Become a Member Program
Do you have a program that fits the program model of Outdoors Empowered Network?
Find out how OEN can support your work or help you grow your programs.
Membership requirements
Mission ALignment
Youth-Centered: All member programs must be focused on young people.
Committed to Increasing Access & Diversity: OEN members increase access and equity by
Loaning quality outdoor gear for free or at reduced costs
Providing outdoor skill training opportunities for youth-facing adults
Exploring and modeling decolonizing language and practices
Programs
Gear Libraries: Operating one or more gear library that training graduates may access to borrow gear.
Outdoor Leadership Skills Training: Training courses focus on camp-craft and/or wilderness travel, with emphasis on safety, group leadership skills, and cultural sensitivity.
Community Support: Continue to support graduates through mini-grants, continuing education opportunities, professional connections, and help navigating permits.
Community Building
Participate in Member Meetings: Advisory Council meetings (monthly) and all member meetings (quarterly).
Attend Summit & Regional Conferences: In-person opportunities to meet, learn, share, and collaborate.
Share Resources with Members: Each member brings its own unique perspective and experience, creating an abundance of resources.
Emerging Membership
For programs that may not meet all the membership requirements, we have an Emerging Membership pathway. This pathway is suitable for organizations that have expressed a strong interest in the OEN model, allowing them to access the community of members and OEN resources while they are building their program. Emerging members have two years to implement the full OEN model.
Emerging membership requirements:
Interview with OEN Executive Director
Interview with 2 Council members
Majority vote of the full Advisory Council
Membership pricing
Annual Dues
Annual dues vary based on operational budgets of member program/department, ranging from $500-$5,000.
Optional add-on services
In-Kind Gear Fundraising: Based on projected increase of library or number of people served, ranging from $1,500-$2,500.
Library Management System: MyTurn software for gear library inventory and reservations, pricing is based on the number of items in your library, ranging from $250-$2,000.
New Member Timeline
New members are accepted on a rolling basis, and reviewed by OEN's Advisory Council, the collaborative group made up of Member and OEN staff.
Timing depends greatly on the program size and design of the potential member. Large municipal collaborations starting from scratch can take up to a year to identify the right internal leaders, organizational structure, and funding required. OEN is happy to consult with these organizations in the lead-up to membership. Other organizations might already have the programs in place to make the Network an effective resource.
If you are interested in joining or have any questions, give us a call at 415-385-2103 or send an email at any time.