbers by giving grants to amateur climbers exploring new routes or unclimbed peaks with small and lightweight teams. The Award focuses on projects that have strong exploratory and adventuresome mountaineering objectives. These elements are more important than the technical rating of the climbing objective.
Two or three grants totaling $5,000 are awarded annually to amateur teams that best meet the criteria for pursuing an… [view grant]
While climbing is awesome and all, helping people is even better. The Zack Martin Breaking Barriers Grant (ZMBB) is a dual-purpose grant fund that focuses primarily on a humanitarian objective. The secondary objective involves alpinism, ice climbing, rock climbing, bouldering or simply adventure & discovery in the natural environment.
Applicants need to meet both objectives and are strongly encouraged to obtain additional funding and sponsors.
Humanitarian efforts should be sustainable, feasible, and continue to provide benefits to local people after initial implementation. Ideally, objectives will teach locals "how to" and provide some level of continued support and funding. For examples, check out the humanitarian objectives of previous ZMBB recipients.
The secondary… [view grant]
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John L. Horn Memorial Sport Climbing Award—AAC Sierra Nevada Section of the Western Region.
The John L. Horn Memorial Sport Climbing Award, sponsored by the American Alpine Club, provides an opportunity for young members of the American Alpine Club’s Sierra Nevada section to explore the world, and expand their life’s adventures, aspirations, and connections. This grant is designed for young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who share John’s passion for this particular branch of climbing, and who, as awardees, are willing to serve as lifelong sport climbing ambassadors to the larger climbing community. For John, the “spirit of sport climbing” encompassed these important values: competition (in the purest sense), the drive for success, camaraderie, and, above… [view grant]
The Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure
The Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure honors that adventurer whose artistic passion illuminates the wild places of the world, and whose accomplishments significantly benefit both the environment and the peoples who inhabit these lands and regions.
The 2012 Rowell Award nomination period is open from August 1, 2012 to December 1, 2012. If you know an individual that would make a great Rowell Award candidate, please review the nomination form below. The award will be presented at the 2013 AAC Annual Benefit Dinner in San Francisco, Saturday, Febuary 23.
You can download the 2012 nomination form* in Microsoft Word or PDF format or email us for an application… [view grant]