Colorado Search and Rescue Association

What Colorado Search and Rescue Association does

Colorado Search and Rescue Association (CSAR) is a Colorado-domiciled 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 84-0995409) that serves as the only statewide coordination body for backcountry search and rescue (BSAR) in Colorado. It supports approximately 50 volunteer BSAR teams, roughly 2,500 volunteer responders, and 16 state coordinators who work in one-week rotating shifts to provide 24/7 resource coordination between counties. CSAR does not itself respond to incidents — statutory responsibility for BSAR sits with county sheriffs — but functions as an association and coordinating layer between sheriff's offices, volunteer teams, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, federal and aviation resources (Colorado National Guard, Civil Air Patrol, REACH Air Medical, Flight For Life Colorado), and outdoor-industry corporate sponsors.

CSAR's product portfolio comprises the CORSAR Card (a $5 one-year / $20 five-year card sold through Colorado Parks and Wildlife that funds the Search and Rescue reimbursement mechanism), the State BSAR Coordinator Program, the BSAR Education Program (Basic/Advanced Search Management, mapping, Public Information Officer training delivered through learn.coloradosar.org), the SARCON annual conference, and public outdoor-safety education delivered via blog, social media, and events such as the Outside Festival and Outside Summit. The underlying technology stack is integration-heavy rather than proprietary: Slack for incident-specific coordination channels, CalTopo for topographic mapping, the BSAR Coordinator Document (BCD) system for tracking incident communications, and partner-supplied drone and computer-vision tools (Eagle Eyes for AI-based color/motion detection, Loc8 for pixel forensics, thermal imaging software, and COTAK for live-streamed route and scene data) deployed by individual BSAR teams and coordinated through the state channel.

CSAR's business model is fully nonprofit: it states it receives no state, local, or federal operational funding and instead relies on private donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships from outdoor-industry brands (Ortovox, Rocky Talkie, Harken, Arcteryx, NDTCO, Star-Batt). The organization was the principal advocate for SB21-245, SB21-247 (Keep Colorado Wild Pass), and HB22-168 between 2019 and 2022 — legislation that now funnels approximately $2 million per year to Colorado BSAR teams via CPW-managed grants and has cumulatively provided more than $5 million to the BSAR community, alongside bridge funding and civil-litigation protections. CSAR maintains a Charity Navigator four-star rating and a Candid/GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency, and is governed by an eight-member volunteer board under Executive Director Jeff Sparhawk, with Ben Wilson elected president in 2025.

Name

Colorado Search and Rescue Association

Legal name

Colorado Search and Rescue Association, Inc.

Website

https://coloradosar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Colorado Search and Rescue Association is a Colorado 501(c)(3) nonprofit that coordinates backcountry search and rescue statewide, supporting roughly 50 volunteer BSAR teams and 2,500 volunteer responders through 24/7 state coordinators, training, and legislative advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Search and Rescue Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Response & Search-and-Rescue (SAR) (BPAGAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination (HLAJAGAJ), Search & Rescue (SAR) & Technical Rescue Training (EDAOAMAI), Search & Rescue (SAR) K9 Services (BPAKAKAH)

Keywords

• Backcountry search and rescue
• Volunteer emergency response
• Wilderness SAR coordination
• SAR training and education
• Outdoor recreation safety

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CORSAR Card Sales: Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue Card sales through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The CORSAR card ($5 one-year, $20 five-year) supports the Search and Rescue Fund that reimburses BSAR teams for search and rescue costs.
2. Private Donations and Grants: Currently and for the past two years, CSAR receives no state, local or federal government funding and relies entirely on private donations, grants and corporate sponsors for operations.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship program with sponsors including Ortovox, Rocky Talkie, Harken, Arcteryx, NDTCO, and Star-Batt. General sponsorship opportunities and annual conference sponsorship available.
4. Keep Colorado Wild Pass Funding: SB21-247 created the Keep Colorado Wild pass program which funnels approximately $2 million per year to Colorado BSAR teams through a grant program managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. To date, KCW funds have provided more than $5M to the Colorado BSAR community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Colorado Search and Rescue Association coordinates backcountry search and rescue operations across Colorado, supporting a network of approximately 50 volunteer BSAR teams and 2,500+ volunteer responders. It operates a 24/7 statewide BSAR Coordinator Program, sells the CORSAR Card (a voluntary contribution card that helps defray backcountry SAR costs), delivers training and education (including the annual SARCON conference and community programs), and maintains a Member Portal for volunteer responders.

Product overview

Colorado Search and Rescue Association (CSAR) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides a coordinated system of backcountry search and rescue services across Colorado. The organization operates through an integrated portfolio of programs: the CORSAR Card program (which funds the Search and Rescue Fund), the BSAR Coordinator Program (providing 24/7 resource coordination between counties), BSAR Education Program (classes and training via the Member Portal), SARCON annual conference, and community safety education services. CSAR also advocates for legislative support including the Keep Colorado Wild Pass program that provides ongoing state funding to BSAR teams. The organization connects approximately 50 volunteer BSAR teams, coordinates aviation and specialized resources, and provides collaboration tools for the Colorado backcountry rescue community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CORSAR Card A voluntary contribution card sold to individual Colorado backcountry recreationists (hikers, climbers, skiers, hunters, OHV riders, etc.) that helps defray the cost of any backcountry search and rescue response the holder may need.
• BSAR Coordinator Program A 24/7 statewide coordinator service that supports county sheriffs and volunteer BSAR teams during backcountry search and rescue incidents across Colorado.
• SARCON Conference and Member Training An annual Search and Rescue Conference (SARCON) and supporting training/certification courses for volunteer BSAR members and other SAR personnel in Colorado.
• Community Education Programs Public-facing educational programs that teach backcountry users and the broader Colorado community about outdoor safety, SAR awareness, and prevention.
• Member Portal An online member portal used by CSAR's volunteer responders and member teams to access training resources, membership information, and SAR coordination materials.

