Outdoors Empowered Network

What Outdoors Empowered Network does

Outdoors Empowered Network (OEN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California, that operates the only national network of community-led, youth-centered outdoor education groups in the United States. Founded around 2015 and absorbing Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT) as a program in 2025, OEN seeds and supports gear libraries — community-based equipment lending operations that reduce the cost barrier to outdoor recreation — through a combination of collective gear procurement, member consulting, and shared professional community. Its member organizations include school- and community-based groups such as Get Outdoors Leadville!, Philadelphia Gear Library LLC, and GR Thrive Outside Gear Library, with OEN claiming reach to 30,000–50,000+ youth annually.

OEN's core offerings include the Gear Libraries (OEN Model), the Gear Acquisition Program (which secures 40–60% discounts and in-kind donations from 30+ outdoor gear companies including Nemo, Osprey, Bogs, GSI Outdoors, GCI Outdoors, Marmot, Big Agnes, and Cascade Designs), Coaching & Consulting (up to 15 hours/year free per member), the Integrated Framework for Expanding Access (a proprietary framework covering Gear, Training, Safety, Culture, and Healing), and the optional MyTurn inventory management system add-on (offered at nonprofit pricing since 2020). The technology stack is intentionally lightweight: MyTurn is a third-party platform, supplemented by a Squarespace website, a Google Group listserv for members, and Give Lively for peer-to-peer fundraising.

OEN's revenue model blends sliding-scale annual membership dues (free to $5,000 based on organizational size, with Indigenous-led organizations exempted as a reparations policy), individual donations and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, foundation grants (Sahm Family Foundation, Kathryn & Robert Riddell Fund, Cox & Chen Family Fund), gear-acquisition consulting fees on discounts exceeding $5,000, and fee-for-service consulting at $250/hour (discounted for members). The go-to-market is community-led: prospective members enter a three-stage application (Relationship Building, Membership Pathway, Welcome), with growth driven by word-of-mouth among outdoor educators, conference presence, and referrals from existing members. OEN is governed by a Board of Directors, employs approximately 9 staff across OEN National and BAWT, and publishes financial audits for 2022, 2023, and 2024 alongside its GuideStar Transparency Seal and 1% for the Planet membership.

Name

Outdoors Empowered Network

Legal name

Outdoors Empowered Network

Website

https://outdoorsempowered.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Outdoors Empowered Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a national network of community-led gear libraries, providing discounted outdoor gear, consulting, training, and the MyTurn inventory system to youth service organizations serving over 50,000 youth annually across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: OEN generates revenue through annual membership dues from gear library organizations. Annual dues follow a sliding scale ranging from free to $5,000, based on the size of the member organization. Additional optional add-on fees apply for extensive gear acquisition (over $5,000 in discounts), inventory management subscriptions (MyTurn software), and consultative support outside the scope of membership.
2. Consulting Services: OEN staff provides consultative expertise for organizations and individuals interested in building new gear libraries, supporting existing gear libraries, and other projects. Hourly fee is $250, discounted for OEN members. Services include community organizing, library build and design, gear purchasing support, inventory management, program design, DEI assessments, and presentations.
3. Individual Donations: OEN receives direct donations from individuals via credit card, PayPal, ACH, checks, and stock transfers. The organization also facilitates peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. OEN is a 501(c)(3) organization; donations are fully tax-deductible (Tax ID: 46-4947644). OEN supports over 30,000 kids each year across the United States through these donations.
4. Gear Acquisition Services: OEN generates revenue through consulting fees charged on gear discounts and donations. OEN charges a consulting fee on annual discount/donation amounts over $5,000, unless a prior agreement is in place. The organization facilitates bulk purchases and secures in-kind gear donations for members, resulting in savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for network members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Outdoors Empowered Network (OEN) operates a national network of community-led, youth-centered outdoor education groups that seed and support gear libraries around the United States. The organization provides member organizations with gear fundraising, mentoring, consulting, and a professional community, while also offering a culturally informed Integrated Framework for Expanding Access covering gear, training, safety, culture, and healing. OEN charges annual membership dues on a sliding scale and offers fee-for-service consulting at $250/hour.

