Vamos Outdoors Project

What Vamos Outdoors Project does

Vamos Outdoors Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Bellingham, Washington that delivers free outdoor recreation, academic support, and family engagement programs to Latine, Migrant, Multilingual, and Newcomer youth and families in Whatcom and Skagit counties. The organization was founded in 2020 around a developmental-justice thesis, asserting that equitable access to outdoor experiences and academic resources is a prerequisite for healthy youth outcomes, and it mitigates barriers by including meals, transportation, and equipment at no cost to participants.

The operating model is organized around four interconnected program lines: Outdoor Programs (weekly mountain biking, swimming, boating, rock climbing, plus seasonal snowboarding and backpacking); Academic Programs (bilingual literacy clubs via Fiesta de Libros, GEAR UP college readiness mentorship, Summer Migrant Programs, and Snow to Sea field trips); Family Engagement (home visits, phone calls, school events, and contracted family-engagement work with Bellingham Public Schools); and a Career Launch Program that provides paid on-the-job experience for college students and recently arrived Latine mothers. Program delivery is direct, conducted by staff and supplemented by volunteers, with enrollment routed through school partners and community referrals. Staffing is described as bilingual in Spanish and in Indigenous languages including Mixteco, Nahuatl, and Triqui, and the operating model is non-hierarchical, with all staff receiving a living wage.

The business model is fundamentally a grant-funded nonprofit: revenue is sourced from foundation grants, individual donations, corporate sponsorships (for example, a $200,000 matching grant from the Mt. Baker Foundation for the 2025 Gala and quarterly giving tied to a local bakery), in-kind donations, and contracts with school districts. There is no commercial product or pricing model, and the organization is governed by a leadership team, youth mentors, and a board of directors rather than shareholders or external equity investors. Geographic scope is regional within Washington State, and the technology footprint is minimal, built on standard nonprofit web infrastructure rather than proprietary platforms.

Name

Vamos Outdoors Project

Legal name

Vamos Outdoors Project

Website

https://vamosoutdoorsproject.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vamos Outdoors Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Bellingham, Washington that delivers free outdoor recreation, academic support, family engagement, and career-launch programs to Latine, Migrant, Multilingual, and Newcomer youth and families in Whatcom and Skagit counties, funded primarily by grants, donations, and school-district contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Youth and Family Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Educational Services (611), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Programs (Trips, Climbing, Rentals) (EDALAIAG), Cultural Heritage, Arts & Archaeology Service Programs (EDAIAGAH)

Keywords

• Outdoor youth programs
• Bilingual academic support
• Latine community services
• Family engagement programs
• Nonprofit youth development

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: Funding from grants, individual donations, and corporate sponsorships. Programs have different funding sources including grants, contracts with school districts, and donations. In-kind donations include services such as instruction, equipment, and space for activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Vamos Outdoors Project delivers free outdoor recreation (mountain biking, swimming, boating, rock climbing, snowboarding, backpacking), bilingual academic support (Fiesta de Libros literacy clubs, GEAR UP college readiness, Summer Migrant Programs, Snow to Sea field trips), family engagement services, and a Career Launch program to Latine, Migrant, Multilingual, and Newcomer youth and families in Whatcom and Skagit counties. All programs include meals, transportation, and equipment at no cost to participants and are supported by a multilingual staff and school-district and community partnerships.

