$25 in ’25: A call to action for a more heritage-rich outdoors

We believe at Color My Outdoors that nature should feel like home for everyone. That it should reflect the vibrant fabric of people who care, connect, and cultivate its beauty across generations. But in many of our Southern spaces, stories from People of Color are still overlooked, underrepresented, or even erased altogether. We’re working to change that. We also need your help. We’ve launched our grassroots fundraising effort, $25 in ’25 Campaign, this month with a simple ask: Give $25 monthly by May 30 to grow a more culturally grounded outdoor community across the South.

Your contribution – no matter the size – fuels powerful storytelling, impactful programming, and first-of-its-kind online directory to lift up the legacies of outdoor lovers, leaders, and learners of color. It’s for the families discovering the joy of their first camping trip. For the next generation of environmental leaders. For the stories that deserve to be told. A small, steady gift can literally move a movement. It means more skill-building workshops, more outdoor experiences, and more people stepping into spaces that have long felt out of reach. If you’ve never donated before, this is your moment. Join us. Let’s make the outdoors a place where everyone belongs.

Why Your Contribution Counts

Our regional nonprofit exists to amplify diverse voices and strengthen outdoor communities throughout the Southeastern United States. Whether we’re documenting the cleanup work of environmentalist Chad Livsey in Atlanta, Georgia, or spotlighting healing hikes with Shawanna Kendrick of The H20 Life in Chattanooga, Tennessee, we believe every story has the ability to shift perspectives and create long-lasting change. But it takes resources to tell these stories well. To keep showing up for our people and the planet, we need a collective of supporters who believe in what we do and are willing to sow a seed into our nature work. Here’s how your $25 (or more😍) helps us grow:

What Your Gift Supports

Our Programs + Pillars are designed to educate, elevate, and engage. Each donation directly supports these interconnected initiatives:

1. Our Multimedia Storytelling Program
Your donation helps us produce digital storytelling that documents real-time community impact, cultural traditions, and environmental leadership by People of Color. From short films to blog series, we ensure local to national stories are centered and celebrated. We intentionally work with content creators, artists, and filmmakers of color to redefine how the outdoors is depicted in mainstream media. Your support lets us commission creatives who reflect the communities they’re capturing.

2. Our Parent Orientation Program
Funds support culturally relevant workshops, nature-based events, and youth-focused environmental education — all led by experts from the communities we serve. Our skill-building programs bring families together to discover the outdoors in meaningful ways. The Parent Orientation Program partners with third-party organizations that reintroduce Kids of Color to outdoor spaces. These sessions help parents feel comfortable with their children adventuring outdoors by addressing concerns, answering questions, and building foundational nature skills. Parents leave with both the confidence to support their kids’ explorations and the tools to recreate these opportunities on their own. 

3. Our Directory & Network Building
Your contributions help us expand our Color My Outdoors Directory, a brand-new online resource highlighting multicultural organizations and leaders transforming the Southern outdoors. This searchable, interactive directory connects the South with diverse-led outdoor groups and innovators who reflect their identity and values. Our directory is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of heritage-rich organizations and create safer, more inclusive connections between communities and the great outdoors. 

4. Our Wilderness Medicine Scholarship Program
Supporting this initiative guarantees People of Color can progress from participants into responsible leaders within the outdoor industry. We provide financial support to help more People of Color obtain their Wilderness First Aid or Wildness First Responder certification, enhancing their career offerings and their recreational outings. We believe that by eliminating the financial barrier that often hinders Black and Brown people from pursuing professions that require certifications as job qualifiers, we can increase representation among leaders in the outdoor industry. 

From One Generational Trail to the Next

When we invest in culturally grounded outdoor spaces, we’re doing more than planting trees or planning hikes. We’re preserving ancestral knowledge. We’re healing land and legacy. We’re making room for everyone to thrive. Your $25 donation can help fund a storytelling workshop for Black high schoolers, sponsor a culturally relevant conservation event, or amplify an organization doing grassroots work in their own community. 

It might not seem like much, but to us, it’s everything. Let’s build a future where every trail, every park, and every platform reflects the full color and richness of the South. Together, we are storytelling the outdoors differently. It all starts with you.

Join the Color My Outdoors Movement

🌱 Give $25 monthly or more by May 30
📍 Donate now here.
📚 Explore our Programs + Pillars here.
💬 Share this campaign and invite your friends, family, and followers to give, too.

About Color My Outdoors
Color My Outdoors is a grassroots 501(c)(3) organization that is rewriting the nature narrative of People of Color in the South. Through storytelling, resources, and advocacy, the nonprofit works to ensure that these communities feel seen, supported, and empowered in nature by centering their experiences and legacies in outdoor spaces. Focused in the Southeastern United States – where these voices are most prominent yet least visible – Color My Outdoors transforms the industry by helping People of Color re-establish their connection with nature and the earth while contributing to the health of the planet.

Join the conversation: colormyoutdoors.org | @colormyoutdoors