SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Aug. 25, 2020—Fourteen nonprofit youth organizations will receive grants ranging from $15,000 to $200,000 from the Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust—founded by Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz and his wife Elana Amsterdam—and Vail Resorts. The total donation is $1.5 million. 

According to Vail Resorts, “Each of the 14 nonprofits receiving grants work to strengthen communities and support youth of color in urban centers across North America, including Boston, Baltimore, Chicago, and Minneapolis, among others.” The organizations are located in cities near Vail Resorts-owned ski areas.

The donation is part of a five-year, $10 million commitment from the Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust and Vail Resorts to expand its youth access program and broaden engagement in skiing and riding. However, due to the challenges presented by COVID-19, this year’s grants will fund the top priorities determined by each organization for the kids they serve.

“We’re honored to be partnering with these organizations now and look forward to our future efforts to enhance access to winter sports for underserved kids,” said Katz. “As youth of color and their families have been especially hard hit by the pandemic, it’s essential that the nonprofits receiving grants this year are able to determine the best use for their community. All of these organizations have had to pivot their services due to COVID-19, and, additionally, many are helping the youth they serve find their voice to be part of the national dialogue on systemic racism.”

The youth organizations receiving this year’s grants include:
Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (Boston) – $200,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio (Cleveland) – $200,000
Good Shepherd Services (New York) – $200,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Baltimore (Baltimore) – $175,000
Chicago Youth Centers (Chicago) – $150,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis) – $150,000
Ski and Snowboard Outreach Society (SOS Outreach) – $85,000
Girls. Inc. (Chicago) – $75,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Salt Lake City (Salt Lake City) – $50,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver (Denver) – $50,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Lake Tahoe (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.) – $50,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of North Lake Tahoe (North Lake Tahoe, Calif.) – $50,000
Zero Ceiling (British Columbia) – $15,000 (USD)

Additionally, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler, British Columbia, will receive $50,000 (USD) from the Trust to help launch the Centre’s new Cultural Sensitivity and Indigenous Leadership Program Development initiative. This program aims to develop a culturally rooted approach to Indigenous leadership, focused on elevating Indigenous people in the regional workforce and within their communities as leaders. It also includes cultural sensitivity training for local businesses to increase understanding of historical impacts that Indigenous people have suffered.