Giving Back

We believe community involvement is vital to our growth.  GoLite employees contribute hundreds of hours per year volunteering. We help rebuild local trails, restore & conserve sensitive nature areas, do roadside clean-ups, and volunteer on alternative transportation projects. After one year of service, all full-time GoLite employees are also paid for an additional week out of the office to either volunteer for an environmental organization or field-test our products.

All of GoLite’s corporate donations and sponsorships are targeted at getting more people outdoors and at environmental and conservation efforts. We prioritize working with partner organizations who share our values.

Among the many worthy organizations we support, GoLite is a proud member of the Conservation Alliance, an Outdoor Industry coalition that helps protect and preserve threatened wild places for their habitat and recreation values. In addition to our annual membership dues, 1% of all of GoLite's industry employee sales are donated to this organization.

We actively encourage alternative transportation to work for our employees through participation in Bike to Work Week, providing showers and secure inside bike parking, and paying cash incentives for selecting more energy-efficient modes of travel. Every year, the GoLite staff selects human powered transportation for over 15,000 miles to and from work! Over 75% of our staff engages in at least one form of alternative transportation, and 20% are regular, year-round alternative commuters.

GoLite executives and employees regularly speak to schools, non-profit organizations, conferences and other groups about our sustainability efforts and the benefits of going light in the backcountry. Our employees serve on industry, educational and conservation boards and committees, including the Outdoor Industry Association’s Board of Trustees and the Outdoor Industry Association Eco Working Group, a coalition of over 150 companies taking a leadership role to develop environmental impact evaluation tools, programs, education and communication that will direct product life cycle and purchasing decisions within the outdoor industry. They are committed to finding solutions that will lead to positive and measurable societal change and significantly improve our environmental footprint and protect our valuable natural resources for future generations.

Want to know more? Check out our 2009 Sustainability Report.