Nonprofit Spotlight: The Redside Foundation
During the month of May Outdoor Prolink is proud to have The Redside Foundation as our featured nonprofit during checkout. Every year, Outdoor Prolink partners with nonprofits to give back to organizations we align with. To honor these amazing nonprofits, we’re spotlighting each one and sharing why you should care about their missions too.
The Redside Foundation was founded in 2010 by a group of guides who wanted to honor a dear colleague and prevent others from facing similar struggles alone. Our mission grew from a simple belief: guides are the heart of the outdoor recreation economy, and their health—physical, mental, professional, educational, and financial—supports safer, more sustained stewardship of public lands and uplifts the guiding profession as a whole.
What’s the story behind the Redside Foundation?
When a beloved guide died by suicide, his friends, all part of the guiding community, came together to create an organization dedicated to supporting the health and strength of the professional outdoor guiding community. His mother blessed their effort, saying, “If we save just one life, it will be worth it.” From that commitment, Redside Foundation grew into a resource that has touched many lives—saving lives and jobs, healing relationships, and supporting guides and their careers through our programs.
Our mission is to support and strengthen the professional outdoor guiding community. We started in Idaho (our home turf) and have grown to also support guides in WY, MT, and Colorado.
What makes Redside unique/sets the organization apart?
We are the only organization in the US that provides a holistic set of services for outdoor guides. And we are an organization of guides supporting guides. We strive for local impact with broad reach: While rooted in Idaho, we actively serve guides across ID, WY, MT, and CO, building a regional network that strengthens the entire guiding ecosystem. We offer integrated support across mental, physical, educational, professional, financial, and community health—all designed specifically to strengthen and support guides – seasonal professionals whose job looks like a dream (and often is) but also has a dark side including:
- Seasonal Instability
- Income & Housing Instability
- Psychological Risk
- Behavioral Health Strain
- Limited Access to Services
- Loneliness
Mental Health and Substance misuse help accessibility: Our Guide Helpline connects guides with licensed counselors who understand the guiding culture and the unique pressures associated with it. We can get a Guide-In-Need into therapy very quickly and can work with a guide’s unique schedule on or off season.
Professional development funding: We provide six professional grants (up to $500 per grant) annually to help guides advance professionally, pursue new disciplines or formal training.
Scholarships: Each year we offer a total of 5 scholarships. 4 are the Redside Guide Scholarship. It’s available to any guide working in ID, WY, MT, or CO attending an accredited university, college, or trade school full time. We also offer the Telly Evans Memorial Scholarship that’s for an Idaho guide attending the University of Idaho.
Financial Health Coaching: We offer free and confidential financial health coaching with a professional financial advisor so guides can gain financial literacy and make a solid plan with their money.
Community-building focus: Beyond individual support, we host events like Redside Rendezvous, health fairs, and regional gatherings that foster collaboration, mentorship, and shared learning.
What are some upcoming initiatives Redside is working on?
- Expanding access to the Guide Helpline and mental health resources.
- Growing the Professional Development Grants program to include grants at a larger amount.
- Enhancing the Health and Wellness offerings, including more regional health voucher pilots.
- Building more downloadable resources and educator-led sessions for outfitters and guides to support crew development.
- Strengthening partnerships with other nonprofits, guiding associations, and outdoor industry sponsors to amplify impact.
How can the people of the outdoor industry support the work Redside is doing?
- Sponsor a program or grant: Donate specifically to boost our Professional Development Grants, Health initiatives, or the Guide Helpline; Sponsorships and long-term partnerships help more guides access essential services.
- Participate and promote: Attend Redside Rendezvous, share resources with your crew, and help spread the word about our programs.
- Donate gear or services: Consider in-kind donations that support training, health events, or raffles at Rendezvous. We always need great gear for raffles and prizes!
- Volunteer or share expertise: Offer time, mentoring, or pro-bono services.
- Connect us with partners: Introduce Redside Foundation to potential funders, sponsors, or collaborators within the outdoor industry. We run on donations and for long-term sustainability, we need to build meaningful partnerships.
Join us in supporting guides across ID, WY, MT, and CO. Learn more at redsidefoundation.org, make a donation, become a sponsor, explore a partnership, or set up a pass-Through Program. Your support keeps guides strong, connected, healthy, skilled, and ready for the next adventure.
If the Redside Foundation was an ice cream flavor, what would it be?
We’d be Moose Tracks – it stands out in a crowded freezer—just like Redside stands out in the outdoor-industry space with our unique blend of support for guides.
The layered depths of Moose tracks reflect our approach: The classic vanilla base represents our core mission—supporting the health and strength of guides. The chocolate “moose tracks” swirls symbolize the richer, more complex supports we offer: mental, physical, educational, financial health, and community connections. The peanut butter/ribbon bits echo the diverse programs, partnerships, and regional reach that add texture and variety to our work.
