Friends of the Columbia Gorge

Conclusion

Friends of the Columbia Gorge meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Purpose

Stated Purpose:
Friends of the Columbia Gorge shall vigorously protect the scenic, natural, cultural, and recreational resources of the Columbia River Gorge. We fulfill this mission by ensuring strict implementation of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act and other laws protecting the region of the Columbia River Gorge; promoting responsible stewardship of Gorge land, air, and waters; encouraging public ownership of sensitive areas; educating the public about the unique natural values of the Columbia River Gorge and the importance of preserving those values; and working with groups and individuals to accomplish mutual preservation goals.

Year, State Incorporated:
1981, OR

Also Known As:
Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Inc. Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust

Programs

Friends of the Columbia Gorge strive to keep the Gorge wild and beautiful through the following programs and services:

Conservation: Friends helps conserve land in the Columbia Gorge. They work with government agencies and other groups to ensure private land is brought into public ownership – over 41,000 acres since its founding. Friends of the Columbia Gorge are landowners and stewards. 

Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust: Formed in 2006 as a 509(a)(3) support organization, Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust sets out to acquire critical lands in the Columbia Gorge. To date, the land trust has acquired through purchase and donation over 1,500 acres of land. They work to remove non-native species, replant native vegetation, and protect fragile resources on land trust-owned properties.

Development: Friends keeps watch on Gorge development. Each year, they review and comment on approximately 250 development applications submitted to county planning offices in every Gorge county. Their comments have helped ensure development occurs in a sensitive, ecological manner. Over the years, Friends has legally appealed less than two percent of the counties' decisions. They take on development proposals that threaten Gorge resources. Over the decades, they have successfully defeated numerous attempts at large-scale developments incompatible with the protection mandates of the Scenic Area Act, including a massive Gorge casino.

Education: Friends educates the public about the Gorge. They lead more than 100 guided Columbia Gorge hikes and outings annually, host special events, and nurture the next generation of Gorge protectors through outdoor youth education programs.

Community: Gorge Towns to Trails is a vision for a destination trekking network encircling the Columbia Gorge, connecting communities, rural areas, and wilderness trails, and strengthening local economies. Included in that vision is the creation of new trails beyond heavily impacted visitor areas and a car-free transportation system to Gorge trailheads.

Outdoor Youth Education Programs: The goal of Friends’ three outdoor youth education programs – Explore the Gorge, The Great Gorge Wahoo! and Mosier Field Days – is to expose local youth to the Columbia Gorge's wonders and significance as a national treasure, as well as tell the story of its preservation through the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act. These programs aim to provide powerful memories that will develop and inspire the next generation of Gorge protectors, deepening children's connection to the natural world just outside their doorstep. 
- Explore the Gorge: Every June, sixth-graders from the Washougal, Washington school district have had the opportunity to attend a multiday outdoor school and explore the historical, geological, cultural, natural, and ecological wonders of the Columbia Gorge as the culmination of their school year. Explore the Gorge outdoor program fosters students’ relationships with these wild places through interactive educational activities, aiming to inspire the next generation of Gorge stewards.
- Great Gorge Wahoo!: This annual, one-day field trip provides seventh- and eighth-grade students at the St. Andrew Nativity School in Portland with the opportunity to explore the Columbia Gorge. St. Andrew, which enrolls a high percentage of students of color, works with low-income, underachieving kids to prepare them to attend college-prep high schools. Each school year, Friends takes the seventh-graders out to the eastern Gorge in the fall and the eighth-graders to the western Gorge in the spring. 
- Mosier Charter School Field Days: This two-day program held at Friends’ Mosier Plateau land trust property seeks to educate and inspire Mosier Charter School seventh- and eighth-grade students through teachings on biodiversity. It also emphasizes the importance of stewardship work in the Gorge. The program is a collaboration between the Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust and the Columbia Gorge Ecology Institute, with volunteers from both organizations taking part.

For the year ended June 30, 2021, Friends of the Columbia Gorge's program expenses were:

Governance & Staff

Chief Executive
Kevin Gorman, Executive Director

Chair of the Board
Mr. Greg Delwiche, Retired, Deputy Administrator

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Bonneville Power Administration

Board Size
20

Paid Staff Size
24

Fundraising

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Grant proposals, Internet, Planned giving arrangements, Membership appeals, Appeals via Social Media (Facebook, etc.)

Tax Status

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

Financial

The following information is based on Friends of the Columbia Gorge's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2021.

Source of Funds

Programs: 76% Fundraising: 14% Administrative: 10%