12 years of program refinement.

Thousands of miles with kids on rivers have led us to a place we’re proud to be.

Assessing impact

Some nonprofits have missions that can be evaluated numerically to gauge impact. Examples include groups that focus on increasing graduation rates or decreasing teen pregnancy, etc. Success at GOALS, however, requires a more qualitative, big-picture evaluation. In a society where kids experience so much anxiety, depression, and loneliness that suicide rates and opioid addictions have never been higher, the GOALS mission is necessary, noble, and powerful. But…how does one accurately represent “transformative life experience” in numbers?

 

OBSERVING & REFLECTING

We have spent almost 10,000 days in the field implementing programs. Over that time, we have observed the change in how kids interact and communicate with one another from the beginning to the end of their expedition. We have listen to their sincere appreciations around evening campfires, and have been moved by emotional thank-you letters they write to the canyon during a short solo on the final evening of their expedition. We are proud of the testimonials we receive from parents - consistently describing the changes they’ve noticed between the child they dropped off for their GOALS expedition and the one they picked up afterward. We are humbled by the number of repeat participants (nearly 30%) - several of whom have been so moved by their GOALS experiences they’ve tattooed our logo on their bodies (no, parents - this is not something we encourage).

Using all of this feedback to calculate impact, GOALS is confident that one wilderness river trip at a time, we are creating something better and more balanced for kids who may not even have been aware they were seeking it. We are introducing them to parts of their brains they might not otherwise spend much time using in regions of our planet they might not otherwise have an opportunity to explore. Both are crucial to producing the immeasurable empowerment that comes from identifying who they are now, who they want to be, and how to move confidently in that direction. Call it a nascent cultural awakening. Through GOALS Youth River Expeditions, the potential to define a new norm for the next generation - one wild river expedition at a time - must not be underestimated.

“Our son is a thinker, doesn’t take many chances, and observes the world around him. He was going into high school, and we wanted him to do a “big trip.” GOALS was the big trip he needed to find his wings.

After I picked him up, he didn’t say much. It wasn’t until days later he told us everything. Sleeping under the stars, watching the sunset in the canyon, and really listening to the river allowed him to find his way again. He left for GOALS a wounded little boy, but came back a strong young man.

He now walks with his head up and his shoulders back. GOALS gave him the confidence to believe he could conquer the world around him - just like his dad and I always knew he could. We will be forever thankful to the GOALS team!”


- Mother of middle school GOALS participant.

THE EASY NUMBERS

Of course, there is some quantitative data that GOALS can share, and they are numbers we’re quite proud of. While student and parent testimonials speak to the depth of our impact, these numbers speak to the breadth, or reach, that GOALS has had in just over a decade. Our pride in the numbers below is rooted not only in the extent to which we have accomplished the GOALS mission, but also in the efficiency with which we’ve done so. Few organizations can boast about the programatic growth that has occurred at GOALS without significant increases in human resource or overhead spending. Our small, passionate staff and community of dedicated volunteers have turned donor investments into program impact at a rate that is unmatched.

  • KIDS SERVED.

    What began as a program serving 15-25 kids each season on 1 river now serves 10x that on rivers around the world- thanks to the support of partnering outfitters and devoted, experienced GOALS leaders. .

  • A RANGE OF AGES.

    GOALS programs begin in 4th grade and are available through college. With the most interest, readiness, and free time available - our largest numbers occur in middle school.

  • DAYS IN THE FIELD.

    GOALS has spent the cumulative equivalent of just over 27 YEARS in the field with kids - delivering almost 10,000 days of programming that many kids will tell you have been their “best days ever.”

  • EXPERIENCE = IMPROVEMENT

    If there was a river that followed Earth’s circumference, we’d be just completing our 4th lap. All those miles have made us better at what we do, - we look forward to more learning on more miles downstream.

“When I picked my daughter up at the airport after her GOALS trip to the Rogue River, it was so cool to see the entire group of kids completely bonded. Some of them knew each other before they left, some of them didn't. But upon their return, they were all deeply connected on a level that myself and the rest of the parents could see and appreciate.

This trip has touched her soul in a way that nothing else can. Not only did she make forever friends with other kids on the trip, but with her mentors and guides. It has now been over 2 months since her return from the Rogue and she still gets emotional about her experiences.”

- Mother of high school GOALS participant

IMPROVING THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS

Of course, we’re aware that not everyone has the ability to witness the transformation that our leaders and guides get to see first-hand on expeditions. Some traditional data analysts will always want numbers to evaluate the growth that GOALS kids experience. For them, we spent several seasons collecting survey data from kids to compare pre- and post-expedition responses. Passing out surveys during our last lunch in the canyon, however, felt non-authentic - even selfish - and contrary to our unwavering focus on participant impact. So, we ended this practice - and looked for a better alternative.

GOALS is honored and excited to have been recently selected as a nonprofit partner by a respected program evaluation partner whose data will allow us to continue driving program improvement. GOALS will benefit from a new method of data collection and the advanced analytics it provides beginning in 2022 that will help us communicate the gains our kids experience to all stakeholders - from leaders and staff to prospective participants and funders - and of course to the participants themselves.