By Onika Abraham Lee, Executive Director of Blue Sky Funders Forum
Some conferences begin in a ballroom. This one began on a yoga mat.
On a warm afternoon in early May, I joined local yogis and fellow attendees at the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable’s National Executive Forum on Health and Outdoor Recreation on the National Mall for a Lululemon-sponsored yoga session before the opening reception and dinner. Practicing yoga in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and other iconic landmarks was a fitting way to begin the gathering. Before the keynote addresses, panel discussions, and networking, we were invited to experience firsthand something many of us spend our professional lives advocating for: the connection between people, place, movement, and well-being.
That experience set the tone for the forum.
Throughout the gathering, researchers, practitioners, business leaders, and funders explored the growing body of evidence demonstrating that outdoor access is not simply a recreational amenity—it is a public health intervention. While the outdoor recreation economy contributes an estimated $1.3 trillion annually to the U.S. economy, its value extends far beyond economic output. Parks, trails, beaches, public spaces, community gardens, and other outdoor places support physical health, mental well-being, educational outcomes, social connection, and community resilience.
What was particularly encouraging was seeing leaders from healthcare, business, philanthropy, and government increasingly recognize what those of us working in outdoor access and environmental education have understood for years: access to nature is essential infrastructure for healthy communities. By
I had the opportunity to join the panel, “Funders and Innovators at Work: Catalyzing Community Prosperity,” moderated by Andy Treharne of Capital One, alongside Curan Bonham of the Richard King Mellon Foundation, Gloria Schoch of The VF Foundation, and Gary Wilmot of the LOR Foundation.
Our conversation focused on the growing recognition that outdoor recreation is a powerful driver of economic vitality, public health, and community resilience. We discussed opportunities for philanthropy to invest in research, park and trail infrastructure, maintenance, and community-led strategies that ensure more people can safely access and benefit from outdoor spaces.
During the discussion, I shared a perspective that has guided Blue Sky Funders Forum’s work for more than a decade: we’ve known the impact of outdoor connection on public health, equity, and community prosperity for years. What’s changing is that more sectors are beginning to recognize those connections simultaneously.
That shift is increasingly visible in philanthropic funding patterns. Since 2015, more than $1 billion has been invested in environmental education and outdoor access, representing a 300 percent increase in grantmaking. According to Blue Sky’s latest Tracking the Field research, conducted in partnership with the Environmental Grantmakers Association, one of the most significant changes has been the growth of health-focused funding within outdoor access philanthropy. Between 2021 and 2023, the percentage of grants focused on health and wellness increased from 21 percent to 72 percent.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated much of this evolution. During periods of lockdown and isolation, parks and green spaces became essential places for refuge, exercise, connection, and healing. As a result, healthcare leaders, public agencies, corporate partners, and philanthropies increasingly began to view outdoor access as part of broader strategies to address chronic disease, mental health challenges, social isolation, and overall community well-being.
At the same time, access remains deeply inequitable.
Blue Sky’s research reveals significant regional disparities in funding. In 2023, communities along the Pacific Coast received approximately $3.70 per person in outdoor access funding, while communities in the Gulf Coast region received just seven cents per capita. Those disparities aren’t just numbers—they influence who has access to safe, welcoming, and well-maintained outdoor spaces and, ultimately, who benefits from the many physical, mental, and social advantages that nature provides.
Closing those gaps requires more than increasing funding totals. It requires philanthropy to embrace long-term, community-led approaches grounded in listening, trust-building, and shared decision-making. Throughout the forum, I heard a growing recognition that lasting solutions emerge when communities themselves help define priorities and shape investments.
For funders newer to this work, my encouragement is simple: approach the field with curiosity and humility. The goal is not simply to expand recreation opportunities. It is to invest in belonging, health, cultural connection, economic opportunity, and long-term community resilience.
As I reflect on the forum, I keep thinking back to that yoga session on the National Mall. Standing among national monuments while practicing movement and mindfulness served as a reminder that public spaces matter. They create opportunities for connection—to ourselves, to one another, and to the places we share. When thoughtfully designed, stewarded, and made accessible, they become powerful assets for community well-being.
At Blue Sky Funders Forum, we’re committed to helping philanthropy recognize and invest in these connections.
We’ll continue this conversation—and take a deeper dive into our latest Tracking the Field findings on nature, health, and well-being—at our 2026 National Convening, October 7–9 in Freeport, Maine. Centered on the theme Nurturing Networks, the convening will bring together funders, practitioners, and partners to explore how relationships, aligned investments, and community leadership can strengthen the movement for equitable outdoor access and healthier communities.
I hope you’ll join us as we continue building the relationships and shared vision needed to ensure everyone can experience the benefits of nature.