The Juniper Fund was started by mountaineers David Morton and Melissa Arnot Reid in order to address an unmet obligation they witnessed through their work as guides in the world's highest mountains. Their work is presently focused on Nepali workers involved with climbing and expedition support in the high mountains of Nepal.

While the mountain climbing and expedition industry employs countless local staff and laborers in order to help support the adventures many travelers seek, the reality is that some of these workers are injured or killed in the course of this work. Unfortunately, the local governments have inadequate systems for insuring against this in the event of tragedy, and many families are lost without a source of income.

This happened to US Sherpa guide and Brand Ambassador, Nima Doma Sherpa, when her husband was killed in a mountaineering accident while working on Everest in 2014. After her husband's death, Nima Doma needed to find a way to support herself and her two children.

Nima Doma received financial support and vocational training from the Juniper Fund after the death of her husband. She also met Fur Diki Sherpa and together the started the Two Widows Everest Project. Through the Two Widow's Everest Project, Nima Doma and Fur Diki aimed to honor the memories of their husbands and to raise awareness to the challenges that widows in Nepal face. Nima Doma and Fur Diki sucessfully summited Everest in May 2019 and made history as the first Nepali Sherpa widows to climb the tallest mountain in the world.

Ongyel was in the Khumbu leading a group of UVM students on an Everest Basecamp trek at the same time that Nima Doma and Fur Diki summited. Being in the area and hearing their stories was very powerful. Ongyel learned about the Juniper Fund from Nima Doma and US Sherpa has made both monetary and product donations to the organization to help them raise money to continue to support women like Nima Doma.