The New Hampshire Outdoor Council (NHOC) is registered with the New Hampshire Secretary of State as a nonprofit corporation, and is fully qualified by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt organization under the provisions of section 501c(3). The NHOC was recognized and endorsed by the New Hampshire Legislature under chapter 178:2 (May, 1986). Provisions of the statute permit coordination with the Department of Fish and Game and with the Department of Resources and Economic Development.

The NHOC is an all-volunteer organization, with consequently low overhead expenses. The NHOC provides funding support to agencies and organizations (especially volunteer organizations) which are involved in backcountry safety education and in search and rescue activities in the Granite State. Donations to the NHOC are welcomed, and are especially appreciated from those who have benefited from the efforts of volunteer search and rescue groups. The funds are distributed through specific grants to search and rescue groups throughout the state.

The Directors of the NHOC represent a cross section of wilderness outdoor interests in New Hampshire, people conversant with the many complex issues involved in backcountry user education and in related search and rescue, as well as representatives of agencies and organizations involved in dispersed outdoor recreation management, natural resource stewardship, and public safety.