Brave Trails

What Brave Trails does

Brave Trails is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 that operates LGBTQ+-focused camp and community programs serving youth primarily ages 12-17. The organization is headquartered in Los Angeles, California (PO Box 691300, Los Angeles, CA 90069; EIN 46-4530883) with approximately 22 core staff supplemented by seasonal cabin counselors during summer operations. Its portfolio spans overnight summer camps in California, New York, and Georgia; a Family Camp weekend program in Los Angeles and Atlanta; multi-day backpacking expeditions in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Lake Tahoe (priced at $2,250 for 2026 trips); year-round Brave Space meet-ups across California, Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, and Wisconsin; and queer-affirming mental health services (Queer Therapy) delivered in collaboration with The Relational Center.

Revenue is generated through program tuition on a sliding scale with up to 75% financial assistance, individual donations processed via Bloomerang, tiered monthly giving through the Archers Circle ($15–$200/month), and corporate Pride-season sponsorships from LGBTQ+-supportive brands including The North Face (over $70,000 contributed), TOMs, Pela ($25,000), Chaco (5–10% of selected sandal sales), Brooks Running, Vessi, and Athletic Greens. Go-to-market is community-led through Pride event participation, partnerships with organizations such as SMYAL and PFLAG, virtual info sessions, referral networks, and direct enrollment via a CampManagement online portal. The organization holds American Camp Association accreditation covering over 250 health, safety, and operational standards and is a member of the Western Association of Independent Camps (WAIC).

The most consequential recent strategic action is the 2024 acquisition of property in Southern California for the Forever Home initiative — positioned as the first permanent camp and community space exclusively dedicated to LGBTQ+ individuals, planned with 150+ bed capacity and 12 buildings including a pool, firepit, and amphitheater. Programmatic reach spans 50 US states, 17 countries, and 4 continents, with summer operations serving approximately 350 youth in California alone, suggesting a small but operationally distributed organization executing on an ambitious permanent-facility expansion.

Name

Brave Trails

Legal name

Brave Trails

Website

https://bravetrails.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brave Trails is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 that runs leadership-focused summer camps, family weekends, backpacking trips, year-round meet-ups, and queer-affirming mental health services for LGBTQ+ youth ages 12-19 and LGBTQ+ families across multiple U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI), Wilderness & Backcountry Lodges (Remote/Off-Grid) (THAGAIAB), Adventure Therapy & Therapeutic Wilderness Programs (THAAAOAG)

Keywords

• Youth summer camps
• LGBTQ+ programs
• Family camp services
• Youth backpacking
• Affirming therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles, CA

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition Fees: Fees charged for summer camp sessions, backpacking trips, and family camp weekends. Revenue is per-program with payment plans available.
2. Donations and Sponsorships: Individual donations through the website and Archers Circle monthly giving program, plus corporate sponsorships from LGBTQ+-supportive brands. Includes employer matching gift programs.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Brand partnerships where companies donate a portion of Pride collection sales or provide impact grants to support programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Brave Trails is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs LGBTQ+ youth programs including Camp Brave Trails summer camp, Family Camp, a Pacific Crest Trail backpacking expedition, Brave Space community Meet-ups, and queer-affirming therapy provided by MFT trainees. Programming is delivered in California and across multiple U.S. regions through meetups, with a Forever Home capital campaign underway for a permanent site.

Product overview

Brave Trails is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of programs for LGBTQ+ youth: Camp Brave Trails is the flagship leadership-focused overnight summer camp for youth ages 12-17 in California, New York, and Georgia; Family Camp provides weekend camp experiences for LGBTQ+ families in Los Angeles and Atlanta; the Backpacking Program offers high-adventure trips in the Sierra Nevada for ages 14-19; Brave Space Meet Ups provide year-round in-person and virtual community events; Queer-Affirming Therapy (via The Relational Center partnership) offers individual therapy and support groups; and the Forever Home campaign aims to build the first permanent LGBTQ+-dedicated camp and community space in Southern California. The organization is supported by the Archers Circle monthly giving program and employs the Unicorn Crew of staff and volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Queer Therapy: LGBTQ-affirming mental health program offered in collaboration with The Relational Center, providing individual therapy, youth support groups (Queer Cosmos), and parent/caregiver support groups (Outer Orbit).
• Brave Space
• Forever Home
• Archers Circle

