What Inclusive Ski Touring does

Inclusive Ski Touring (IST) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID 87-1176554) headquartered at P.O. Box 278, Hanover, Maine, that delivers financially accessible group instruction in ski touring and split-boarding across the New England region. The organization runs two principal program lines: on-resort programs at partner ski areas (Bromley in Vermont, Mt. Abram in Maine, and Cranmore, Dartmouth Skiway, and Mt. Washington in New Hampshire) organized into dedicated tracks for Open to All, Women's, Masters, BIPOC, and Queer participants, and backcountry programs covering Intro to Backcountry, Ski/Snowboard Mountaineering, and AIARE Level 1 avalanche certification. Supporting offerings include a rental equipment program with sizing guidance, free educational resources (layering education, gear lists, resort uphill policies), recurring community events (Women's Uphill Bash, IST Community Nights at Treeline Outfitters, Uphill Against Hunger), a merchandise store, and a scholarship program (2026 Backcountry Scholarship Application). Since its founding season, IST has served over 3,150 individuals and positions itself as the only organization — private or nonprofit — offering group uphill skiing and split-boarding instruction regardless of ability or financial means. IST holds no proprietary technology; program delivery is in-person instruction at resort locations, with digital infrastructure limited to a Squarespace-hosted website, email newsletter, and social media.

IST's business model is donation- and sponsorship-driven rather than fee-based. Programs are offered at little to no cost as an explicit mission requirement to remove financial barriers to participation; specific program pricing is not publicly disclosed and operates on a sliding scale/donation basis. Revenue is sourced from individual charitable contributions and a five-tier corporate sponsorship stack (Overall, Summit, Treeline, Base, Venue). Blizzard Tecnica serves as the 2026 Overall Sponsor — the largest tier and a relationship described as directly enabling all programs and events. Venue partnerships with Mt. Abram and Dartmouth Skiway, a retail co-marketing relationship with Treeline Outfitters, and a content cross-promotion with Uphill New England round out the partnership ecosystem. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on word-of-mouth within the outdoor recreation community, annual and seasonal events as participation entry points, and direct community engagement rather than paid acquisition. There are no public revenue figures, no disclosed management team, and no evidence of institutional equity investment; IST operates as an independent charitable nonprofit supported by donations and sponsorships.

Name

Inclusive Ski Touring

Legal name

Inclusive Ski Touring

Website

https://inclusiveskitouring.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Inclusive Ski Touring (IST) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing financially accessible group ski touring and split-boarding instruction across five New England ski resorts, serving over 3,150 participants through on-resort programs, backcountry education, and community events funded by donations and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Recreation Education

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Tour Operators (561520), Recreational Goods Rental (532284)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Guided Backcountry & Off-Piste Services (Ski Touring, Splitboarding, Heli/Cat Skiing) (THAAAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Winter & Mountain Guides (Ski, Snowshoe, Avalanche, Ice Climbing) (THAAALAF), Rock Climbing, Mountaineering & Via Ferrata Guides (THAAADAC)

Keywords

• Ski touring instruction
• Backcountry education
• Avalanche safety training
• Nonprofit outdoor programs
• Split-boarding classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanover

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. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID: 87-1176554), IST relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations who support their mission of financial accessibility in outdoor recreation.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: The organization receives sponsorship support at multiple tiers (Overall Sponsor, Summit Sponsors, Treeline Sponsors, Base Sponsors, Venue Sponsors). Blizzard Tecnica serves as the 2026 Overall Sponsor, with their support directly enabling all programs and events.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Inclusive Ski Touring provides financially accessible group instructional programs in ski touring, split-boarding, and backcountry education at partner ski resorts across New England (Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire). Programs include On-Resort tracks (Open to All, Women's, Masters, BIPOC, Queer) and Backcountry tracks (Intro to Backcountry, Ski/Snowboard Mountaineering, AIARE Level 1 avalanche certification), delivered at little to no cost to participants. The organization supplements programs with scholarships, community events (e.g., Women's Uphill Bash), equipment rentals, and educational resources for participants.

