The gaps — an honest read
The growth is real, but I want to be candid with the board about where we're falling short right now. Here's my list — and a few I'd add. Most are content, distribution, and systems gaps, and most are solvable with the AI-forward modernization and team investment in the next acts.
Marketing, distribution & reach
Grit Lit + the calendar are under-marketed
Two products with real upside — Grit Lit and the Women of Mountaineering calendar — have lackluster marketing and distribution. They should be doing more than they are.
No TikTok presence
We're not on TikTok — where Gen Z lives, and part of what we promise partners. We're leaving both reach and a selling point on the table.
Storytelling & partner content
Thin live storytelling
We're weak at telling Summit Scholarship recipients' stories in real time, while the expeditions are happening — our single most compelling content.
Content isn't reaching partners
We have the Adventure Lens grant and social channels, but we aren't systematically collecting recipient and grantee content and routing it to partners — exactly the visibility we promise them.
Systems & tooling
No intake form
We still don't have a proper intake — for the calendar, programs, and partners — so coordination is manual and leaky.
Systems aren't AI-modernized
Calendar intake + project management and donor outreach are still manual. Modernizing them with AI is the unlock — and the through-line of our AI-forward thesis.
Gaps I'd also flag
Warm leads going cold
1,485 consented, high-intent contacts aren't being nurtured into recurring donors — we have no donor journey behind them yet.
No steady giving rhythm
Revenue is event-driven and lumpy. We lack recurring (monthly) donors and a year-end push — the predictable base most nonprofits lean on.
Impact isn't measured
We don't systematically track what happens to recipients after their expeditions — which weakens both the storytelling above and our credibility for grants.