Product overview

Outdoors Empowered Network operates as a national network of community-led, youth-centered outdoor education groups that provide gear libraries and outdoor leadership training to increase equitable access to the outdoors. Its core offering is the Gear Libraries (OEN Model), supported by the Gear Acquisition Program for equipment procurement, Coaching & Consulting for organizational support, and an Integrated Framework for Expanding Access for culturally informed programming. The product portfolio includes MyTurn Inventory System as an optional add-on for gear library management, plus Monthly Member Meetings & Skills Sharing and Member Working Groups for professional community engagement. OEN also offers Gear Library Consulting as a fee-for-service offering to both members and external organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gear Libraries (OEN Model) Community-based outdoor equipment lending libraries that reduce the cost barrier to outdoor recreation by providing gear to schools, youth service organizations, and families. Organized around five access pillars: gear, training, safety, culture, and healing.
• Gear Acquisition Program Secures discounted and in-kind outdoor equipment donations for member gear libraries through collective partnerships with outdoor gear companies, reducing start-up costs that can exceed $30,000 for a new library.
• Coaching & Consulting Membership Benefit Provides up to 15 hours per year of coaching and consultative support to member organizations, including program design, technology and operations, inventory management, and fundraising strategy. Additional consulting available at reduced rates for members.
• MyTurn Inventory System Add-On Optional gear library management and reservation software offered to members as an add-on to annual membership. Includes inventory tracking, member types, waiver management, and reservation scheduling. OEN members receive non-profit pricing discounts based on item count.
• Gear Library Consulting (Fee-for-Service) Consultative services for organizations building or operating gear libraries, including community organizing, library design and setup, gear purchasing support, inventory management, and program design. Available to both OEN members (at discounted rates) and non-member organizations at $250/hour.
• Integrated Framework for Expanding Access A training and thought leadership framework addressing five interconnected areas — gear, training, safety, culture, and healing — to guide culturally informed, intersectional risk management for inclusive outdoor programming. Includes tools such as a Mind Map and Intake Form Builder.
• Monthly Member Meetings & Skills Sharing Monthly professional development sessions where network members and guest speakers share expertise on outdoor education topics, facilitated through both storytelling and structured presentations, with recordings shared with members.
• Member Working Groups Regularly scheduled collaborative sessions where members work together on best practices and shared concerns, covering topics such as inventory management, program design, emotional and psychological risk management, queer-affirming practices, and holiday/cultural protocols.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000+ youth supported annually with outdoor access through OEN's gear libraries and programming
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nemo EquipmentcoreTechnology or IntegrationNemo Equipment is an outdoor gear company providing OEN members with approximately 40% discounts on camping equipment. In-kind donation agreements with Nemo run in the fall season. Nemo Equipment is featured prominently as a partner in OEN's supporter section.
• OspreycoreTechnology or IntegrationOsprey provides OEN members with wholesale pricing on packs and bags. In-kind donation agreements with Osprey run in the spring season. Osprey is one of OEN's founding partner companies and is featured on OEN's supporter page.
• Bogs FootwearcoreTechnology or IntegrationBogs provides OEN members with 40% pro-deal discounts on footwear year-round. OEN has an in-kind donation agreement with Bogs. Bogs is featured on OEN's supporter page.
• GSI OutdoorscoreTechnology or IntegrationGSI Outdoors provides OEN members with 45% discounts on kitchen supplies and games. In-kind donation agreements with GSI run in the spring season. GSI is featured on OEN's supporter page.
• GCI OutdoorscoreTechnology or IntegrationGCI Outdoors provides OEN members with wholesale pricing on camping equipment including chairs and tables. GCI is featured on OEN's supporter page.
• MyTurncoreTechnology or IntegrationMyTurn is a gear library inventory management software platform that OEN began offering to members in 2020 as an optional add-on. OEN provides nonprofit pricing discounts to members on the platform. OEN staff provides setup support and training for the system. Sample member sites using MyTurn include BAWT, Get Outdoors Leadville!, GR Thrive Outside Gear Library, and Philadelphia Gear Library LLC.
• 1% for the PlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOEN is a member of 1% for the Planet, a global organization where members pledge to give 1% of annual revenue to environmental causes. This membership provides credibility with environmentally-minded donors and supporters.
• GuideStar (Candid)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOEN has earned GuideStar's Transparency Seal, indicating that the organization has provided comprehensive organizational and financial information to GuideStar (now Candid). This builds donor trust and credibility.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Outdoor Afro: Nonprofit network increasing Black participation in outdoor recreation through community-led programming; shares OEN's DEIJ-centered, network-based model and youth outdoor access focus.
• National Park Trust: National nonprofit connecting youth to parks and public lands through gear-supported trip programming; closely comparable in youth outdoor access mission and grant-funded nonprofit funding model.
• Children & Nature Network: National nonprofit advancing equitable access to nature for children; comparable in mission scope, network structure, and the role of training/consulting to member organizations.
• Big City Mountaineers: Nonprofit that provides transformative outdoor experiences for under-resourced youth, with gear lending and trip support structures closely paralleling OEN's mission to remove cost and skill barriers to outdoor access.

Broad incumbents

• The Mountaineers: Member-based outdoor education nonprofit providing gear-supported trips, instructor training, and curriculum; comparable in membership-driven outdoor education model, though with a broader recreation portfolio.
• Appalachian Mountain Club: Large outdoor education and conservation nonprofit offering youth programming, gear-supported trips, and instructor training; overlaps with OEN on outdoor education and access, but at much larger scale and regional focus.
• Leave No Trace: Established national nonprofit providing outdoor ethics training and curriculum to educators and youth-serving organizations; comparable in providing fee-supported training and a content framework to member/practitioner networks.
• Girl Scouts of the USA: National youth organization with extensive outdoor programming, gear lending, and outdoor leadership training curricula; serves as a scaled incumbent in youth outdoor access that overlaps with OEN's framework and training domains.
• YMCA of the USA: National youth services nonprofit operating camp and outdoor programs with subsidized gear access for under-resourced families; comparable in delivering youth outdoor experiences through a federated nonprofit structure.

Others

• REI Cooperative Action Fund: Outdoor industry-funded grantmaking vehicle supporting equitable access to the outdoors; functions as a potential funder and ecosystem partner to OEN rather than a direct competitor, but operates in the same advocacy and funding space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oenetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/theoutdoorsempowerednetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Outdoors Empowered Network