Quantifiable outcome

• 164 state coordinator calls in 2024, doubling over the past ten years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, important and supporting.

• Colorado National GuardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Colorado National Guard provides helicopter hoist rescue support through CSAR state coordinator requests. When life, limb or eyesight of an injured subject is at stake and technical terrain prohibits helicopter landing, CSAR coordinates hoist operations with Black Hawk helicopters from the High Altitude Aviation Training Site in Eagle County or Buckley Air Force Base.
• REACH Air Medical ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical evacuation helicopter service that works with CSAR state coordinators for BSAR incidents. Equipped with night vision goggles for night operations. Provides insertions, evacuations, and medevac support across Colorado.
• Flight For Life ColoradocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical helicopter service that partners with CSAR for search and rescue operations. Collaborates on SARCON annual conference and provides aviation resources during complex incidents.
• Colorado Civil Air PatrolimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerColorado Wing of Civil Air Patrol provides fixed wing aircraft and cell phone forensics capabilities for BSAR searches beyond what is available through local dispatch or cellular providers.
• Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and ControlsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides helitack resources out of Montrose for BSAR incidents when needed. State-level fire agency that supports SAR operations.
• Colorado Tourism OfficeimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTO partnered with Leave No Trace to create the Care for Colorado Coalition, which CSAR joined as a stewardship partner in 2022 at CTO's invitation. CSAR contributes to statewide destination stewardship and backcountry safety messaging through CTO's distribution channels.
• Leave No TracesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Colorado Tourism Office in the Care for Colorado Coalition. CSAR joined as a stewardship partner in 2022 to promote backcountry safety education.
• OrtovoxsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and Friend of CSAR. German outdoor safety equipment company specializing in avalanche safety gear.
• Rocky TalkiesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and Friend of CSAR. Rocky Talkie is a Colorado-based outdoor communication device company.
• ArcteryxsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and Friend of CSAR. Canadian outdoor apparel and equipment company.
• HarkensupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and Friend of CSAR. Harken is a manufacturer of sailing and climbing equipment.
• NDTCOsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and Friend of CSAR. NDTCO provides industrial inspection and safety services.
• Star-BattsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and Friend of CSAR. Star-Batt is a battery and power solutions company.
• Colorado County Sheriff's OfficescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSheriffs in Colorado have statutory responsibility to coordinate BSAR in their counties. CSAR coordinates with sheriff's offices for resource deployment, inter-county mutual aid, and state coordinator support. Keep Colorado Wild pass funding is distributed through grants to county sheriffs.
• Mountain Rescue AspencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSAR team that provides rescue technicians for helicopter hoist operations coordinated through CSAR. One of Colorado's most experienced technical rescue teams.
• Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment (C-RAD)importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvalanche deployment organization founded in 2016. CSAR state coordinators coordinate C-RAD resources for avalanche rescue incidents across Colorado.
• Colorado Parks and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages the CORSAR Card sales and Keep Colorado Wild pass grant program. CSAR Program Manager Perry Boydstun works with CPW on SAR Fund administration.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Leave No Trace: National outdoor ethics nonprofit partnered with CSAR via the Care for Colorado Coalition for backcountry safety and stewardship messaging. Operates in adjacent prevention/education territory rather than direct response.
• American Avalanche Association: National nonprofit supporting avalanche safety, education, and professional standards. Highly adjacent to CSAR's mission (CSAR coordinates avalanche response via C-RAD and SAR education) but focused on a single hazard type.

Direct peers

• Crested Butte Search and Rescue (CBSAR): A Colorado-based volunteer BSAR team with active leadership overlap into CSAR's state coordinator program; provides backcountry rescue, hoist training, and incident response in Colorado, making it a direct operational peer.
• National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR): NASAR is a national nonprofit that develops SAR standards, delivers training and certification, and coordinates across volunteer and professional SAR responders. CSAR operates as a state-level member of this peer ecosystem.
• Alpine Rescue Team: A Colorado-based volunteer BSAR team (member of CSAR's ecosystem) that provides technical rescue, winter search, and swiftwater rescue. It is one of the ~50 teams CSAR coordinates and is directly comparable in operational scope.
• Mountain Rescue Association: The Mountain Rescue Association is the national-level umbrella organization for volunteer SAR teams across the U.S., directly analogous to CSAR's statewide coordination role but at a multi-state scale. It provides similar member services, training standards, and advocacy.
• Washington Mountain Rescue Association: Washington Mountain Rescue Association is a state-level SAR coordination body analogous to CSAR, supporting volunteer mountain rescue teams across Washington with training, coordination, and advocacy.

Regional players

• Mountain Rescue Service (BC) / Association of Canadian Mountain Guides SAR programs: British Columbia's volunteer mountain rescue coordination body, comparable in mission (volunteer BSAR coordination, training, public education) to CSAR but operating in a different geography (Canadian province).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ColoradoSearchandRescue
• Facebookfacebook.com/ColoradoSearchAndRescueAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colorado-search-and-rescue-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/colo_sar

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Colorado Search and Rescue Association