A local climbing organization’s (LCO) work to keep climbing areas open and stewarded takes time and resources, including a supportive community, an army of volunteers, and money. Although there’s a strong and deep tradition of volunteerism in the climbing advocacy community, fundraising and volunteer burnout are serious challenges to keeping an LCO going. More and more, LCOs are asking themselves whether it’s time to “go pro” with paid staff, but many struggle with whether, when, and how to take the leap.

In this final installment of the four-part LCO Pro series, we dig into how paid LCO staff get the support and guidance they need from their Board of Directors and Access Fund. As an LCO leader, your board is your go-to support team, and Access Fund is always ready to provide guidance, support, and connection to the national network of local climbing advocacy organizations.