Big Wilderness Drives Big Impact

We exist to share the deeply impactful experience of time in wilderness with leaders dedicated to building a better world. Wilderness provides a powerful setting to learn about yourself, practice leadership, and deepen your connection to the planet—an essential foundation for leaders working on social and environmental challenges.

Ideas for positive change matter, but it is the leader behind the idea who ultimately determines whether that vision becomes reality. Many early stage founders are deeply committed to making a difference, yet they are navigating leadership, decision making, and long term sustainability for the first time, often without strong support systems.

Wild Gift invests in the people behind social impact work. We help leaders build clarity, resilience, and self awareness so they can lead teams, move through challenges, and sustain their work over time. This is why Wild Gift matters. Supporting the development of strong, grounded leaders is one of the most effective ways to create lasting positive change in the world.

More than 120 social impact leaders have completed the Wild Gift Fellowship. Alumni consistently report a deeper connection to the planet, stronger leadership capacity, and a more holistic approach to solving social and environmental challenges—often leading to collaborations and ideas that emerge from the community itself.

Many leaders today are navigating burnout, isolation, and constant urgency, while feeling increasingly disconnected from community and the natural world. Wild Gift offers space to slow down, reconnect, and develop grounded leadership at a time when clarity, resilience, and care for the planet are more critical than ever.

The Wild Gift Fellowship is a wilderness-based leadership development program for early-stage social impact leaders. It combines deep backcountry immersion with intentional leadership programming to support young founders working to make a positive difference in the world. description

Eighteen days allows enough time for a full cycle of growth to unfold. Research shows that meaningful development happens when people move through challenge, discomfort, reflection, and integration, not just a brief exposure.

During the trek, Fellows begin by embracing challenge and orienting to unfamiliar conditions, then push through discomfort in a safe, supported environment. As they settle into rhythm, they apply what they’re learning about themselves through leadership programming and real backcountry responsibility, translating those insights into how they lead and make decisions in their organizations.

Wild Gift treks take place in remote wilderness areas in Idaho and Utah, where Fellows can stay immersed in one landscape for an extended period of time. These places allow for deep connection, fewer distractions, and an experience that is rare, challenging to access, and profoundly impactful.

Anyone who wants to make a positive impact in the world will find a place within Wild Gift. Our Fellowship specifically supports early-stage social impact founders ages 21–35, while we also engage a broader community of leaders as mentors, supporters, and participants in ongoing programs.

The Fellowship is completely free, and other community programs are offered at very low cost thanks to donor support. Donations directly fund wilderness expeditions, leadership programming, and community engagement, making transformative experiences accessible while strengthening the leaders behind meaningful social impact.

We measure success through Fellow surveys, long-term engagement in social impact work, and continued involvement as mentors, supporters, and community members. Strong alumni retention, ongoing collaboration, and sustained leadership growth signal impact that extends well beyond the Fellowship.

Currently, Wild Gift offers one Fellowship per year to founders of environmental and social impact organizations. In addition, we are launching a new program, Wild Strides, which is a "bite-sized" version of the Fellowship. Visit our Wild Strides page for more info!

The areas we’ve trekked include:

Utah:

Southern Utah’s wildly diverse and pristine landscape makes it an ideal setting for a springtime backcountry experience. The prehistoric beauty of the arches, canyons, and buttes, along with the desert-adapted flora and fauna provide endless opportunities for exploration and immersion in a breathtaking wilderness setting. The route includes a mix of day hiking from remote basecamps to multi-day backpacking. No prior backpacking or canyoneering experience is required; however, we encourage participation from folks open to adventure and willing to be continuously awestruck by the incredible topography and landscape!

Idaho:

The Wild Gift basecamp in Sun Valley, Idaho is the gateway to the largest wilderness and roadless areas in the lower 48 US states. Far from major population centers, this remote wilderness is the domain of abundant wildlife flora and fauna, a blank canvas for engagement in one of nature’s most dynamic mediums. The route follows a gentle progression from rolling sub-alpine terrain to the jagged peaks of the Rocky Mountain ranges. No prior backpacking, snowshoeing, or skiing experience is required. Fellows will quickly develop the skills to travel safely, proficiently and joyfully. The adventure starts in a backcountry “hut” and progresses out into the wilderness traveling over several mountain ranges over a distance of 40 miles with close to 14,000’ of elevation gains and loss.

Alaska:

In the early years of Wild Gift, the trek was held in rural Alaska. Fellows trekked with two guides across glaciers, through rugged trail-less forests, and down rivers in old canoes. Perhaps some of the most wild expeditions, we hope to one day take our Fellowship back to the great frontier.

Wild Gift supports emerging leaders from North America and focuses on projects with a global and environmental impact. However, our network and mission have a broader international reach.

We welcome mentors and supporters who share our passion for environmental and social change. Please scroll down to the bottom and click “contact us” to reach out to our staff and learn more about how you can contribute your expertise, time, or resources to our mission.

You can stay informed about Wild Gift by subscribing to our newsletter below, or by following us on social media where we share updates, stories, and the latest achievements of our fellows and organization.

Donations are essential to our work. Please visit our donation page, where you can make a one-time donation or set up recurring contributions to help us empower the next generation of environmental and social entrepreneurs.