Donations

Rec+Safe exists because too many outdoor adventures end in a search, a rescue, or worse — and almost all of that is preventable. Your donation directly funds free safety education, gear, and programs that keep people coming home.

Our Vision

We believe every hiker, hunter, paddler, boater, and backcountry traveler deserves the knowledge and tools to come home safely — regardless of experience level or budget. Recreation should build confidence, not risk. Our vision is a culture where checking the forecast, telling someone your plan, and packing the right gear is simply what everyone does before heading out, the same way seatbelts became second nature.

We work toward that vision through free education, low-cost identification and check-in programs, and partnerships with the conservation and public-safety organizations already doing this work on the ground.

Why We Ask

Rec+Safe is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and almost everything we offer is free to use: the safety guides on this site, Scan Your Plan check-in alerts, Scan If Found registration, and the HuntingBuddy, FishingBuddy and CrewFinder partner finders. Keeping them free still costs money every month: servers, the email service that sends overdue alerts, printed decals and materials, and the time it takes to write and check every guide. Donations keep those tools free for everyone, including the people who need them most.

Where Your Donation Goes

  • Free monthly safety education content and Top 10 guides for every major outdoor activity
  • Scan If Found decals and Scan Your Plan check-in access for members who can't otherwise afford them
  • Satellite communicator and safety gear grants for community programs and search & rescue volunteers
  • Conservation and public-safety partnerships, including the organizations on our Partners and Conservation pages
  • Development of new tools and programs as outdoor recreation keeps growing

Choose Where It Goes

  • Rec+Safe General Fund: everything on this page, wherever it's needed most.
  • Canadian GOOSE Fund: outdoor safety education and recreational spaces in Ontario, including our support of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS).
  • KTOO Waterway Conservation Fund: cleanups, fishing line recycling, invasive species education and other work to protect oceans, lakes, rivers and streams.

How Your Donation Is Handled

  • It goes where you choose. Every donation is recorded by fund, so a gift to the GOOSE or KTOO Fund stays with that fund.
  • It's secure. Payments are processed by Square. Your card details go straight to Square and are never stored by Rec+Safe.
  • You get a receipt. Add your email when you donate and we'll email you a receipt. The email is optional.
  • It's tax-deductible in the U.S. Rec+Safe is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, so donations are tax-deductible in the U.S. to the extent allowed by law. Add your email and your receipt will show the amount, date and fund.

Other Ways to Help

  • Become a member through our memberships.
  • Buy Rec+Safe swag, which also helps fund our programs.
  • Use and share our free tools. Leave a plan every time you head out, put a Scan If Found decal on your gear, and send a friend the safety tips for their next trip.

Every dollar helps someone head out better prepared — and helps make sure they make it back. Thank you for supporting recreation safety.

Donate to Rec+Safe