FRIENDS OF THE GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST AVALANCHE CENTER

What FRIENDS OF THE GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST AVALANCHE CENTER does

The Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (Friends of GNFAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 that financially and operationally supports the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (GNFAC), based in Bozeman, Montana. The organization delivers free daily avalanche danger ratings and advisories across approximately 1,720 square miles of southwest Montana, segmented into nine forecast zones (Bridger Range, Northern and Southern Gallatin Range, Northern and Southern Madison Range, Lionhead Area, Island Park, and Cooke City). Its end users are backcountry recreationists—skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers, hunters, and ice climbers—alongside professional constituencies including ski patrols at Bridger Bowl and the Yellowstone Club, Montana State University (MSU) students, and search-and-rescue teams; the organization runs roughly 100 avalanche classes per year reaching nearly 5,000 people.

The core technical asset is a daily avalanche forecasting system that synthesizes real-time telemetry from a network of more than 40 weather stations (SNOTEL sites, RAWS stations, and custom installations such as Bridger Ridge, Hyalite/Flanders Mountain, Lone Mountain, and Lionhead Ridge), combined with field-submitted snow observations and professional stability assessments including Extended Column Tests, compression tests, and propagation saw tests. Supporting assets include a public snow-observation submission portal, an avalanche incident archive, a 70-plus-term glossary, and SnowPilot—an open-source snowpit data management tool co-developed with Karl Birkeland and Mark Kahrl and presented at ISSW 2016. Education delivery is layered: free online tutorials, paid in-person courses (e.g., the MSU "Introduction to Avalanches with Field Session" priced at $30 per student, run for 30+ years), multi-day field programs, and the annual Bozeman Splitfest fundraiser.

The revenue model is donation-led with ancillary fee and merchandise streams. Tax-deductible contributions to the 501(c)(3) (Tax ID #36-3944120) form the financial backbone, supplemented by merchandise sales (the "A Dozen More Turns" documentary DVD, avalanche awareness brochures), modest paid education fees, and community fundraising events. Go-to-market is community-led public safety outreach rather than commercial sales: distribution is regional and primarily digital via mtavalanche.com, email subscriptions, YouTube (the "Avalanche Guys" channel), Facebook, and Instagram, with in-person education delivered through partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service, MSU, Bridger Bowl, Yellowstone Club, and local community organizations.

Name

FRIENDS OF THE GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST AVALANCHE CENTER

Legal name

Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center

Website

https://mtavalanche.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Friends of the GNFAC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center in delivering free daily avalanche forecasts, weather data, and education across 1,720 square miles of southwest Montana to backcountry recreationists, MSU students, ski patrols, and search-and-rescue teams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Avalanche Forecasting and Safety Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Mountain Safety & Patrol Services (Avalanche Training, Rescue, Medical) (THAAAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ski & Snowboard Schools (Instruction & Coaching) (THAAAJAC)

Keywords

• Avalanche forecasting services
• Snow safety education
• Backcountry weather monitoring
• Avalanche awareness training
• Winter mountain safety

Headquarters

HQ city

Bozeman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies primarily on donations from the public to support avalanche safety and education efforts in southwest Montana. Tax ID #36-3944120.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sales of educational products including the 'A Dozen More Turns' documentary DVD about backcountry skiing and avalanches.
3. Brochure Sales: Sales of Avalanche Awareness Brochures with printing and delivery costs covered.
4. Education Program Revenue: Revenue from avalanche education classes including the Introduction to Avalanches course at Montana State University ($30 per student), evening classes, and multi-day courses. Partners with groups around the region.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Friends of the GNFAC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center in delivering free daily avalanche forecasts for nine zones across 1,720 square miles of southwest Montana, backed by a network of 40+ weather stations. The organization also runs a broad avalanche education program, including MSU courses, evening classes, multi-day field sessions, and outreach to ski patrols and search-and-rescue teams.