Products and services

• Camp Brave Trails Residential summer camp program providing identity-affirming overnight experiences for LGBTQ+ youth, delivered by trained staff in California.
• Family Camp Family camp program designed for LGBTQ+ youth and their families to participate together in an affirming environment.
• Backpacking Program Multi-day backpacking expedition on the Pacific Crest Trail for LGBTQ+ youth, led by a dedicated program lead.
• Brave Space Meet-ups Regional community meetups that provide ongoing peer connection and support for LGBTQ+ youth outside of camp programming.
• Queer-Affirming Therapy Individual and family therapy services delivered by Marriage and Family Therapy trainees under supervision, focused on LGBTQ+ affirming care.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• The North FaceflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021The North Face launched Pride Collection with over $70,000 donated to Brave Trails in connection with the collection. Partnership enables significant funding for LGBTQ+ youth programs and visibility within outdoor adventure community.
• TOMsflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021TOMs Unity Collection modeled by Brave Trails campers and staff. Generous impact grant from TOMs enabled launch of queer-affirming mental health program for LGBTQ+ youth.
• PelacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPela made $25,000 contribution to Brave Trails through Pride Collection designed in collaboration with queer artists, including Brave Trails staff member Isabel.
• ChacocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerChaco created Brave Trails-inspired webbing designs. 10% of Z/Sandals and 5% of Chillos pairs donated to Brave Trails.
• The Relational CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaboration providing queer-affirming mental health services. Brave Trails X The Relational Center program connects LGBTQ+ youth and families with therapists trained in LGBTQ+ clinical care. Brave Trails provides the community connection while The Relational Center provides clinical expertise and licensed therapists.
• SMYALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with SMYAL (community group for LGBTQ+ families in DC area) for co-branded family camping events. SMYAL provides community access while Brave Trails provides expertise in family camp programming.
• PFLAG Los AngelescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenting 'Unite & Uplift' events combining PFLAG adult support circles with Brave Trails youth programming for comprehensive family support.
• Brooks RunningminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Brave Trails programs through Pride season partnerships.
• VessiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Brave Trails through Pride season partnerships.
• GCP (Good Cravens Publishing)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Brave Trails through Pride season partnerships.
• Eagle's Nest OutfittersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Brave Trails through Pride season partnerships.
• Athletic GreensminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Brave Trails through Pride season partnerships.
• Camp Twin LakesminorOthersCommunity partner supporting Brave Trails through Pride season partnerships.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GLSEN: National education nonprofit advancing safe, inclusive K-12 schools for LGBTQ+ students through educator training, student clubs (Gay-Straight Alliances), and policy advocacy. Comparable beneficiary population (LGBTQ+ youth), nonprofit structure, and programmatic focus on identity-affirming community, though delivered through schools rather than overnight camp.
• Camp Fire: National youth development nonprofit delivering camp and after-school programs with an explicit inclusivity mission. Closest direct operational peer in the camp/nonprofit intersection: ACA-accredited, multi-state camp operations, youth development curriculum, and family programming.
• Summer Search: National youth development nonprofit pairing low-income high school students with multi-year mentoring and outdoor experiential programming. Comparable on nonprofit youth leadership, outdoor adventure programming, sliding-scale access, and multi-year cohort engagement.
• Point Foundation: The largest LGBTQ+ scholarship-granting nonprofit in the US, funding high-achieving LGBTQ+ students and building a leadership community. Directly comparable mission (LGBTQ+ youth leadership development) and nonprofit operating model, though delivery is academic scholarships rather than camp-based programming.
• Outright International: Global LGBTQ+ human rights nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ youth and organizations worldwide. Comparable international scope (Brave Trails draws from 17 countries/4 continents) and beneficiary population, though focused on advocacy and movement-building rather than direct camp programming.
• The Trevor Project: The leading LGBTQ+ youth crisis intervention and suicide prevention organization, operating a 24/7 hotline, research arm, and peer support programs. Comparable as an LGBTQ+ youth nonprofit with year-round programming, mental-health services (paralleling Brave Trails' Queer Therapy), and strong brand recognition among the same target demographic.
• True Colors United: Nonprofit addressing LGBTQ+ youth homelessness through direct service, training, and advocacy. Highly comparable as an LGBTQ+ youth services nonprofit, with overlapping concern for mental health, family dynamics, and crisis intervention among the same population Brave Trails serves.

Broad incumbents

• Human Rights Campaign: The largest LGBTQ+ civil rights advocacy organization in the US, operating across lobbying, education, and corporate equality initiatives. Comparable as a flagship LGBTQ+ nonprofit, but vastly larger, federally focused, and not running direct youth camp or mental health services.
• Outward Bound USA: National outdoor education nonprofit offering wilderness expeditions, backpacking, and leadership programs for youth and adults. Comparable on the backpacking/adventure/leadership dimension and multi-state delivery model that Brave Trails' Backpacking Program mirrors, though without the LGBTQ+ specialization.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: The largest youth development nonprofit in the US, serving 4M+ youth through after-school and summer programming with explicit inclusion of LGBTQ+ youth. Comparable at the nonprofit youth development and multi-state camp delivery level, though much broader mission and not LGBTQ+ dedicated.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bravetrails

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Brave Trails