Outdoor Alliance Welcomes Brynna Counts-Morgan as Development Director
Outdoor Alliance is excited to welcome Brynna Counts-Morgan as the Development Director, and the newest member of our team. Learn more about Brynna and her work at Outdoor Alliance.
Where are you based and what do you like to do outside?
I’m based outside of Portland, Oregon. Hiking has been my primary outdoor activity for a long time, and I also love backpacking, camping, and kayaking. I’m also a wannabe birder. I grew up in Oregon and have lived all over the Pacific Northwest, which has made getting outside a huge part of my life, whether I’m tide pooling at the coast or hitting a forest trail. Having easy access to public lands throughout my life has made me passionate about protecting these places and ensuring that others can access them for years to come.
What brought you to Outdoor Alliance?
I was drawn to Outdoor Alliance because we act as convener for people who care about the outdoors. We bring people together across outdoor recreation activities to advocate under one united voice for conservation policy that is powerful.
I’ve worked with outdoor recreation nonprofits for a few years, and I’ve seen the advocacy work Outdoor Alliance has been involved in, like the Great American Outdoors Act, doing excellent work in local communities. The ability to work on conservation advocacy at that national level is really exciting, because I know how our impact will trickle down to help public lands across the country. I also love Outdoor Alliance’s commitment to climate advocacy — conservation and climate go hand in hand!
What do you enjoy about fundraising?
Most people say they became fundraisers by accident, but for me, that’s not the case. I was studying nonprofit management during my undergrad and discovered my knack for fundraising during an internship focused on creating grantwriting resources for other nonprofits. I learned that I love building the case for why someone should support an organization. It’s so vital to tell a story that helps someone understand how they can fit into the puzzle of an organization, and help us solve the problems we’re trying to tackle.
The best part of fundraising is connecting with people. Behind each donation, grant, or corporate sponsorship is a person who believes in protecting public lands. I am so inspired when someone says “I believe in this work enough to chip in.” With fundraising, I want to educate folks on conservation and policy issues and give them a pathway to take direct action to help — and giving makes it possible for us to rally the outdoor recreation community.
What outdoor policy issue feels most important to you right now?
This is looking a bit far ahead, but it’ll be a big priority in 2025: the reauthorization of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). I’ve seen what a positive impact GAOA has had on the outdoor recreation areas that I visit, like updated campgrounds, repaired trail infrastructure (bridges, etc.), and improved accessibility. These are all things we can often take for granted when they are going well, but make outdoor experiences challenging when neglected. GAOA has made great progress, and we’ll want to make sure this momentum continues years into the future. I’m pumped to be with Outdoor Alliance as this priority comes up in 2025.
What are you most looking forward to about this role?
I’m grateful that I’ll get to translate my love of the outdoors into policy action. The team at Outdoor Alliance is incredible, and I’m so excited to get into the policy trenches with them. However, I’m most looking forward to connecting with all the wonderful people who make Outdoor Alliance’s work possible, like our donors. I want to learn about what inspires them to protect public lands, and partner with them to advance our shared conservation values.
What should donors know about Outdoor Alliance?
As someone new to the organization, I can tell you that Outdoor Alliance is the real deal. The staff are experts on conservation policy, and have forged excellent relationships with lawmakers in order to advance our work. The sheer number of policies they are tracking is incredible, and I’ve been particularly impressed by how trusted they are; outdoor advocates, nonprofits, and policymakers turn to Outdoor Alliance as a trusted voice representing the outdoor community. They have innovative programming to empower outdoor advocates, like the Grasstops Collective.
I’ve already seen them be excellent stewards of donations. When you give to Outdoor Alliance, your donation allows us to confront the highest priority conservation issues the outdoor recreation community is facing. We’d be grateful to have you join us.