Product overview

Vamos Outdoors Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing free outdoor and academic programs to Latine, Migrant, Multilingual, and Newcomer youth and families in Whatcom and Skagit counties, Washington. The organization operates four interconnected program areas: Outdoor Programs (weekly activities like mountain biking, swimming, boating, and rock climbing, plus seasonal snowboarding and backpacking), Academic Programs (bilingual literacy clubs, college readiness mentorship, and summer migrant programs), Family Engagement (resource connection and school district partnerships), and Career Launch (employment pathways for college students and immigrant parents). All programs are free to participants and include meals, transportation, and equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outdoor Programs Weekly and seasonal outdoor recreation activities including mountain biking, swim lessons, boating, rock climbing, snowboarding, and backpacking, delivered free of charge with meals, transportation, and equipment to Latine, Migrant, Multilingual, and Newcomer youth in Whatcom and Skagit counties.
• Academic Programs Bilingual academic support offerings for Latine and Multilingual Learner students, including Fiesta de Libros (bilingual literacy clubs in Bellingham elementary schools), GEAR UP college readiness mentorship at Burlington-Edison High School, Summer Migrant Programs, and Snow to Sea field trips serving students at Nooksack Valley Middle Schools.
• Family Engagement Resource-navigation and family support services connecting Latine, Migrant, and Newcomer families with essential community resources through home visits, phone calls, and school events; Vamos is contracted by Bellingham Public Schools to provide Family Engagement support to Spanish-speaking families.
• Career Launch Program Career pathway program providing college students in education and nonprofit administration with paid on-the-job experience and academic credit, while also creating employment opportunities for recently arrived Latine mothers.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bellingham Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVamos is contracted by Bellingham Public Schools to provide Family Engagement support to Spanish-speaking families in the school district. Partnership includes collaboration on various student programs.
• Bellingham and Skagit YMCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMCA provides swim lesson facilities and instruction for approximately 80 students annually. This is Vamos' most requested program by families as it provides a vital life skill.
• GEAR UPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollege readiness program partnership combining academic mentorship and outdoor activities at Burlington-Edison High School, serving students through the partnership.
• Mt. Baker Ski AreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for snowboarding program where 25 students from Whatcom and Skagit counties participated in learning snowboarding activities.
• Various School DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with different school districts to provide students with bilingual academic support, summer migrant programs, and field trip support for Latine and Multilingual Learner students.
• Wild WhatcomminorOthersLocal outdoor organization that may have current needs for gear donations if Vamos is unable to accept them. Refer families to this organization for gear support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Latino Outdoors: Community-based nonprofit connecting Latine communities to outdoor experiences through bilingual programming and volunteer-led outings. Direct peer — same Latine-focused outdoor recreation mission and community-organizing delivery model.
• GirlTrek: National nonprofit organizing Black women and girls in walking teams for health and outdoor connection. Direct peer — same model of community-led outdoor participation, volunteer mobilization, and health-equity mission for an underserved population.
• Outdoor Afro: National nonprofit celebrating and reconnecting Black communities to nature through community-led outdoor programming. Direct peer — same underserved-community outdoor recreation model with volunteer network and chapter-based community delivery.
• Brown Girls Climb: Nonprofit increasing representation of women of color in climbing through community events, instruction, and mentorship. Direct peer — same intersection of outdoor recreation access and representation for an underserved community.
• City Kids Wilderness Project: DC-based nonprofit providing outdoor education, academic support, and family engagement for underserved youth ages 11–24. Direct peer — near-identical combination of outdoor adventure, academic enrichment, and family services for a specific underserved community.
• Big City Mountaineers: National nonprofit that provides free wilderness mentoring expeditions for underserved youth. Direct peer — same model of free outdoor programming for at-risk youth, with similar volunteer-driven delivery and school-referral recruitment.

Broad incumbents

• NatureBridge: Larger national environmental education nonprofit operating multi-day residential programs in national parks. Broader incumbent — operates outdoor science education at greater scale and budget, comparable as outdoor education competitor for school district contracts.
• YMCA of the USA: National youth-serving organization delivering recreation, aquatics, and enrichment including swim lessons (Vamos's most-requested program partner is a local YMCA). Broader incumbent — operates the facilities Vamos relies on and offers overlapping youth programming at much greater scale.
• Student Conservation Association: National nonprofit placing youth and young adults in conservation service and outdoor stewardship roles. Broader incumbent — similar youth outdoor programming with stronger national infrastructure and federal partnerships.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Largest youth mentoring nonprofit in the US, including programs for Hispanic/Latine youth and immigrant families. Broader incumbent — comparable at the family-engagement and mentoring layer, with much larger donor and chapter infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@vamosoutdoorsproject2618/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/vamosoutdoorsproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vamos-outdoors-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/vamosoutdoorsproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Vamos Outdoors Project