Grants and funding Dunes Learning Center recently secured a $125K matching grant from Legacy Foundation as part of the GIFT VIII program, signaling strong community ties and potential for partnership funding opportunities or sponsorships to support expanded programs.

Expansion through partnerships The organization has formed a strategic collaboration with Wilderness Medical Associates International to offer Wilderness First Responder certification courses, presenting a co-selling and bundled training opportunity for external organizations and schools.

National park anchor Located inside Indiana Dunes National Park with a 63-acre campus, the center offers a compelling value proposition for park-adjacent schools, environmental nonprofits, and youth programs seeking place-based education experiences, potential for site-based programs and field trips.

Tech and outreach Active use of digital tools (Squarespace, Google Workspace, Mailchimp, PayPal) and social channels (Facebook, Instagram) indicates readiness for digital marketing campaigns, donor communications, and online program enrollment or merchandise sales.

Leadership and mission alignment With leadership recently stabilized and growth initiatives evidenced by past staff appointments and program launches (e.g., Nat's Nature Club), there is appetite for strategic partners in development, fundraising, and program diversification to scale impact and revenue.