What Jack Murphy Foundation does

The Jack Murphy Foundation is a Boston-based private 501(c)(3) charitable foundation established in March 2023 in response to the death of Jack Murphy, a 22-year-old Bostonian struck by lightning during a NOLS Wilderness First Responder expedition in Wyoming in August 2022. The foundation provides need-based scholarships for wilderness medicine training and outdoor career pathways, funds Elevate Youth's Youth Leaders program, and offers career counseling for young people pursuing nature-related careers. Programmatic delivery is executed exclusively through partner organizations — primarily the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Elevate Youth — and to date has funded 13 NOLS students and over 20 Elevate Youth Leaders, with cumulative grants of $87,500 since inception.

The foundation operates a donations-only revenue model; all administrative costs are borne by the Murphy family, ensuring 100% of donor funds reach program delivery. The 1-10 employee organization runs no product platform or commercial technology stack beyond a Squarespace-hosted website, an Instagram account, a Facebook group, and email newsletters. Community engagement is anchored by the annual March Fitness Challenge — a month-long Strava-tracked event held in Jack's birthday month that has grown to approximately 350 participants across the U.S. (Boston, Seattle, Miami) and internationally (France, Australia) by its 2026 iteration. A small merchandise store (swaggy.shop) provides a secondary non-donation channel. There is no institutional investment, venture, or private equity backing; ownership and operational control remain with the Murphy family (Doug and Jeanine Murphy and daughters Anna and Charlotte).

Strategically, the foundation is scaling the program footprint: a 2026-launched second NOLS scholarship expands the beneficiary base to underserved Boston-area high school youth, and the foundation has committed over $60,000 in annual grant funding to NOLS and Elevate Youth for 2026 and beyond, establishing a recurring program floor.

Name

Jack Murphy Foundation

Legal name

Jack Murphy Foundation

Website

https://jackmurphyfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Jack Murphy Foundation is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing need-based wilderness scholarships through NOLS, funding Elevate Youth's leadership programs, and offering career counseling for young people pursuing outdoor careers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation / Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Nonprofit scholarship foundation
• Wilderness medicine scholarships
• Outdoor access programs
• Career counseling services
• Fitness fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: The Jack Murphy Foundation is a private foundation and approved 501(c)(3) organization. Revenue is generated through voluntary donations from individuals, supporters, and community members. All donations are tax-deductible. The Murphy family covers all administrative expenses ensuring 100% of every donation goes to serving the mission.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Jack Murphy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation that awards need-based scholarships to young people for wilderness medicine training (notably through NOLS programs) and supports equitable outdoor access and leadership development (through partners such as Elevate Youth). It also offers career counseling programming and runs community fitness-based fundraising events, with all administrative costs underwritten by the founding Murphy family.

Product overview

The Jack Murphy Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) charitable organization that operates as a unified mission-focused entity rather than a platform with modular products. The foundation's core offerings consist of three primary programs: (1) need-based scholarships through NOLS for wilderness medicine certificates and outdoor career pathways, including a 2023-established scholarship for young adults and a 2026-established scholarship for underserved Boston-area high school youth; (2) grant funding for Elevate Youth's Youth Leaders program; and (3) career counseling services building pathways between education and the outdoors. Supporting these programs are community engagement initiatives including the annual March Fitness Challenge (using Strava for participant tracking) and a merchandise store. All administrative expenses are covered by the Murphy family, ensuring 100% of donations support the mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NOLS Wilderness Medicine Scholarship Need-based scholarships awarded to young adults to cover tuition for NOLS wilderness medicine programs (e.g., Wilderness EMT, Wilderness First Responder). Intended for individuals with financial need who aspire to careers in wilderness medicine and outdoor leadership.
• NOLS Summer Course Scholarship Need-based scholarships that fund attendance at NOLS summer outdoor-education courses. Targeted at young adults seeking hands-on outdoor leadership and skills training they could not otherwise afford.
• Elevate Youth Leaders Program Scholarship Scholarships and grants that fund participation in Elevate Youth's outdoor access and leadership program for underserved young people. Designed for youth who face barriers to outdoor access and leadership development.
• Career Counseling Programming Career-counseling program that supports young adults pursuing wilderness medicine and outdoor leadership careers, including guidance on training pathways, certifications, and employment opportunities. Intended for scholarship recipients and the broader youth community served by the foundation.
• March Fitness Challenge Fundraiser Community fitness-based fundraising event held each March in which participants log physical activity (tracked via Strava) to raise money for the foundation's scholarship and outdoor-access programs. Open to the general public.
• Jack Murphy Foundation Merchandise Store Online storefront selling Jack Murphy Foundation branded merchandise, with proceeds directed to fund the foundation's scholarship, career counseling, and outdoor-access programs. Open to the general public.

