North Cascades Institute
North Cascades Institute is a Washington-based 501(c)(3) (EIN 91-1327775) that provides place-based environmental education and leadership programs and operates the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center on Diablo Lake. Its mission is to inspire environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature; programs include Mountain School, Youth Leadership Adventures, classes, residencies and retreats.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Local Washington elementary schools or small education/youth programs that run student scholarship or place-based environmental education experiences.
Good Fit
- • Located in Washington state (in-state applicants).
- • Seeking scholarships or program support for elementary-aged students.
- • Clear program capacity to bring cohorts to place-based learning or leadership programs.
- • Can document numbers of students served and a budget for per-student scholarships.
- • Can demonstrate local partnerships with school districts or community youth programs.
Geography
Observed giving across the three-year window is entirely within Washington state; all grants and grant counts reported were in-state.
Recipient Variety
Across the observed years the funder supported multiple independent recipients each year (7–9 distinct recipients annually) and made 16 grants to 9 different organizations in the latest year, mostly to public elementary schools in different towns.
New Applicants
Direct evidence of turnover exists (six new recipients in 2024 and three new recipients in 2023), which suggests new entrants can join the portfolio, but no public application guidelines were found so open access cannot be confirmed.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
