Zack Martin Breaking Barriers Grant 2026

The Zack Martin Breaking Barriers (ZMBB) Grant was created in memory of Zack Martin, an avid climber and humanitarian who died just before his 25th birthday. Concerned about the failure to ‘pay it forward’ and help those in the places he climbed, Zack committed himself to perform humanitarian services in the local communities in which he explored. His efforts were supported through multiple grants including ones from the American Alpine Club (AAC) and the Anatoli Boukreev Grant. Zack championed “breaking barriers” in the alpine environment, and “breaking barriers” in the heart of man.

This grant seeks to fund expeditions that focus, primarily, on humanitarian efforts and, secondly, on an objective involving alpinism, mountaineering, rock/ice climbing and bouldering. Exploration in other areas such as ski mountaineering, river exploration etc. that lead to a greater understanding and improvement of the alpine environment could be considered for the grant.  Successful candidates will demonstrate how their expedition fully encompasses both tenets of this grant.

CRITERIA / GUIDELINES
 

Humanitarian Objective
The Humanitarian Objective must have immediate human impact, and be both feasible and sustainable. It must ensure continuity to provide benefits to local people after initial implementation. Ideally, objectives will teach locals “how to,” enable infrastructure, and provide some level of continued support and funding. Recipients are evaluated on overall impact, with a high expectation of service to that local community.

Examples of acceptable objectives have included: Composting toilets in Huascaran National Park in Peru, building and teaching locals gravity-fed water filtration systems in Ecuador, combined medical clinic and schoolhouse construction with solar power and ongoing support for local villages.

Alpine Objective 

The Alpine Objective must focus on alpine related adventure and/or discovery in the natural environment. A non-alpine adventure or exploration activity could be considered if the non-alpine objective leads to enhancement of the alpine/climbing/mountaineering environment.  

Note: The Zack Martin Grant does not fund: 1. Research of any kind, 2. Most education efforts, like teaching locals how to climb 3. Promotion of ecotourism, climate change projects, etc. 

Recipient Responsibilities

• If for any reason the project is canceled or significantly changed, awarded funds must be returned to the American Alpine Club (AAC) in full. When you know your final travel dates, please let the Grants Director know.
• Funds must be used within one year of the grant award date. If, after a grant is awarded, additional funding is obtained and the grant funds are no longer needed, or if an expedition is “over funded,” the recipient is asked to return all surplus funds to the AAC.
• Upon returning, all Grant Recipients are required to submit to the AAC a written Trip Report that includes no less than five, high-quality and high-resolution photos. In general, Trip Reports should incorporate a brief written component (ideally 500–1,500 words) giving a general summary of the trip. Appropriate imagery that illustrates these components should also be included. The Trip Report is due within 90 days of trip completion.
• Grant Recipients may be asked to provide high-quality photography and/or videography illustrating the expedition, including imagery that exemplifies the AAC’s mission and promotes the AAC brand. Any photos/videos submitted with the Trip Report remain property of the grantees, but the AAC reserves the right to reproduce submitted photos/videos in any manner for marketing or promotional purposes. 
• Recipients are required to mention the Zack Martin Breaking Barriers Grant as well as their support from the AAC if speaking about the grant publicly.
• Awardees may be asked by the AAC to give a public presentation about their grant at Club events. It is expected that recipients participate in these events where possible and mention the support of the AAC when speaking about the expedition.
• Grant Recipients will act as AAC ambassadors to the domestic and international climbing communities and are expected to champion the mission, values, and support of the Club. Recipients should do their best to practice environmentally friendly and leave no trace ethics, and to act as mountain stewards.
• Failure to submit a Trip Report within the allotted time or failure to comply with any of the points listed here will result in the applicant being ineligible for future AAC grants.

Additional Information

• Proposals are accepted for expeditions occurring within one calendar year of the award date.
• Funding shall not be released to recipients until necessary permits and/or visas have been obtained.
• If for any reason the project is canceled or significantly altered, recipients must contact the AAC Grants Manager. If requested, all awarded funds must be returned to the AAC in full.

FEATURED PAST RECIPIENTS

Mighty Water

Mighty Water provides clean drinking water in rural areas through the use of a simple, two 5-gallon bucket filtration system that is low cost and easily maintained. The key innovation is the Safi Gravity Water Filter, a groundbreaking technology designed to provide a simple and affordable, yet efficient solution to water contamination. Safi utilizes advanced filtration techniques to remove harmful parasites and bacteria from water, making it safe for consumption. The Safi system is easy to build, easy to use, and requires minimal maintenance, making it ideal for communities with limited resources and infrastructure. In 5 years, clean and safe drinking water is being enjoyed by nearly 100,000 people for two and a half cents per household per day. Our filters are located in Africa, South America and Nepal. MIGHTY WATER | Help Uplift Communities with Clean and Safe Water

Lilliana Libecki

At 12, Lilliana Libecki has seen more of the world than most people will in their lifetimes. She has visited sixteen countries, all seven continents, and has summited Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world. With a passion for adventure and humanitarian work, which she inherited from her parents, Lilliana continues to help the planet and its people. She has received the ZMBB Grant several times and has built combined clinics/schoolhouses in remote areas of those seven continents. The clinics/schoolhouses are solar powered, and they offer computer access, educational materials, and medical supplies. They also boast a long-term support mechanism to ensure functionality of the clinics/schoolhouses.