Common Adventure Grants

Update to Common Adventure structure

In the past year engagement in our club has grown significantly. We are so excited to have each and every one of you, and are so happy to see the club serving more people with all experiences and relationships with the outdoors! However, the increased participation in the Common Adventure program means that the current policies are not sustainable in the long term. To continue to work towards our goal of promoting the safe enjoyment of alpinism and keep serving this wonderful community, Common Adventure will be restructured as Common Adventure Grants. These changes will strengthen our ability to support the adventurous outdoor trips that we all love while adapting to our growing community. In short: the Alpine Club will keep doing great things – just with a refreshed, sustainable approach. 

Types of grants

The new system will feature four types of grants, targeted to support different aspects of the Stanford Alpine Club community:

1. Horizon Grant – Empowering members to broaden their personal horizons by undertaking trips that are “big” relative to their current skills and experience. This grant supports growth-focused adventures for all members, including but not limited to those already more advanced.

• Trips sponsored by the Horizon Grant are very specific to the individuals applying and their goals – one individual's 'big day' looks very different than another's. Proposed trips should represent a meaningful step for the applicant(s) based on their current skills and experiences and promote skill development, leadership, or self-sufficiency in the outdoors.

Selection Criteria:

• The trip represents a meaningful step up for the applicant(s) based on their current skills and experiences

• Clear objectives that promote skill development, leadership, or self-sufficiency in the outdoors

• Demonstrated preparation (training, mentorship, prior outings, etc.)

• The grant meaningfully reduces financial or logistical barriers to undertaking the trip

Apply for a Horizon Grant here!

2. Trailhead Grant – Supporting trips that are open to a broad segment of the SAC community and intentionally designed to be welcoming, inclusive, and well-communicated. Trailhead trips may include meaningful prerequisites or higher technical demands, while still serving a substantial portion of the club and fostering positive, respectful group dynamics. This is most similar to the old Common Adventure system, with the additional requirement of being advertised club-wide.

Selection Criteria:

• • Any prerequisites (skills, experience, fitness, or training) are clearly defined, reasonable, and justified by the objectives and risks of the trip.

  • Participant selection methods are transparent and fair (to keep people from just taking their buddies)

  • While strong group cohesion is important for safety, exclusion based purely on social preference (“vibes”) should be avoided unless it directly impacts safety, communication, or decision-making

  • The proposed group size, composition, and selection criteria are appropriate for the level of objective hazard. Leaders demonstrate thoughtfulness about how interpersonal dynamics, communication styles, and risk tolerances factor into safe travel in technical terrain

  • Funding helps reduce barriers to participation (cost, gear access, logistics) 

Examples:

• Badwater 2 Mount Whitney relay run

• Mojave backpacking trip

        Apply for a Trailhead Grant here!

3. Uplift Grant – Supporting underserved or underrepresented groups within the SAC community by funding opportunities that reduce participation barriers and foster a more inclusive environment.

Selection Criteria:

• • The proposal directly supports underrepresented or underserved groups within SAC and creates/supports welcoming, inclusive, or identity-affirming spaces

  • The activity demonstrates potential for lasting impact (skills gained, confidence built, community formed, barriers reduced, etc)

  • Applicants show a thoughtful engagement with the community they aim to support

  • Prerequisites (skills, experience, fitness, or training) are minimal, clearly defined, and justified by the objectives and risks of the trip.

  • Participant selection methods are transparent and fair

  • Funding helps reduce barriers to participation (cost, gear access, logistics)

Examples:

• Women's+ mountaineering trip

• Queer backpacking trip

      Apply for an Uplift Grant here!

4. Outreach Grant – Empowering members to serve the broader alpine community through stewardship, outreach, and service. This includes supporting volunteer projects and initiatives that protect outdoor spaces, strengthen community connections, and give back to the environments and people that make our activities possible.

Selection Criteria:

• • The proposal advances stewardship, outreach, or service to the broader alpine or outdoor community, including environmental conservation, access initiatives, or support for underrepresented or underserved groups.

  • The activity demonstrates meaningful impact, such as protecting outdoor spaces, expanding access to alpine activities, building skills or confidence, or strengthening community partnerships.

  • The proposal presents a clear plan and set of objectives, with thoughtful consideration of how the activity will achieve its intended impact.

  • Applicants show appropriate engagement with the community or organization being served, either through volunteering with an established organization or leading an independent initiative with clear relevance and accountability.

  • Any prerequisites (skills, experience, fitness, or training) are clearly defined, reasonable, and justified by the objectives and risks of the activity.

  • Participant selection methods are transparent and fair.

  • The proposed group size, composition, and leadership structure are appropriate for the objectives, logistics, and any objective hazards involved.

  • Funding helps reduce barriers to participation or service (cost, gear access, travel, logistics), and is clearly tied to the project’s goals.

      Examples: 

• Organizing a group to participate in Yosemite Facelift

• Volunteering with a minority-focused organization (at-risk youth, racial or gender minorities, paraclimbers, etc)

      Apply for an Outreach Grant here!

As always, if you have ideas for awesome events or trips that don’t fit neatly into one of these buckets, we would love to hear from you and see what we can do together!

Rules and Requirements

• Trips funded through the Common Adventure Grant program may not involve instruction of technical or safety skills by club members. All participants are expected to possess the skills and experience necessary to complete the trip safely. 

• Trip leaders should not act as guides. Trip plans and routes must be clearly communicated to the full group, and key decisions, particularly those related to risk, should be made through group consensus.

• If selected for a grant, trip leaders will be expected to submit a piece to the SAC journal about the experience. The format of the submission is up to you (trip report, poetry, photo journal, etc). Under rare circumstances we allow members to abstain – reach out in this case. 

• For the safety of all drivers/passengers, the time at the destination should be at least 3x the time driving to/from the destination.

• If approved, you must submit the travel document (for approval from the University) at least five days prior to the trip. Funding may be revoked for trips who do not submit this in time.

How to apply

Each grant has a form specific to the grant type – please review the descriptions above and fill out the corresponding form. If you have any questions or have ideas you'd like to talk through, please email alpine-club-exec@lists.stanford.edu. 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please submit applications at least three weeks before your proposed trip (if your trip is highly weather dependent, please submit at least three weeks before the beginning of the weather window / season you are aiming for), but earlier submissions are encouraged.

After your trip has been approved, follow the instructions on this page to complete the required documentation and submit receipts for reimbursement.