Introducing Ellie’s Fund
Hi everyone,
We are excited to announce that we have created a tax-deductible memorial fund – Ellie’s Fund. This dedicated fund supports young leaders who are re-imagining the relationship between community, land and energy sources. This was Ellie’s mission in life, yet she was just getting started. Please help us sustain her work by supporting this fund to help others dedicated to the same cause.
Rather than creating a new entity or organization. Ellie’s Fund is about partnerships to support existing work. We have decided to partner with Knoll Farm’s non-profit – New Learning Journey. Knoll Farm is a working family farm and non-profit to which Ellie was deeply connected and whose mission Ellie embraced. Ellie worked summers at Knoll Farm growing up, and it is where we held her celebration of life last Spring.
Through New Learning Journey, your contribution to Ellie’s Fund supports younger participants in the Better Selves Fellowship at Knoll Farm. As Ellie’s Fund grows over time, we will extend our support to other similar organizations working for social and environmental change. Stay tuned!
You can make a tax-deductible donation to Ellie’s Fund by clicking the button below. For electronic donations, New Learning Journey’s EIN is 47-4879926. You can also write a check made out to “New Learning Journey” with a memo designating your donation to Ellie’s Fund, and mail it to Knoll Farm at 700 Bragg Hill Road, Waitsfield, VT 05673.
– Chach, Kari, Lainey and Jake
About Ellie
“I am inspired to go deeper into the work of caring for others and the land we get to live on.”
Ellie Curtis was a beloved family member, friend, fellow outdoor adventurer and colleague in public service. Ellie passed away unexpectedly, suddenly, and way too young on April 5, 2025, from a ski accident at Palisades Tahoe, California. She was 26 years old.
Ellie was born in Vermont and was a joyful, curious, caring, funny, warm and adventurous person. Ellie had a deep curiosity about the natural world, love for adventure, and resilience to navigate difficult challenges.
“Inclusive means to be more welcoming. Also, having the courage to be yourself will hopefully open up the space for others to do so, as well.”
Ellie grew up in Waitsfield, VT and attended Green Mountain Valley School, where she was a state champion ski racer and valedictorian. She then went to Dartmouth College where she was captain of the Women’s Alpine Ski Team, an NCAA All-American and named to the National Collegiate All-Academic Ski Team three times. Most recently, Ellie dedicated some of that competitive spirit to become a pro enduro mountain bike racer in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ellie’s other passion was for public service. She was dedicated to making the world a little bit better for everyone. Ellie graduated cum laude with a degree in government. She focused her young career in the alternative energy sector, most recently as an electricity analyst with the California Public Utility Commission. Ellie also volunteered her time with nonprofits such as the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and Little Bellas and canvassed for political candidates with whom she shared a commitment to social justice and to help those in need.
“My job in energy is a doorway into solving climate change and creating a more equitable society.”