Quantifiable outcome

• $87,500 in grants awarded to partner organizations since March 2023
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023NOLS is a nonprofit global wilderness school and the leading source of wilderness skills and leadership education. The Jack Murphy Foundation partners with NOLS by supporting financial aid for students seeking wilderness medicine certification, outdoor educator semesters, rescue training, and other courses along outdoor career pathways. Two need-based scholarships are funded: one established in 2023 for young adults pursuing wilderness medicine certificates and/or outdoor career pathways, and one started in 2026 sending underserved Boston-area high school youth on NOLS summer courses.
• Elevate YouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElevate Youth aims to invest in the next generation of diverse environmental stewards and offer essential opportunities for young people to reach their full potential. The goal is to equip and encourage young people to be effective environmental advocates and conservation leaders. The Jack Murphy Foundation funds Elevate Youth's Youth Leaders program which breaks down barriers of access to the outdoors and creates a more inclusive and diverse environmental community.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School): NOLS is the leading U.S. nonprofit wilderness education provider and a direct grantee partner of JMF. While much larger and program-operating (vs. JMF's grantmaking model), NOLS is the closest broad incumbent in the outdoor education space JMF supports.
• Leave No Trace: Leave No Trace is a national nonprofit promoting outdoor ethics and stewardship education. It overlaps thematically with JMF's environmental stewardship focus via Elevate Youth funding, though it operates at significantly larger scale as an education-and-advocacy incumbent.

Direct peers

• Big City Mountaineers: Big City Mountaineers is a nonprofit that provides wilderness mentoring experiences for under-resourced urban youth. It is directly comparable to Jack Murphy Foundation's mission of removing financial barriers and expanding outdoor access for young people, with a similar grantmaking/fundraising model targeting youth outdoor education.
• Outdoor Afro: Outdoor Afro is a nonprofit that connects Black communities to nature through outdoor recreation and education programs. It is comparable to JMF in mission emphasis on breaking down barriers to outdoor access and developing diverse environmental stewards, supported by community-driven fundraising.
• National Park Trust: National Park Trust is a nonprofit focused on preserving national parks and connecting youth to the outdoors through grants and programs. It overlaps with JMF's outdoor access and youth education mission and operates a comparable grantmaking-and-donations revenue model.
• Elevate Youth: Elevate Youth is a nonprofit developing diverse environmental stewards among young people. It is a direct grantee partner of JMF, comparable in target beneficiary (youth outdoor leadership) and in mission focus on equitable outdoor access.

Emerging players

• The Venture Out Project: The Venture Out Project is a nonprofit providing outdoor experiences for LGBTQ+ youth and adults. It is comparable to JMF as a small, mission-driven nonprofit expanding access to the outdoors for underserved communities.
• Brown Girls Climb: Brown Girls Climb is a nonprofit fostering inclusion and leadership for women of color in climbing and the outdoors. It is comparable to JMF in targeting underrepresented youth and building pathways into outdoor careers and stewardship.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/520393243503359
• Instagraminstagram.com/jackmurphyfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jack-murphy-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Jack Murphy Foundation