The Work Was Already Happening, Now It Has a Name
For years, we kept saying yes.
We said yes to foster families who needed a place to connect.
We said yes to youth groups that could not afford the full cost of an experience.
We said yes to young people who needed confidence, purpose, healthy challenges and trusted adults.
We said yes to families who needed time together and to people going through difficult seasons who needed a place to step away from the pressure of life.
Much of that work happened quietly through Swell Retreat.
We donated experiences, reduced prices, provided scholarships and personally absorbed many of the costs. We did it because we believed access mattered—and because we had seen what could happen when someone was given the right experience at the right time.
Since 2020, nearly 11,000 people have come through Swell Retreat.
They have ridden horses, paddled across lakes, built trails, practiced outdoor skills, served their community, worked through team challenges and gathered around fires.
The activities were memorable, but the purpose was always greater than recreation.
What We Saw Happening
We watched hesitant children begin to participate.
We watched young people discover that they could safely lead a horse, complete a difficult task and contribute something meaningful to a team.
We watched families put away their screens, laugh together and create memories.
We watched participants recognize how pressure affected their bodies, behavior and relationships.
We watched people learn that asking for help is not weakness, that boundaries can create safety and that adversity does not have to determine the rest of their story.
We also saw a challenge.
The people who could benefit most from these experiences were often the least able to afford them.
For years, our answer was to quietly make room. But generosity needs a sustainable structure if the work is going to continue and grow.
That realization led to the creation of SWELL Foundation.
What SWELL Means
SWELL represents:
Self Mastery
Wellness
Emotional Strength
Leadership
Love & Service
These principles guide the way we design programs and experiences.
Self Mastery means recognizing our patterns, choices and responses.
Wellness includes our physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and relational well-being.
Emotional Strength is not the absence of difficult feelings. It is the ability to understand them, regulate ourselves and choose healthy responses.
Leadership begins with how we lead ourselves and extends to how we influence our families, teams and communities.
Love & Service remind us that our growth becomes more meaningful when we use it to strengthen others.
How SWELL Foundation and Swell Retreat Work Together
Swell Retreat and SWELL Foundation have connected but distinct roles.
Swell Retreat is the place. It is a 208-acre outdoor property near Utah’s San Rafael Swell with lakes, horses, trails, lodging, camping and opportunities for recreation and experiential learning.
SWELL Foundation is the mission-driven organization that helps develop educational programs, create partnerships, provide scholarships and expand access.
Many Foundation programs may take place at Swell Retreat, but the mission is larger than one property.
The goal is to strengthen youth, families, veterans and communities through connection, nature, experiential learning, leadership and service.
What the Foundation Supports
The work of SWELL Foundation includes:
Youth leadership and emotional-resilience programs
Hearts & Horses experiences
Foster-youth and foster-family retreats
Outdoor education and recreation
Trail building and community stewardship
Family connection experiences
Veteran-focused programs
Scholarships and reduced-cost participation
Service projects
School, nonprofit and community partnerships
Each program may look different, but the desired outcomes are connected.
We want people to feel safe, capable, connected and needed.
We want young people to recognize that their behavior carries information and that they can learn healthier ways to respond to pressure.
We want families to create memories and strengthen relationships.
We want veterans and individuals experiencing isolation to find purpose and belonging.
We want service participants to look at a trail, program or community project and be able to say, “I helped build that. My contribution mattered.”
This Is an Invitation
The creation of SWELL Foundation is not the beginning of the work.
The work has been happening for years.
This is the beginning of building the partnerships, funding and community support needed to carry it forward sustainably.
There are many ways to participate.
You can volunteer at a service project.
You can become a community or program partner.
You can sponsor a scholarship or experience.
You can contribute supplies, equipment or professional expertise.
You can share the mission with someone who should know about it.
You can participate in a program and bring what you learn back to your family, workplace or community.
We believe the right experience at the right time can help change the direction of a life.
We invite you to help us create more of those experiences.
Learn more about SWELL Foundation and how you can participate:
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