Access Fund
“Keep climbing areas open and protect the climbing environment.”
8 comments to the agencies, 71 cents of every dollar to the work.
The work
What they do
Advocacy, policy, stewardship, and land acquisition to protect rock climbing access on public and private lands. Works with USFS, BLM, and NPS on climbing management.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “The mission of the Access Fund is to lead and inspire the climbing community toward sustainable access and conservation of the climbing environment.” as filed.
Where the money went, FY2025
The work, and what it cost
Stewardship and Conservation
$898K, 28% of spendingAccess Fund partners with land managers and local climbing organizations across the country to improve sustainability and address environmental impacts at climbing areas.
Read it as they filed it
STEWARDSHIP AND CONSERVATION: ACCESS FUND PARTNERS WITH LAND MANAGERS AND LOCAL CLIMBING ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY AND ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AT CLIMBING AREAS. OUR ACCESS FUND CONSERVATION TEAMS TRAVEL THE COUNTRY ASSESSING CLIMBING AREA CONSERVATION NEEDS, WORKING WITH LOCALS TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS, AND PROVIDING STEWARDSHIP BEST PRACTICES. ADDITIONALLY, THE ACCESS FUND HELPS ORGANIZE VOLUNTEER EVENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. OUR STEWARDSHIP VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, ADOPT A CRAG, UNITES LOCAL CLIMBING COMMUNITIES IN PARTNERSHIPS WITH LAND MANAGERS TO CONSERVE THEIR LOCAL CLIMBING AREAS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Climbing Management Policy
$682K, 22% of spendingAccess Fund works with legislators, members of the administration, state agencies, Tribal governments, and officials from the US Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management to make sure that…
Read it as they filed it
CLIMBING MANAGEMENT POLICY - ACCESS FUND WORKS WITH LEGISLATORS, MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION, STATE AGENCIES, TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, AND OFFICIALS FROM THE US FOREST SERVICE, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, AND BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT CLIMBERS' INTERESTS ARE REPRESENTED IN PUBLIC LAND PLANNING. WE WORK DIRECTLY WITH THESE OFFICIALS TO EDUCATE AND ADVOCATE FOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT BALANCE CLIMBING ACCESS WITH RESOURCE CONSERVATION, RESPONSIBLE PLACEMENT AND REPLACEMENT OF FIXED ANCHORS, SUSTAINABLE CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF CLIMBING AREAS, AND RECOGNITION OF THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF CLIMBING. ACCESS FUND ALSO WORKS WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL LAND MANAGERS ON CLIMBING MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND STEWARDSHIP OF CLIMBING AREAS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Local Support and Mobilization
$499K, 16% of spendingAccess Fund works to empower local advocates to join together and form local climbing organizations.
Including $76,882 granted onward, the largest share ($10,000) to Wisconsin Climbers Association.
Read it as they filed it
LOCAL SUPPORT AND MOBILIZATION - ACCESS FUND WORKS TO EMPOWER LOCAL ADVOCATES TO JOIN TOGETHER AND FORM LOCAL CLIMBING ORGANIZATIONS. ACCESS FUND SUPPORTS THESE LOCAL GROUPS WITH GRANTS, ONE-ON-ONE GUIDANCE WHEN AN ACCESS ISSUE OCCURS, EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS, AND CONSULTING ON POLITICAL, LEGAL, AND REGULATORY ISSUES. THE ACCESS FUND REGULARLY HOSTS CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS, WHICH BRING TOGETHER LAND MANAGERS AND CLIMBERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES IN CLIMBING STEWARDSHIP, LAND CONSERVATION, POLICY, LOCAL SUPPORT AND MOBILIZATION, AND VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Land Acquisition and Protection
$179K, 6% of spendingThe Access Fund climbing conservation loan program is the first-ever revolving loan program that provides local climbing organizations and other agencies with the funds and expertise to act quickly to save threatened…
Read it as they filed it
