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Origin Expeditions Blog

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A New Path
A New Path

For the past eight months, I elected to suspend Origin Expeditions and its operations. With uncertainty around the pandemic, this year presented an opportunity to reflect on the progression of the organization and consider which path to take moving forward. With some new perspective and the pandemic seemingly nearing resolve, I am eager to share some new foundations of our organization.

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2020 Annual Report
2020 Annual Report

Each autumn, we follow up with our community and sponsors to let everyone know how the year went. Although there were many obstacles this year, we still made tremendous progress and hosted a group of 14 high schoolers on a weekend program in October. Below is a summary of our year and details about money raised and spent.

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Pilot 2-day Intro Program
Pilot 2-day Intro Program

I am thrilled to announce that we had a successful launch of our two-day introduction to backpacking program last weekend. We partnered with Kingsley High School to host 14 of their students for two days along 3.6 miles of the North Country Trail. Our mission for this program was to introduce teens with little or no exposure to the backcountry and inspire them to attend future programs.

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No Trips for 2020, Accepting 2021 Applications
No Trips for 2020, Accepting 2021 Applications

With the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the United States, we have decided that there is no way we can confidently conduct trips while keeping clients safe. We have flip-flopped several times throughout the summer on being able to operate or not. Unfortunately, this is our final decision for the year 2020.

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Now Accepting Rolling Admissions
Now Accepting Rolling Admissions

We are excited to announce that Origin Expeditions is now accepting rolling admissions! Both clients and groups can submit applications at any time using our application page, and as funding becomes available to host trips, those who qualify will receive invites to attend. Each group or individual can choose to pay for their trip, have us set up a crowdfunding campaign for them, or apply for a full or partial scholarship.

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Paying It Forward
Paying It Forward

With new partnerships in the Traverse City region, I am thrilled to announce that we will be hosting a 5-day canoe trip on the Manistee River from August 4 through August 8 of 2020. With the help of our partners and contributions from Founders Brewing Company, the Sand Hill Angels, the Richlie Family, and several other generous donors, we can host a total of ten scholarship recipients on this trip!

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Update on a Summer 2020 Program
Update on a Summer 2020 Program

We received a large donation from Founders Brewing Company, which helps us tremendously in reaching our goals this year. Combined with individual contributions, we'll be able to purchase gear to host up to seven individuals on our trips. This was our biggest goal in 2020 and a massive milestone for Origin. This gear provides the foundation we need to allocate future donations towards scholarships, making fundraising much more accessible and helping us serve our community more efficiently.

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Summer 2020 Trips Cancelled
Summer 2020 Trips Cancelled

Several things have brought us to this decision, primarily the risk of bringing individuals from different households to one gathering while the virus is still present. The Manitou Island Transit is also not running boats this season, eliminating any possibility of running our two Manitou Trips. Also, the National Park Service has issued this statement:

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COVID-19 Update
COVID-19 Update

In response to the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19, we have made several changes to our summer programs.

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In Regards to Covid-19
In Regards to Covid-19

In response to the current COVID-19 outbreak: We will continue to accept registration for all courses and workshops. Our policy remains to be that if for any reason an event is canceled, clients will receive a full refund.

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Crowdfunding for Your Trip is Now Available
Crowdfunding for Your Trip is Now Available

I’m very excited to announce that we have launched a service I’ve wanted to provide for clients since I first started Origin. As of today, we now offer crowdfunding assistance to registered clients! Now that everything is all set to go, I’d like to take a moment to share how this platform operates.

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Summer 2020 Developments
Summer 2020 Developments

As winter begins to wind down and summer (Petoskey stone-hunting season) approaches, it's time for an update on developments at Origin.

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Preparing for 2020
Preparing for 2020

As the solstice comes to pass and the days grow longer, we at Origin work hard in preparation for the year 2020. While our ultimate goal still aims to offer trips several weeks in length that truly immerse clients in the wilderness, we focus on the small steps required to get there.

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Origin Expeditions Inaugural Trip
Origin Expeditions Inaugural Trip

The 5-day expedition to North Manitou Island was an incredible success! Though it was different from the 3-week long, multi-faceted youth program I had initially envisioned in the spring, it was what it needed to be: a wilderness experience that provided joy, learning, and inspiration to everyone involved. Everyone left the island hungry for more time in the outdoors and excited for future Origin trips!

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Fundraising Campaign Launch
Fundraising Campaign Launch

It is with great enthusiasm that I write this post! After half a year of very tedious work and immeasurable support from many different individuals, I am delighted to announce that we have begun our fundraising campaign. There are many moving parts here, but what I’d like to address is why and how we need your support at this time.

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The Next Step for Origin
The Next Step for Origin

I am excited to announce that I received a letter in the mail from the IRS officially declaring Origin Expeditions as a tax exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3)! This has been a highly anticipated moment as it opens many doors for the organization.

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Building a Non-profit
Building a Non-profit

Building this organization involved much more than creating a website, gathering resources and executing trips. As it turns out, several steps are necessary for becoming recognized as a legitimate non-profit organization. With this post, I’d like to share what has been going on behind the scenes over the last month and provide helpful information to anyone else who might be looking to form their own non-profit.

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Moving Forward
Moving Forward

I’m writing this post to communicate my vision for Origin Expeditions effectively. While I’m not planning on Origin ever becoming as big as a program like NOLS or Outward Bound, I do intend to see it constantly evolve and adapt. As I mentioned in the previous post, I am excited to see a community form around this project, one in which each member has a role to play. Whether they be a student, guide, parent, donor, or friend, I am interested to hear any feedback folks might have to facilitate the progression of this program—leave a comment if you feel inclined.

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Coming Soon

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Outdoor Recreation Blog

Trip reports, industry news, gear reviews and stories from both Origin Expeditions and contributors!

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Environment Journal

News, research and education for all things related to our environment.