This is your climbing club | This is your climbing grant.
The Live Your Dream grant, powered by The North Face, was founded on the belief that our definitions of exploration and our goals are unique to each of us. Meaningful exploration isn’t limited to the highest peaks in the farthest reaches of the world. Your local gym, crag, and backyard mountains are equally important resources to help stoke inspiration for adventure. When we seek new experiences, overcome obstacles, and connect with each other, through exploration, we change ourselves.
This grant supports the every-day adventurers who harness this mindset for their own exploration. We are looking for individuals who have a personally ambitious climbing goal, a desire to take their abilities to the next level, and want to share the power of exploration with their communities.
Open to AAC Members of all ages, all experience levels, and all climbing disciplines—from bouldering to big walls, alpinism to ski mountaineering, peak bagging to bolt clipping, and everything in between—we encourage you to dream big, let curiosity lead you, and apply.
AWARDS
Live Your Dream grant awards vary depending upon the prospective project and budget, but typically fall within the $200 to $1,000 range. Recipients will be announced in the month of June.
Objectives involving Ski/Snowboard mountaineering components are funded in part through the Hans Saari Memorial Fund. The fund, dedicated to the memory of extreme skier Hans Saari, supports ski and snowboard mountaineering adventures that highlight the opportunity to accept physical and mental challenges, visit new places and people, and explore other cultures.
The Dillon Blanksma Best Day of the Year Award was created in loving memory of Dillon Blanksma, an avid climber from Bozeman, Montana who was an integral part of the climbing community in Golden, Colorado. This section of the LYD grant will focus on individuals who want to grow their passion and knowledge for climbing and the outdoors and want to share it with others. The climbing objective should demonstrate direct engagement in the three tenets of education, community, and safety. This is an additional award given to LYD grant recipients to further help realize their project.
The Live Your Dream grants are nationally funded through a partnership with The North Face along with generous donations from local individuals, organizations, and fundraising efforts by local AAC Sections & Chapters.
APPLICATION PERIOD
The application period for Live Your Dream begins March 1 each year. Applications must be submitted online through our Submittable platform no later than 11:59pm MST on April 30th. Decisions will be sent to all applicants by mid-June.
Before applying, please carefully read the Criteria and Responsibilities of Live Your Dream grant recipients outlined below.
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Increase your chances of receiving a Live Your Dream grant by crafting the best possible application. Here is what the SelectionCommittee Members are looking for:
There is no cost to apply, but applicants must be active AAC members. Not a member? Click here to join today!
The project must accurately demonstrate a progression in skills and experience and outline a specific obtainable yet personally difficult goal. The objective should be at the edge of your physical and technical ability level. However, your individual experience level should be appropriate for the proposed objective.
Live Your Dream grants are for all ages, all ability levels and all climbing disciplines—ski mountaineering, peak bagging, mountain running, or any other challenging endeavor included.
Travel to (or through) any park/land must be allowed or authorized by the land manager, and not be in conflict with the Native Americans who previously and/or currently lived on that land.
Live Your Dream grants are awarded to individuals only. If you are attempting a project as part of a team, your teammates may apply separately.
Applications are considered for projects that occur between June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2026.
Projects involving climbers who are supported financially by corporate sponsors will not be considered. However, proposals from “amateur" climbers who have received in-kind corporate support (e.g., gear) will be considered, but support levels must be disclosed.
Applicants must be US citizens or green card holders to apply.
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Within two months of returning, all grant recipients are required to submit a Trip Report to the AAC. Failure to submit a report will result in the applicant being ineligible for future AAC grants. Specific Trip Report Guidelines will be provided to grant recipients and are submitted through an online portal.
Any photos/videos submitted with the trip report remain property of the grantees, but the AAC and The North Face may reproduce submitted photos/videos in any manner for marketing or promotional purposes.
If for any reason the project is canceled or significantly changed, awarded funds must be returned to the AAC in full. Please contact the AAC Grants Manager if your proposal changes. Additionally, funds must be used within one year of the grant award date.
Recipients agree to mention the Live Your Dream grant as well as their support from the AAC and The North Face when speaking about the expedition publicly at slide shows and events; Recipients may be asked by the AAC to give a public presentation about the awarded expedition at Club events.
Recipients will act as American Alpine Club Ambassadors to the wider climbing community and are expected to champion the mission and values of the Club both domestically and abroad. Recipients should do their best to practice environmentally low impact and leave no trace ethics, acting as strong mountain stewards.
Dillon Blanksma Best Day of the Year Award
If you hope to be considered for the additional funding associated with the Dillon Blanksma Best Day of the Year Award, please consider the following criteria when crafting your application.
The Dillon Blanksma Best Day of the Year Award was created in loving memory of Dillon Blanksma, an avid climber from Bozeman, Montana who was an integral part of the climbing community in Golden, Colorado. He dedicated most of his time to climbing, working as a full-time full stack engineer for the American Alpine Club and a part-time climbing instructor at Earth Treks climbing gym. His high stoke and love for climbing was undeniable, but he was even more passionate about sharing that love with other people.
Dillon died at age 26 in a climbing accident on Longs Peak in July 2020. The purpose of this grant is to continue to pass on his stoke and love for climbing to others who share his drive. This is a multi-purpose grant that focuses on education, community, and safety specifically for rock/ice climbing and alpine objectives. Applicants can be individuals of any ability or skill level, and should have an objective that allows them to uphold all three of these tenets. This is an annual grant in which awards will range from $500-$2,000 per grant and 1-2 grants will be awarded each year. Award winners will be chosen by a Selections Committee that will include Dillon’s family.
In addition to the Criteria listed above:
Describe your project, its significance, and how it upholds the tenets of Education, Community, and Safety. This grant is geared towards individuals that want to grow their passion and knowledge for rock/ice climbing and the outdoors and share it with others. The objective is to learn new skills and knowledge to help you maintain safety in the backcountry, then engage positively with the climbing community by sharing those experiences.
Dillon loved dad jokes, often sharing them with his climbing partners for a good laugh on the mountain. In memory of Dillon, we’d love to know your favorite dad joke or pun!
In addition to the Responsibilities listed above:
Throughout their trip (within the timeline of a week before and a week after the specified dates of the trip), grant recipients are required to post at least 3 social media posts (Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and/or Facebook) about their trip using the hashtag #dillonsbestday
Recipients agree to mention the Dillon Blanksma Best Day of the Year Award (using the hashtag #dillonsbestday) as well as their support from the AAC and The North Face when posting on social media or speaking about the expedition publicly at slide shows and events
