Katz Amsterdam Trust awards $1.1 million for youth winter sports access

The Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust and Vail Resorts are sending $1,111,591 in 2026 grants to 18 organizations that will put an estimated 2,521 youth on the slopes this winter. The awards extend a $10 million, multi-year push to widen access to skiing and snowboarding, especially for marginalized communities.

Why it matters: - The 2026 grants are aimed at reducing cost and access barriers that keep many young people out of skiing and snowboarding. - The program is designed to expand participation among youth from marginalized communities, including communities of color. - The grants also help build a longer pipeline into mentorship, leadership and outdoor-industry careers.

What happened: - The Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust, in partnership with Vail Resorts, announced $1,111,591 in 2026 grants through the Youth Access to Winter Sports Program. - The funding will support 18 organizations and is expected to connect about 2,521 youth with winter sports this season. - The announcement was made in Boulder, Colorado, on Sept. 23, 2026.

The details: - The grants are part of a $10 million, multi-year commitment made by Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz and his late wife, Elana Amsterdam, through their Charitable Trust. - Since 2020, the trust has connected more than 13,000 youth to skiing and snowboarding. - Across those efforts, partner networks have generated more than 65,000 cumulative skier days. - Since the commitment launched in 2020, Katz Amsterdam has supported 24 organizations across North America. - The program has prioritized organizations serving marginalized communities, including communities of color. - The National Brotherhood of Snowsports has received about $1.5 million since 2021 and is among the program’s longest-running grantees. - SOS Outreach is the single largest recipient in the 2026 round. - SOS Outreach serves communities across the Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes. - Across Katz Amsterdam-funded partner programs, 303 youth moved into mentor roles in 2025–26. - Another 400 mentor roles are expected in 2026–27. - Vail Resorts has contributed more than $56.4 million in programming and in-kind youth access support over the past five seasons. - Combined with broader youth access initiatives, Vail Resorts says it has helped connect nearly 73,000 young people to the mountains since 2021. - The 2026 recipient list includes groups in Pittsburgh, Boston, Washington, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Chicago, Hazleton, Montgomery County, Cleveland, St. Louis and Carlisle, plus multi-state programs. - Grant amounts range from $2,500 for River City Foundation to $279,445 for SOS Outreach.

Between the lines: - The trust is using winter sports as an entry point, but the broader goal is equity, representation and long-term youth development. - The mentorship numbers suggest the program is moving beyond first-time participation and into sustained leadership building. - Vail Resorts is pairing direct grantmaking with in-kind support, which amplifies the impact beyond cash awards alone.

What's next: - The 18 grantees will use the 2026 funding to get youth on the mountain during the coming winter season. - The program is likely to continue building mentor pipelines as more participants age into leadership roles. - Katz Amsterdam and Vail Resorts appear positioned to keep expanding access through the broader multi-year commitment.

The bottom line: - Katz Amsterdam and Vail Resorts are putting fresh money behind a long-running strategy to make skiing and snowboarding more accessible, more representative and more durable for the next generation.

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