Inside the Palisades Tahoe Community Foundation: Programs, Impact, and a New Website by Peak Digital Studio

Palisades Tahoe has a history of producing young athletes who embody grit, confidence, and the joy of winter sport. Through scholarships, academic support, and a connected community, the Palisades Tahoe Community Foundation (PTCF) works hard to ensure that every winter student-athlete has the chance to reach their full potential on the mountain, in school, and in life.

The foundation’s mission is all about building the next generation of leaders and opening doors, so that athletes from all backgrounds can experience the thrill of skiing or snowboarding in Tahoe. They’re about giving young people the tools, encouragement, and structure to thrive in competition, in the classroom, and later on in their communities and careers.

The Impact of PTCF Programs on Tahoe’s Student-Athletes

PTCF frames its impact through the idea that dollars can turn lift rides into life lessons. Donor support fuels efforts to encourage discipline for training on icy mornings, foster resilience after a tough competition day, and provide the teamwork that lifts athletes up when they need it most.

They help athletes develop into strong and balanced youth who understand perseverance, commitment, and the importance of supporting one another. These lessons stay with them into their adult years.

Providing Financial Support for Palisades Tahoe Student-Athletes

Since 2014, the foundation has awarded more than $1,000,000 in scholarships to winter athletes. And, 90% of them are local Tahoe kids. Those funds help cover gear, travel, and program fees, which might otherwise put competitive skiing and snowboarding out of reach.

But the foundation emphasizes that the true impact is that scholars develop leadership skills, grit, and teamwork, which help them thrive in every area of life.

Need-Based Scholarships

PTCF’s need-based scholarships address the high cost of competitive winter sports. The foundation believes money should never be the deciding factor in whether a young athlete can chase their winter dreams.

Merit-Based Scholarships

When athletes qualify for regionals, nationals, or international competitions, the unexpected expenses can add up. Merit-based scholarships help them cover registration fees, travel, and other essential costs tied to advancing in competitive winter sports.

A Lasting Community of Support

Scholarship recipients become part of a tight-knit community. Athletes receive mentorship, academic help, and leadership opportunities.

Academic and Wellness Resources for Young Athletes at Palisades Tahoe

The foundation pairs its athletic support with resources that help student-athletes succeed academically and personally. Tutoring, mentoring, and well-being programs ensure kids develop strong study habits, stay grounded, and have access to the tools they need to succeed in and out of competition.

The PTCF Academic Center is a joint effort between Team Palisades Tahoe (TPT) and the foundation. Its mission is to foster well-rounded student-athletes and promote the importance of education.

Located at the base of Palisades Tahoe and open during the school week, the Academic Center provides free in-person academic support to TPT athletes during the training season. Students receive subject-specific tutoring, test prep assistance, writing feedback, and guidance on building organizational and study skills. The center offers a reliable, structured, comfortable learning environment where athletes can complete coursework independently or receive individual tutoring.

PTCF Growing Pains + Solutions

The Palisades Tahoe Community Foundation was growing, but its website was struggling to keep up. The previous site was outdated, difficult to update, and required a WordPress developer for even the smallest changes. For an organization running year-round programs, events, scholarships, and academic resources, the inability to make quick updates created unnecessary bottlenecks.

PTCF needed a modern website that reflected its mission, allowed internal staff to manage content easily, and communicated impact clearly to the Tahoe community.

To make that happen, the foundation partnered with Peak Digital Studio, a Truckee website development team known for building modern, scalable Webflow websites for nonprofits and organizations across Truckee and Tahoe.

PTCF Website Redesign: A Modern Webflow Build by Peak Digital Studio in Truckee

Because Matt Johnson from Peak Digital Studio also serves on the foundation’s board, he entered the project with a thorough understanding of the challenges and goals. The Peak team collected input from key stakeholders, including PTCF Board President, Meagan, Development and Operations Manager, Flynn, and Board Members Alison and Greg.

With those insights, Peak identified a minimum viable product to launch quickly, knowing the organization would benefit from ongoing hosting, improvements, and features added over time.

Every design decision centered on mission clarity and user action. The team focused on answering one core question: What do we want visitors to do when they land on the site? Do we want them to donate, volunteer, or apply for scholarships? That framework guided the site’s structure, messaging, and visual hierarchy.

Peak worked within the existing brand guidelines but modernized the typography and design direction to align with where the organization is headed.

Why Webflow Was the Right Platform for a Website Redesign

As a Truckee Webflow developer, Peak selected Webflow for its speed, scalability, and ease of use. The new site is mobile-optimized, fast, and designed so anyone on the PTCF team can update events, add new team members, adjust copy, and highlight campaigns without relying on outside developers.

Integrations were an important component as well. The site connects directly with Givebutter, where donation pages are hosted. Newsletter sign-ups and contact forms flow automatically into Givebutter, creating a unified top-of-funnel system.

Peak also completed all foundational technical SEO work, including titles, meta descriptions, alt text, and keyword structure to ensure the site is discoverable by families searching for Palisades Tahoe scholarships, Tahoe youth programs, or academic support for student-athletes.

A Smooth Collaboration and Positive Feedback

Peak delivered updates through its client portal, where the foundation reviewed designs, provided feedback, and saw revisions in real time. “The new website came out looking better than we expected! It’s dynamic, beautiful, and clear. We’re so grateful to the Peak Digital Studio team who made this entire experience so smooth,” said Flynn Ginty Development & Operations Manager.

Peak Digital Studio’s Commitment to the Tahoe Community and PTCF

Supporting local nonprofits is core to Peak’s values. With ties to Tahoe and a shared love of skiing (Matt’s kids are on ski teams), the project represents the kind of community partnership that Peak prioritizes. It allowed the studio to support a mission close to home while strengthening a resource for local athletes.

Peak hopes that anyone visiting the new site immediately understands the foundation’s mission, the opportunities available to young athletes, and the ways the community can get involved. The redesign elevates the Academic Center, scholarship programs, and overall impact, positioning PTCF as a resource for athletes striving to succeed on the mountain and in the classroom.