Product overview

The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (GNFAC) operates as a public safety and education service, not a commercial software product. The organization provides a unified suite of avalanche forecasting and education services including: daily avalanche forecasts for 9 geographic zones, a regional weather station network (SNOTEL and RAWS sites) providing real-time meteorological data, an online snow observation submission portal, an avalanche accident/incident archive, and in-person and web-based avalanche education programs. The core offering is the daily avalanche advisory combining weather data analysis with field observations to produce danger ratings and safety recommendations. Supporting resources include a comprehensive glossary of 70+ avalanche terms and the 'A Dozen More Turns' documentary film available for purchase. The Friends of GNFAC non-profit supports these operations financially and employs an Education Coordinator, Education Administrator, and pool of instructors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Avalanche Forecasts
• Weather Station Data Network
• Avalanche Education Programs
• Snow Observations Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 5,000 people educated annually through ~100 avalanche classes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGNFAC operates through a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service Gallatin National Forest. The center is the official avalanche forecasting service for the Gallatin National Forest area.
• Montana State University (MSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MSU to deliver the Introduction to Avalanches with Field Session course for 34+ years. MSU professors collaborate on the Montana State University Snow and Avalanche Workshop in Bozeman. Staff include MSU snow science graduates.
• Bridger Bowl Ski AreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBridger Bowl has been a supporter of the MSU avalanche class from the beginning, providing access to terrain out of bounds for field sessions. Many GNFAC staff have ski patrol experience at Bridger Bowl.
• Yellowstone Club Ski PatrolminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProfessional ski patrol organization where GNFAC forecaster Dave Zinn worked from 2009-2016. The patrol provides field observations and supports avalanche safety in the Big Sky area.
• Avalanche.orgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGNFAC links to avalanche.org as a resource for users to find other avalanche centers and terminology information.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mount Washington Avalanche Center: Forecasts avalanche conditions in the Presidential Range of New Hampshire, offering daily advisories and education programs. Closely comparable in mission scope, nonprofit support model, and reliance on weather data and field observations.
• Utah Avalanche Center: Regional avalanche forecasting and education center serving the Wasatch and surrounding Utah ranges. GNFAC Director Mark Staples previously led UAC for nine years, evidencing close operational parallels in forecasting, education delivery, and backcountry user engagement.
• Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC): State-affiliated avalanche forecasting center covering Colorado's backcountry zones. Directly comparable to GNFAC in mission (daily avalanche forecasts and education), customer base (backcountry recreationists), and staffing model (professional forecasters with MS/PhD credentials). Several GNFAC staff have CAIC alumni backgrounds.
• Sierra Avalanche Center: Provides daily avalanche advisories for the greater Tahoe area, with comparable forecasting, weather station network, and education mission. Operates through a Friends-of nonprofit funding structure similar to Friends of GNFAC.
• Sawtooth Avalanche Center: Idaho-based avalanche center providing daily forecasts and education for the Sawtooth and surrounding ranges. Operates with similar small-staff, donor-supported nonprofit structure and forecast-zone model.
• Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC): Regional avalanche center serving the Pacific Northwest with daily forecasts, weather data, and education. Mirrors GNFAC's forecast-zone-plus-weather-station model and educational programming for a similar backcountry user base.

Regional players

• Avalanche Canada: Canadian national avalanche forecasting and education organization offering public avalanche bulletins, training, and outreach. Comparable in mission and product set (daily forecasts, education, terminology resources), but operates in a different national geography.

Others

• American Avalanche Association: Professional organization supporting avalanche workers in the US through education, certification, and standards. Connected to GNFAC's mission of professionalizing avalanche safety and aligned with the broader ecosystem in which GNFAC staff operate and publish research.
• Bridger Bowl Ski Patrol: Local ski area that provides GNFAC with terrain access for field education sessions and employs several GNFAC-affiliated patrollers. Comparable in operational footprint for on-mountain avalanche safety, though its core mission is lift-served skiing rather than backcountry forecasting.

Broad incumbents

• National Avalanche Center: Umbrella organization representing US avalanche centers and serving as a centralized resource hub (Avalanche Encyclopedia, terminology, links to member centers). Acts as a coordinating body for centers like GNFAC, providing industry-wide standards and resource aggregation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubemtavalanche.com/videos-redirect
• Facebookfacebook.com/173768210029
• Instagraminstagram.com/mtavalanche
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-of-the-gallatin-national-forest-avalanche-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FRIENDS OF THE GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST AVALANCHE CENTER