American Alpine Club
“Support the climbing community through conservation, education, and exploration.”
2 comments to the agencies, 76 cents of every dollar to the work.
The work
What they do
Climbing organization with conservation policy arm. Works on climbing access, wilderness protections, and fixed anchor policy on federal lands.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “To support a united community of competent climbers and healthy climbing landscapes.” as filed.
Where the money went, FY2024
The work, and what it cost
Community Resources
$3.9M, 71% of spendingThe AAC supports the climbing community. The organization provides grants for climbers, helping members climb beyond their home area.
Including $81,484 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
COMMUNITY RESOURCES: THE AAC SUPPORTS THE CLIMBING COMMUNITY. THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES GRANTS FOR CLIMBERS, HELPING MEMBERS CLIMB BEYOND THEIR HOME AREA. ALSO, THE AAC OPERATES SEVERAL CAMPGROUNDS FOR CLIMBERS, INCLUDING THE GRAND TETON CLIMBERS' RANCH IN GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WY., AS WELL AS CAMPGROUNDS IN NEW YORK, TEXAS, WEST VIRGINIA, AND NEW HAMPSHIRE. THE AAC ALSO SUPPORTS MEMBERS BY PROVIDING UP TO 12,500 IN RESCUE BENEFITS. IN ADDITION, THE AAC HOSTS LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EVENTS TO BUILD COMMUNITY AMONG CLIMBERS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
The American Alpine Journal
$266K, 5% of spendingDistributed in hard copy since 1929 and now also on-line, the AAC records new climbs and climbing accomplishments.
Read it as they filed it
THROUGH THE AMERICAN ALPINE JOURNAL, DISTRIBUTED IN HARD COPY SINCE 1929 AND NOW ALSO ON-LINE, THE AAC RECORDS NEW CLIMBS AND CLIMBING ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THE AAC'S LIBRARY IN GOLDEN, COLORADO IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST CLIMBING LIBRARIES, INCLUDING BOOKS, GUIDEBOOKS, MAPS, DVDS, AND OTHER RESOURCES.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Conservation & Advocacy Resources
$2,350, all of it granted onward, under 1% of spendingFollow the dollar
76 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.
$4,166,174 programs, $913,693 management, $401,151 fundraising. Form 990, FY2024.
The backers
Backed on the record by REI Cooperative Action Fund, latest filing FY24.
The people
Who does the work
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. If it’s out of date, tell us. Work at the American Alpine Club? Claim this page.
Those 500 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If the American Alpine Club 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 | $1,575,768 |
| 2012 | $3,582,118 |
| 2013 | $2,560,352 |
| 2014 | $3,309,079 |
| 2015 | $3,006,839 |
| 2016 | $2,811,120 |
| 2017 | $3,490,266 |
| 2018 | $3,795,518 |
| 2019 | $3,935,014 |
| 2020 | $4,244,737 |
| 2021 | $5,208,382 |
| 2022 | $5,046,816 |
| 2023 | $4,961,774 |
| 2024 | $7,914,945 |
From $1.6M in 2011 to $7.9M in FY24, with no missed filing in 14 years. FY24 is the highest year on file.
In court
Fights alongside Center for Biological Diversity (2 shared cases), California Wilderness Coalition (1 shared case), Earthjustice (1 shared case), Environment America (1 shared case) and Friends of the Earth (1 shared case) and 8 more. Same case, same side, on the federal docket. Their dockets on CourtListener.
The record
On the record with the agencies
2 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
- 1902American Alpine Club is formed.the return, formation year
- 2022Los Padres Forestwatch v. United States Forest Service: plaintiff, closed.the docket
- 2024First appears in REI Cooperative Action Fund’s grants.the funder’s return
- 20262 comments, one to the Bureau of Land Management and one to the Fish and Wildlife Service, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
Green, a funder’s return. Hollow, a filing. Every row is a record we hold: 1 federal case with the group on the docket, 2 comments filed under its own name, 1 funder whose returns name it. Nothing here is written from memory.
Their ground
The American Alpine Club is not on our editors’ record for a threatened place yet. 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 ↗FollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with the American Alpine Club
The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.