What Shifting Gears does

Shifting Gears is a Washington-state 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 and headquartered in Bellingham, WA, that empowers women (cis, queer, and trans, ages 18+) through outdoor recreation and education programs. Its core offerings include mountain biking on Galbraith Mountain and Lake Padden, weekly sea kayaking on Bellingham Bay, road and gravel biking, and backpacking trips ranging from single-overnight introductions to multi-day wilderness expeditions. The organization also runs annual flagship events including Wild Women Week (an International Women's Day celebration featuring 40+ activities and 900+ participants in 2024) and the Bellingham Bike Swap.

The business model combines nominal program fees with tax-deductible charitable donations. Programs are priced on a sliding scale with no-cost options to remove financial barriers: sea kayaking is free on a sliding scale, mountain biking runs $0-$30, and backpacking trips are $80-$120 with free alternatives. Equipment-access partnerships with Transition Bikes, Evil Bikes, and the Community Boating Center subsidize gear costs. The organization is largely volunteer-led, operates with 1-10 employees, and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors seeking additional members with nonprofit financial management expertise.

The go-to-market is event-driven and community-based: programs run on a seasonal schedule (spring through fall) with weekly rides and paddles, distributed through direct website registration, email newsletter, social media, and word-of-mouth within the Bellingham/Pacific Northwest outdoor recreation community. Operations are confined to Whatcom County, WA, with no disclosed geographic expansion. Donations are processed via the Givelively platform and are the primary mechanism for funding program development, volunteer support, financial assistance, and operational expenses.

Name

Shifting Gears

Legal name

Shifting Gears

Website

https://letsshiftgears.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shifting Gears is a Bellingham, WA nonprofit that runs outdoor recreation programs — mountain biking, sea kayaking, road biking, and backpacking — for women (cis, queer, trans) ages 18+, using sliding-scale pricing and equipment partnerships to remove financial and access barriers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Recreation Services

NAICS

Recreational Goods Rental (532284)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Outdoor Guiding Services (Hiking, Trekking, Mountaineering) (THAAALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hiking, Trekking & Mountain Guiding (THAJABAA)

Keywords

• Women outdoor recreation
• Outdoor education programs
• Community outdoor activities
• Mountain biking programs
• Sea kayaking lessons

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Fees charged for outdoor recreation programs including backpacking trips ($80-$120), with tiered pricing including no-cost options to ensure accessibility
2. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations supporting program development, community engagement, volunteer support, financial assistance, and operational expenses

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shifting Gears is a nonprofit organization that runs outdoor recreation and education programs for women (cis, queer, trans, ages 18+). Core offerings include weekly mountain biking rides at Galbraith Mountain and Lake Padden, sea kayaking sunset paddles on Bellingham Bay in partnership with the Community Boating Center, road and gravel biking rides in Whatcom County, and backpacking trips ranging from introductory single-overnight to multi-day wilderness expeditions. Programs operate on a sliding-scale pricing model with no-cost options to remove financial barriers.

Product overview

Shifting Gears is a nonprofit organization that offers a portfolio of outdoor recreation programs for women (cis, queer, trans), ages 18+. The core offerings include Mountain Biking programs with varying skill levels, Sea Kayaking in partnership with the Community Boating Center, Road and Gravel Biking instruction, and Backpacking trips from introductory single-overnight to advanced multi-day wilderness expeditions. The organization also runs seasonal events including Wild Women Week (a pre-International Women's Day celebration) and the Bellingham Bike Swap. Programs operate on a sliding-scale pricing model with tiered payment options including no-cost registration, removing financial barriers to participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mountain Biking Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 900 women participated in Wild Women Week 2024 across 40+ events

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community Boating Center (CBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBC partners with Shifting Gears to offer weekly sunset sea kayaking paddles on Bellingham Bay. CBC provides experienced staff to lead paddles and all kayak and safety equipment. Shifting Gears provides participants and community engagement.
• Transition BikescoreTechnology or IntegrationTransition Bikes provides monthly Demo Days where Shifting Gears participants can demo mountain bikes for free at Transition Outpost. Enables participants without bikes to join mountain biking programs.
• Terramar BrewstilleryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTerramar Brewstillery created a Raspberry-Ginger cider inspired by Wild Women Week to celebrate the event, available at Terramar in Edison, Stones Throw Brewery in Fairhaven, and El Suenito in Bellingham.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Brown Girls Climb: Brown Girls Climb is a nonprofit creating climbing opportunities, instruction, and community for women and non-binary people of color. Partial overlap as a women-focused outdoor nonprofit with an inclusion mission and beginner-friendly instruction.
• Outdoor Afro: Outdoor Afro is a nonprofit that celebrates and inspires Black connection to nature through community-led outdoor programming and events. Shares the community-equity mission but operates nationally across more outdoor disciplines and a broader demographic focus.
• Melanin Base Camp: Melanin Base Camp is a community-driven nonprofit increasing POC representation in the outdoors through events, content, and partnerships. Adjacent mission and community-led programming model but operating as a national coalition rather than a regional program operator.
• Unlikely Hikers: Unlikely Hikers is a nonprofit championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors through group hikes and community building. Comparable grassroots, community-led outdoor programming but with a different demographic focus (body diversity) and hike-only discipline.

Direct peers

• GirlTrek: GirlTrek is the largest nonprofit health movement for Black women and girls, organizing walking, hiking, and outdoor activities at scale. Comparable women-focused community outdoor nonprofit model, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• She Jumps: She Jumps is a nonprofit that increases the participation of women and girls in outdoor activities through community events and educational programs. Closely comparable to Shifting Gears in mission, multi-sport nonprofit model, and volunteer-led program delivery.
• Women's Wilderness: Women's Wilderness is a Boulder, CO-based nonprofit offering wilderness-based outdoor education, backpacking, and adventure trips for women and girls. Comparable nonprofit model delivering multi-discipline outdoor programming for women, including backcountry trips.
• Backcountry Babes: Backcountry Babes is a women-led nonprofit focused on backcountry skiing, splitboarding, and avalanche education for women. Closely mirrors Shifting Gears' model of women-specific outdoor education trips with no-drop, beginner-friendly instruction.
• Outdoor Women's Alliance: Outdoor Women's Alliance is a nonprofit focused on increasing opportunities for women in mountain biking and outdoor adventure through community events and ride programming. Direct overlap with Shifting Gears' mountain biking programming and women-focused mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/letsshift-gears

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Shifting Gears