For more than three decades, the North American Brewers Association (NABA) has brought people together around good beer and good causes. Its Mountain Brewers Beer Fest in Idaho Falls turns a day of tasting, music and fun into support for charity, including college scholarships.
Now, NABA is giving that generosity some serious staying power. This fall, the all-volunteer organization established the North American Brewers Association Scholarship Endowment at the Idaho Community Foundation with $330,000 in festival proceeds.
We’ll drink to that.
The fund will support students at Idaho State University, College of Eastern Idaho, Boise State University, Weber State University and Oregon State University, in perpetuity. That’s a lot of opportunity on tap.
From Beer Fest to Zoo Brew and its annual Santa Crawl, NABA proves that giving back doesn’t have to be buttoned-up. Behind the fun are attendees, sponsors, volunteers and a craft brewing community investing in what comes next.
As NABA Vice President Lisa Smith put it, “Through the support of festival attendees, sponsors, volunteers, and the craft brewing community, we are able to invest in students who will become future leaders throughout our region.”
And the keg isn’t tapped out: anyone can contribute to the endowment, helping build a legacy that lasts well beyond the next festival.
Zoë joined the Idaho Community Foundation in 2025. As vice president of advancement, she leads fundraising and development efforts and manages the team of philanthropic advisors statewide. Prior to ICF, Zoë worked in major and planned giving for St. Luke's Health Foundation.
This content is sourced from
Idaho Community Foundation
. It reflects the author's views and has not been edited by our newsroom. It may have been generated using AI assistance.
