Did you know Jackson Hole has more nonprofit organizations per capita than anywhere else in the country?

“It’s hard to exaggerate the philanthropic spirit of this community,” says Katharine Conover, president of the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, which annually grants more than $15 million to more than 200 nonprofits in the valley. Jackson Hole’s nonprofits are as diverse as wildflowers in the high Tetons in late July and include environmental, wildlife, and conservation groups, a children’s museum, a wildlife art museum, numerous arts organizations, TK, and a search and rescue team on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week every day of the year. “It’s not just that we feel responsible for maintaining the vistas and wildlife that brought us here in the first place,” Conover says. “This is a unique community because most of us came from someplace else and most of us came here not because of jobs and not because of family, but because we choose to be here. That deliberate choice of a place has instilled in us an ethic of stewardship; the standard line is that you come here because it is beautiful and you stay because of the people. It’s at that point that our commitment expands to preserving the values that make this community special and it is our nonprofit community that really protects those values.”

Supporter's of the Children's Learning Center at Old Bill's

A Teton Adaptive Sports Enthusiast at Old Bill's
A Happy Transplant at Old Bill's Fun Run

With the single most popular fundraiser of the year just finished—on September 8 more than 5,000 people turned out for the 22nd Community Foundation-organized Old Bill’s Fun Run for Charities—it’s the perfect time to share some of the nonprofits The Clear Creek Group staff supports.

Slow Food in the Tetons

Morgan Bruemmer, Slow Food in the Tetons Board Member and TCCG Partner/Associate Broker

“Being involved with a nonprofit is a great way to give back to your community, and it can be immensely rewarding,” says Bruemmer, who joined Slow Food in the Tetons’ board in October 2017. “Nonprofits are always in need of volunteers or leadership, and most times, you can find a way to utilize your talents and expertise. I was drawn to Slow Food in the Tetons because I think it’s important to support local and regional producers of healthy, sustainably produced food, and we do that in many ways.”

A chapter of Slow Food USA, Slow Food in the Tetons connects the local community with local healthy food. The organization hosts year-round farmers markets where local growers sell their food, cooking classes for kids and adults, and seasonal events that celebrate the valley’s food community. “My wife Amanda and I enjoy shopping at the weekly People’s Market (every other week in winter),” Bruemmer says. “Just this year we participated in the Teton Food Tour and Slow Food in the Tetons’ annual Lockhart Ranch dinner party and us and Slow Food staff are looking forward to the Local Harvest Dinner (October 7), which is a celebration of our local farmers.” 

Learning About Chard at MacGregor's Farm
Fresh Picked Organic Food at the People's Market
Story Time at MacGregor Farm
Local Cheese on Display
Be Sure to Sample Local Favorites at the People's Market
Jackson Hole Children's Museum Logo

Jackson Hole Children’s Museum

Laura Cuddie, Children’s Museum Board Member and TCCG Head of Business Development & Marketing

Mom to 8-year-old Fiona, Laura and her husband John Morgan were one of the “founding families” of the Jackson Hole Children’s Museum (JHCM) in 2011 when Craig and KJ Morris first dreamed it up. JHCM “serves a critical need in Jackson in multiple ways,” Cuddie says. “The museum offers a safe and inspiring space for families to play, create, and explore together. It also provides STEAM programming for all elementary school kids in Jackson, kindergarten readiness support to families in need and after school, and summer programming for working families.” Cuddie says Fiona learned the fundamentals of engineering and “built many awesome creations” in the museum’s after school programs.

Cuddie was inspired to join the board last year because the museum is going through a transition. “The space we are currently in is being redeveloped as affordable housing, so we have to find a new permanent home,” she says. “We are truly blessed to live in Jackson and I believe those of us who are able to have a responsibility to give back. Some people give back through financial contributions, others have time and energy to give. All are critical for our community to prosper.”

A Future Pilot at the Jackson Hole Children Museum's
A Kid Friendly Phsyics Lesson at Jackson Hole Children's Museum
The Building Blocks for Exploration at Jackson Hole Children's Museum

Teton Freedom Riders

Kevin Kavanagh, TFR Founding Board Member and TCCG General Manager

Teton Freedom Riders (TFR) partners with the Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) and Friends of Pathways to coordinate the growth of mountain biking in greater Teton County through sustainable trail construction, maintenance, advancement, and safety. “We fill the labor void for the BTNF by building and maintaining Teton County’s public, front country trail network, which creates an urban interface for the community,” Kavanagh says. “This provides the opportunity for the community to readily connect with the environment, which yields a healthy community. Our mission is to enrich the Teton experience through the creation and care of exceptional trails. Public trails are a keystone element to a sustainable and vibrant community.”

TFR also founded the Jackson Hole Trails Consortium, a group of local businesses financially supporting trail crews to maintain local trail networks. On average it takes approximately $150,000 to employ the trail crew for the six-month maintenance season. In addition to helping fundraise for paid trail crews, TFR has organized thousands of hours of volunteer trail labor via individual efforts and organized events like the annual “Pass Bash,” where riders are encouraged to come hang out, go for a ride, and learn more about what is happening in the current season. “It is important to engage in something you are genuinely passionate about,” Kavanagh says about being on a volunteer board. “One can have no regrets if they fight for what makes them happy and is meaningful to them; regardless of their level of success in that fight. 

Beginnging A Build Day
Building Out Exciting New Terrain for Bikers
The Intrepid Freedom Riders Crew
A Good Reward for Hard Work, courtesy of Snake River Brewing

“I’m not on TCSAR’s board, but I support it,” Kavanagh says. “I think all locals do. TCSAR is a group of devoted individuals, who, with the support of their families, risk life and limb to help others. This affords our community the comfort to know that if something goes wrong while recreating in our natural environment, there is a safety net. Not only that, but SAR provides educational programs to the community that enhance our mountain recreational experience in a multitude of ways.”

Founded in 1993 by the Teton County Sheriff’s Department, TCSAR works to keep locals and visitors safe in the backcountry 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. From January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017, the organization received 105 call outs that TCSAR volunteers spent 5,009 hours on. During the same time period the team’s 38 members spent an equal amount of time training—in everything from swiftwater, avalanche, and cave rescue to short hauling, high angle rescue, and navigation, among other things. 

TCSAR with Beacons and Avalanache Probes
Readying an Injured Victim for a trip out of the Wilderness
Navigating Tricky Terrain with a Sled