LAND ACQUISITION AND PROTECTION - THE ACCESS FUND CLIMBING CONSERVATION LOAN PROGRAM IS THE FIRST-EVER REVOLVING LOAN PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES LOCAL CLIMBING ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER AGENCIES WITH THE FUNDS AND EXPERTISE TO ACT QUICKLY TO SAVE THREATENED CLIMBING AREAS. IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, ACCESS FUND WILL HOLD ENDANGERED PROPERTY ON BEHALF OF THE CLIMBING COMMUNITY. AS OF 06/30/25, ACCESS FUND OWNED ONE PROPERTY IN FEE; LEASED TWO PROPERTIES; HELD CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON TEN PROPERTIES; AND MANAGED THREE PROPERTIES UNDER CONTRACT. EDUCATION THE ACCESS FUND ADVANCES CLIMBER EDUCATION THROUGH THE LENS OF MINIMUM IMPACT BEHAVIORS SO THAT CLIMBERS BECOME BETTER STEWARDS OF THE NATIONS CLIMBING RESOURCES. THROUGH THE CLIMBER STEWARD PROGRAM, SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH, PRINT PUBLICATIONS, AND THE VERTICAL TIMES NEWSLETTER, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES UP-TO-DATE NEWS ON POLICY, AREA REPORTS, EVENTS, ACTION ALERTS, GRANTS, AND MORE. RISK MANAGEMENT AND LANDOWNER SUPPORT THE ACCESS FUND WORKS WITH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LANDOWNERS ON TOOLS AND STRATEGIES TO MITIGATE BOTH REAL AND PERCEIVED RISKS OF CLIMBINGGIVING THEM THE CONFIDENCE AND PROTECTIONS THEY NEED TO OPEN THEIR LAND TO PUBLIC ACCESS. THE ACCESS FUND WORKS TO STRENGTHEN STATE RECREATIONAL USE STATUTES AND HELPS LANDOWNERS IMPLEMENT WAIVER SYSTEMS AND OTHER TYPES OF ACCESS AGREEMENTS TO MITIGATE RISKS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
71 cents of every dollar goes to the work
Read it as a snapshot, not a scorecard. Splits move year to year with grants and campaigns, and healthy shops live all across this range.
$2,258,212 programs, $260,095 management, $648,713 fundraising. Form 990, FY2025.
The backers
Backed on the record by Walton Family Foundation, latest filing FY23.
The people
Who does the work
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. The FY2025 filing lists two people as executive director, Heather Thorne and Erik Murdock as interim, usually a handover inside the year. If it’s out of date, tell us. Work at Access Fund? Claim this page.
Those 723 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If Access Fund is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Find your way inThe filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at or tap the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $1,394,412 |
| 2012 | $1,414,699 |
| 2013 | $1,592,520 |
| 2014 | $1,694,375 |
| 2015 | $1,919,305 |
| 2016 | $2,258,131 |
| 2017 | $3,148,577 |
| 2018 | $3,344,909 |
| 2019 | $1,556,081 |
| 2020 | $3,748,651 |
| 2021 | $4,240,273 |
| 2022 | $3,851,037 |
| 2023 | $2,987,749 |
| 2025 | $3,504,708 |
From $1.4M in 2011 to $3.5M in FY25, across 14 public filings (none on record for 2024).
On the Hill
Access Fund has hired federal lobbyists: 26 filings from 2022 to 2026. The filings, at the Senate.
Most filed on the environment and natural resources.
The record
On the record with the agencies
8 comments on federal decisions since 2023, each filed under the group’s own name on regulations.gov. The latest on decisions we track:
Year by year
The record, in order
- 1991Access Fund is formed.the return, formation year
- 2022First appears in Walton Family Foundation’s grants.the funder’s return
- 20252 comments, one to the Bureau of Land Management and one to the Interior Department, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
- 20266 comments, most to the Bureau of Land Management, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
Green, a funder’s return. Hollow, a filing. Every row is a record we hold: 8 comments filed under its own name, 1 funder whose returns name it. Nothing here is written from memory.
Their ground
The places they defend
See every threatened place on one map, and who stands for each.
Ways in
How to help
Straight to their own donation page. Your dollar never passes through us.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
Find it on their site ↗SpeakComment and callOpen comment windows and call scripts for fights like these, ready to send.
Public Lands Action NetworkFollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with Access Fund
The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.