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Who we are & what we do
Our mission
We connect women, girls, and gender-diverse adventurers with transformative adventure opportunities — advancing gender equity on and off the mountain.
One nonprofit, two public programs. Here's how it fits together — tap any box to see what we do inside it.
GEA Alliance
The 501(c)(3) house — it holds the board, finances, and legal structure. Tap for the backstory
Formed in 2024 from the merger of the Summit Scholarship and The Cairn Project. It's an industry-facing, back-of-house umbrella — not a brand we use to reach our retail audience. The two programs below are the public-facing names.
Summit Scholarship
"Gender equity, on and off the mountain."
Funds women directly to take on mountaineering goals they couldn't otherwise afford. Tap for the three ways →
The Summit Scholarship — gear, training, and a place on a real expedition, awarded to women worldwide.
Adventure Lens grant — funds a visual storyteller to document the expeditions; it produced our first film, "Vamos a la Playa."
Women of Mountaineering calendar — an annual print calendar, used as a storytelling and fundraising tool.
The Cairn Project
"Get out. Give back."
Turns everyday women's adventures into grassroots fundraising for girls' and women's scholarships. Tap for the programs →
Trailblazers — a person turns a personal adventure into a fundraiser, with our training and tools. To date: 15,000+ miles, $300k+ raised.
First 50k Sisterhood — 15 women training together for their first ultramarathon (the Wild Woman 50k, June 20, 2026) while fundraising; they get race entry, coaching, and gear.
Rim-to-Rim — a team hikes across the Grand Canyon, rim to rim, raising money along the way.
Grit Lit Book Club — a quarterly subscription box: books by women adventure authors plus treats from women-owned businesses.
See Her Outside — a podcast of candid conversations with women redefining adventure; it tells the story and recruits the next round of fundraisers.
In one line: the Alliance is the house; the two programs are what happens inside it — one funds women to go, the other rallies a community to pay for it.