Product overview

Inclusive Ski Touring (IST) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of financially accessible group programs in ski touring and split-boarding. The core offerings include On Resort Programs (featuring Open to All, Women's, Masters, BIPOC, and Queer-specific tracks) and Backcountry Programs (Intro to Backcountry, Ski/Snowboard Mountaineering, and AIARE Level 1). Supporting offerings include scholarship programs, community events (Women's Uphill Bash, Community Nights, Uphill Against Hunger), equipment rentals with sizing guidance, educational resources (layering guides, gear lists), an annual report, and merchandise store. As the only organization—private or nonprofit—offering group instructional opportunities in uphill skiing and split-boarding regardless of ability or financial means, IST has served over 3,150 individuals since founding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• On Resort Programs Organized group ski touring and split-boarding instruction delivered at ski resorts, including Open to All Programs, Women's Programs, Masters Programs, BIPOC Programs, and Queer Programs, designed to create inclusive access regardless of ability or financial means.
• Backcountry Programs Multi-level backcountry instruction including Intro to Backcountry, Intro to Ski/Snowboard Mountaineering, and AIARE Level 1 avalanche safety certification courses for participants seeking to progress beyond resort-based uphill skiing.
• Backcountry Scholarship Program Scholarship opportunities that enable individuals to participate in backcountry programs, with a 2026 application cycle available for financially underserved participants.
• Women's Uphill Bash 2026 Annual women's ski touring event bringing together participants for community, instruction, and skill development.
• IST Community Nights at Treeline Outfitters Community gatherings hosted at Treeline Outfitters retail location to connect participants and supporters with IST programs.
• Uphill Against Hunger Fundraising event combining uphill skiing with food drive activities at various resort locations, including a scheduled 3/14/26 event at Black Mountain of Maine.
• Rental Equipment Program Rental gear available for program participants, with sizing guidance provided through the Rental Size Guide resource.
• Store Online store offering merchandise related to the Inclusive Ski Touring organization.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,150+ individuals served since founding
• +1 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Treeline OutfitterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner retailer hosting IST Community Nights events. This partnership provides venue space for community building and connecting potential participants with IST programs.
• Mt. AbramcoreOthersVenue Sponsor providing access to ski resort facilities for program delivery in Maine.
• Dartmouth SkiwaycoreOthersVenue Sponsor providing access to Dartmouth Skiway facilities for program delivery in New Hampshire.
• Uphill New EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization whose 'Good Uphilling Guide' is referenced and linked as a resource, demonstrating alignment on uphill skiing education and best practices.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Brown Girls Climb: Brown Girls Climb is a nonprofit creating opportunities for women of color in climbing and outdoor adventure. It is comparable to IST as a DEI-focused outdoor recreation nonprofit, though it focuses on climbing rather than ski touring.
• Ski for Light: Ski for Light is a nonprofit providing adaptive cross-country skiing experiences for people with disabilities. It is comparable to IST as a mission-driven ski nonprofit creating access for underserved participants, though focused on Nordic rather than uphill skiing.
• AIARE: The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) is the leading provider of avalanche safety certification in the U.S. IST offers AIARE Level 1 courses, making AIARE a direct programming partner and peer in backcountry education delivery.

Direct peers

• Outdoor Afro: Outdoor Afro is a nonprofit that reconnects Black communities with nature through outdoor recreation programming, including skiing and winter sports. It directly parallels IST's BIPOC-focused programming and DEI-driven community-building approach to outdoor access.
• She Can Ski: She Can Ski is a nonprofit dedicated to getting women into skiing and snowboarding through education and community events. It is directly comparable to IST's Women's Programs and Women's Uphill Bash as a women-focused ski nonprofit.
• SheJumps: SheJumps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to increasing women's participation in outdoor activities including skiing, climbing, and hiking. It is directly comparable to IST as a mission-aligned nonprofit driving inclusive access to outdoor recreation through community-led programs.
• Uphill New England: Uphill New England is a partner organization of IST that promotes uphill skiing education and best practices across New England. It is directly comparable as a regional uphill skiing education organization with overlapping content and audience.

Others

• Outdoor Industry Association: The Outdoor Industry Association is the trade body for the outdoor recreation industry, working on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across the sector. It is thematically related to IST's DEI mission and a potential ecosystem/funder counterpart.

Broad incumbents

• PSIA-AASI: PSIA-AASI is the professional association for ski and snowboard instructors in the U.S., setting standards and certifying instructors. It is broadly comparable to IST as a ski instruction authority, though IST operates at a niche group-instruction level.
• NOLS: National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) is the largest outdoor education nonprofit in the U.S., offering wilderness courses including winter and ski mountaineering. It is broadly comparable to IST's backcountry and educational programming at a much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/inclusiveskitouring
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inclusive-ski-touring

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Inclusive Ski Touring