Protect Our Winters Action Fund | POW AF (c4)
Organization Description
POW AF’s goal is to turn the outdoor community’s shared love of wild places into the political will needed to drive positive action on climate change. Launched in 2018, POW AF focuses on helping all outdoor people become effective climate advocates by providing the training and tools needed to speak confidently to the issues, support legislation and ballot measures, and elect climate-friendly officials who will make positive gains toward stabilizing our climate. POW AF priorities: 1) Protecting our Wild Places, 2) Stoking the Vote and Electing Pro-Climate Leaders, 3) Uniting the Outdoor State for Climate Action.
2026 Programs
Organize and coordinate rural communities and local consumers and advocates to support their local Rural Electric Cooperatives’ transition to and adoption of strategies that will advance a shift from coal to clean and sustainable energy and reduce climate emissions. Stoke the Vote - POW's 2026 Election Battleground plan is to reach the right voters in the right districts with the right message and messenger to flip or defend a House seat. The goal is strategic electoral impact. This will be achieved through a hyper-targeted layered air and ground game to key modeled POW voters in CA, CO, MT, and NH.
2025 Programs
REC Race engagement - POW engaged in 4 co-op races, recruiting and endorsing local candidates; in 2 races, candidates ran unopposed, and 2 additional POW-endorsed candidates were elected. Local organizing: POW was part of a local clean energy coalition in Montezuma County, CO, that organized against a county solar moratorium, which was lifted in December. In Montrose County, CO, staff and volunteers canvassed and distributed literature for the local election to recall a county commissioner blocking a local solar land use ordinance. The majority of County Commissioners are now in favor of passing the land development code.
Budget Size: Small: Previous year budget $20,000 - $1M
States Engaged: AK, CA, CO, DC, ME, MT, NV, NH, NM, UT, VT
Geographic Coverage by Congressional District:
CA-03, CO-03, MT-01, NH-01 Geographic Density Focus: Rural / Suburban / Small city (<100k)
Core Constituencies: We do not target any specific demographics and/or it is difficult to say who we may reach, Federal Legislators, Other governing entities
Leadership Diversity: Women-led
Staff and Volunteer Balance: Volunteer boosted - <50% of the programmatic activities are executed by volunteers
Top Priority Issues: Clean energy, Civic engagement, Climate change
Lead Contact:
Caroline Bridges, Sr. Director, Development, she/her, cbridges@powactionfund.org
Last Updated: June 15, 2026

