On January 1, 2017, Wild Gift transitioned to an alumni-led, all-volunteer organization. The following letter was sent to the Wild Gift community by the outgoing board of directors and the incoming alumni board of directors.
Dear Wild Ones:
It is our pleasure to share an exciting development within the Wild Gift family. As of January 1, 2017, the Wild Gift organization has shifted to an all-volunteer model. It will be led by a board comprised entirely of alumni, starting with a group of nine fellows who span a decade of classes. This transition is the culmination of months of careful planning and extensive discussion between the outgoing board and a group of alumni.
We want you to be the first to know about this change because you have been such an important part of Wild Gift’s success over the past 15 years. Some of you have been around since 2002, when founder Bob Jonas brought the first group of young leaders into deep wilderness to imagine the possibilities of a better world and some of you have joined later as donors, volunteers, mentors and supporters to help the program grow into a fellowship for social entrepreneurs with wild and change-making ideas.
Over 50 Wild Gift fellows are now working around the world in education, sustainable agriculture, affordable housing, energy innovation, community development, public policy, and wetland stewardship. Wilderness remains the unique cornerstone of the Wild Gift experience, a place where fellows unplug, incubate ideas, embrace risk, envision the true scope of their work and lives, and build lifelong bonds with peers tackling similar challenges.
This year, Wild Gift selected its first “collective” class of five fellows working toward a common cause. What does quinoa milk from Peru, greenhouses in Nepal, coral farms in the Dominican Republic, land stewardship in Montana, and solar thermal projects in Texas have in common? Each is rooted in innovation to help address a mitigating impact of climate change. The 2016/17 Class is a microcosm of the Wild Gift family as a whole, demonstrating what is possible when outstanding individuals, united by their experience in deep wilderness, find ways to work together.
We would like to thank all of our wonderful and dedicated donors, past and present board members, mentors and volunteers who have supported WG over the years. Your efforts and support helped take Wild Gift to new heights in the world of wilderness and entrepreneurship. And a very special thanks to Deborah Knapp for her many hours of dedicated guidance in keeping the WG mission alive and moving forward and for her commitment to making sure each class of fellows receives a rich and supportive experience within the Wild Gift family.
We are excited about the future of Wild Gift under the alumni leadership.
In the bonds of wildness,
It is our pleasure to share an exciting development within the Wild Gift family. As of January 1, 2017, the Wild Gift organization has shifted to an all-volunteer model. It will be led by a board comprised entirely of alumni, starting with a group of nine fellows who span a decade of classes. This transition is the culmination of months of careful planning and extensive discussion between the outgoing board and a group of alumni.
We want you to be the first to know about this change because you have been such an important part of Wild Gift’s success over the past 15 years. Some of you have been around since 2002, when founder Bob Jonas brought the first group of young leaders into deep wilderness to imagine the possibilities of a better world and some of you have joined later as donors, volunteers, mentors and supporters to help the program grow into a fellowship for social entrepreneurs with wild and change-making ideas.
Over 50 Wild Gift fellows are now working around the world in education, sustainable agriculture, affordable housing, energy innovation, community development, public policy, and wetland stewardship. Wilderness remains the unique cornerstone of the Wild Gift experience, a place where fellows unplug, incubate ideas, embrace risk, envision the true scope of their work and lives, and build lifelong bonds with peers tackling similar challenges.
This year, Wild Gift selected its first “collective” class of five fellows working toward a common cause. What does quinoa milk from Peru, greenhouses in Nepal, coral farms in the Dominican Republic, land stewardship in Montana, and solar thermal projects in Texas have in common? Each is rooted in innovation to help address a mitigating impact of climate change. The 2016/17 Class is a microcosm of the Wild Gift family as a whole, demonstrating what is possible when outstanding individuals, united by their experience in deep wilderness, find ways to work together.
We would like to thank all of our wonderful and dedicated donors, past and present board members, mentors and volunteers who have supported WG over the years. Your efforts and support helped take Wild Gift to new heights in the world of wilderness and entrepreneurship. And a very special thanks to Deborah Knapp for her many hours of dedicated guidance in keeping the WG mission alive and moving forward and for her commitment to making sure each class of fellows receives a rich and supportive experience within the Wild Gift family.
We are excited about the future of Wild Gift under the alumni leadership.
In the bonds of wildness,
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The 2016 Wild Gift Board
Barbara Anderson Ted Angle Dean Holter Matt Leidecker |
The 2017 Wild Gift Alumni Board
Lauren Baumann ‘07 Iain Duncan ‘08 Chris Howell ‘10 Pete Land ‘03 Heather Lukacs '03 Viraj Puri ‘05 Jenna Ringelheim ‘03 Marty Schnure ‘13 Raj Vable ‘13 |