Mazama Grant Opportunities

• The applicant must have been a member of the Mazamas for more than two years prior to applying.
• The applicant must be 21 years of age and a citizen of the United States or Canada.

• The application must be for legal ventures only and wherein the applicants are capable of obtaining all necessary visas, permits and authorities.
• The application must be for expeditions of no less than 15 days in length.
• The application cannot be for attending a commercially organized and guided trip.
• Applications are for expeditions in the 2026 or 2027 calendar year.

In consideration of the grants purpose and intent, preference will be given to applications exhibiting the following criteria:

• Applicant must meet all the requirements as stated in the application requirement section.
• Applicants who display a high level of engagement with the Mazamas through volunteering, participating and/or leading with Mazama programs and activities.
• Expeditions to remote or less popular areas, especially wherein the party is immersed in local cultures and/or utilizes local support.
• Independently organized and supported expeditions showing financial need.
• Expeditions displaying careful research, planning, and budgeting.
• Applicants whose objectives align well with their skills and experience.
• Additional criteria as determined by the selection panel.

The amount of the award shall be based on funds available, and shall be applied to direct expedition expenses. This award is for one venture only. 

Mazama members serving on the Selection Panel shall not be eligible to apply for the grant. If, for any reason the expedition is canceled or significantly changed, including personnel changes, awarded funds must be returned to the Mazamas in full. Recipients are required to pay taxes on the award amount under form 1099.

Grant recipients are required to help promote awareness of Mazama grants through several key communications activities. These include acknowledging the Mazamas in all print and online mentions of their project, making at least five social media posts with appropriate Mazama hashtags (#mazamas, #mazamas1894), and providing an original article with photographs upon completion of the project. Recipients are also encouraged to give a presentation about their project at the Mazama Mountaineering Center. These requirements help ensure that future adventurers, researchers, and conservationists are aware of the grant opportunities available through the Mazamas.

Your expedition proposal should include a detailed narrative covering all key aspects of your planned venture. This includes personal details (your contact information and the demographics of your team), expedition specifics (title and destination), and a thorough description of your primary objective with relevant historical context and route details. Additionally, outline any secondary objectives such as research or community service, and provide a complete financial breakdown including other funding sources and your proposed budget.

January 19: Application open
March 31: Applications close
April 1–30: Mazama review all applications
May (early): Awardees notified
May (mid): Typical date of funding
Final report due: Within 90 days of expedition completion

None at this time. 

Conservation grants are awarded only to applicants that have established their tax-exempt status under Section 501c(3) of the Internal Revenue Codes and are not “Private Foundation” as defined under Section 509(a) of the Code.

• Grants will be awarded only for qualified purposes as defined within the guidelines and under Section 501c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Grants are only made to qualified organizations in the Pacific Northwest.

• The ability of the grantee to successfully complete the grant
• Whether the grant proposal addresses an area of the environment significant in the Pacific Northwest
• Whether the grant proposal addresses an issue within the Mazamas priorities and objectives
• The funds available to the Conservation Committee for the fiscal year in question
• The size and resources of the grantee
• Preference will be given to grantees that find creative ways to educate, inform, and/or include the Mazamas in their conservation projects. Some examples might be a day hike in the wilderness area identified in the grant, an overnight outing (which could include fieldwork), or a slide presentation.
• The quality of the grant proposal: Is its goal clear? Is it timely? Is the project clearly outlined? Is the line-item budget for the project realistic?  The Mazama Board of Directors will approve grants approved by the Conservation Committee before final notification.

• Grants will not exceed $2,500.

The Program cannot grant requests for the following:

• Endowments
• Annual fund drives
• Overhead funds in excess of 10% of the requested total
• Activities that directly or indirectly attempt to intervene or affect any campaign for public office
• Activities that benefit specific individuals
• Sectarian or religious organizations whose principal activity is for the benefit of their own members or adherents
• Requests to fund litigation - these will ordinarily be denied, but exceptions may be granted in extraordinary or unusual circumstances
• Requests from the same organization will normally be considered only once in each calendar year

Grant recipients are required to help promote awareness of Mazama grants through several key communications activities. These include acknowledging the Mazamas in all print and online mentions of their project, making at least five social media posts with appropriate Mazama hashtags (#mazamas, #mazamas1894), and providing an original article with photographs upon completion of the project. Recipients are also encouraged to give a presentation about their project at the Mazama Mountaineering Center. These requirements help ensure that future adventurers, researchers, and conservationists are aware of the grant opportunities available through the Mazamas.

Your grant application should briefly explain how the funds will be used and how your project will benefit or engage the Mazamas community, including any environmental impact on wilderness areas. Submit all required documentation (501(c)(3) status, project budget, W-9 form, and any supporting materials) with files clearly labeled using your organization's name in the format "OrganizationName_DocumentType.pdf".

January 19: Application open
March 31: Applications close
April 1–30: Mazama review all applications
May (early): Awardees notified
May (mid): Typical date of funding
April 30 of following year: Final report due

None at this time. 

• Any individual conducting nonprofit research consistent with the interests and activities of the Mazamas is eligible to submit a proposal.
• Successful applicants are students, educators, or researchers performing field studies in the Pacific Northwest. 
• Applicants need not be Mazama members. 

• A description of the proposed project including its objectives, justification, and likely practical impact, background, methodology, expected results, and planned means of disseminating the results. 

• An itemized budget for the funds requested with appropriate justification for each item. Personal gear and institutional overhead are not allowable items. Identify matching funds or other sources of support that are available to the project. 

• Resume or CV of the principal investigator(s).

• Relationship to the Mazama goals of conserving and increasing the understanding of mountain environments (particularly relating to the Pacific Northwest), and enhancing the enjoyment and safety of mountain recreation. Your proposal will garner particular attention if it addresses issues that are local to the Pacific Northwest or is related to the goals of the Mazamas. We particularly encourage proposals that examine the changing alpine environment—its causes and consequences. 
• Scientific merit as judged by the originality; significance in relation to previous work on this subject; scientifically sound methods; adequate assessment techniques; sound statistical methods; and potential significance of the project’s goals and methods.
• Likelihood of success at meeting the scientific objectives and communicating project results to appropriate audiences. 
• Potential for compounded benefits, such as career advancement for participating students and other forms of resource development, support for and impact on community and governmental organizations, and proposals for new initiatives that may attract additional funding.

• The standard research grant amount will vary.
• Proposals are thoroughly reviewed by the Mazama Research Committee.  Since the number of applications may exceed available funds, the committee reserves the right to modify budgets or partially fund any project. Recommended proposals are forwarded to the Mazama Board of Directors, which is responsible for final approval of all grants. Applicants will be notified in May. Funds will be distributed around mid-May, pending completion of relevant documents.

• Any funds unused within one year shall be returned to the Mazamas. 

Grant recipients are required to help promote awareness of Mazama grants through several key communications activities. These include acknowledging the Mazamas in all print and online mentions of their project, making at least five social media posts with appropriate Mazama hashtags, and providing an original article with photographs upon completion of the project. Recipients are also encouraged to give a presentation about their project at the Mazama Mountaineering Center. These requirements help ensure that future adventurers, researchers, and conservationists are aware of the grant opportunities available through the Mazamas.

• Documents should be submitted as PDFs

January 19: Application open
March 31: Applications close
April 1–30: Mazama review all applications
May (early): Awardees notified
May (mid): Typical date of funding
Final report due: Within 60 of project completion

More questions? You can contact us at:  

research@mazamas.org

Mazama Research Committee
527 SE 43rd Ave.
Portland, OR 97215
(503) 227-2345