Rails to Trails Conservancy
THE RAILS-TO-TRAILS CONSERVANCY IS THE NATIONS LARGEST TRAILS ORG. WITH A GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY MORE THAN 1 MIL. STRONG DEDICATED TO BUILDING A NATION CONNECTED BY TRAILS, REIMAGINING PUBLIC SPACES TO CREATE SAFE WAYS FOR EVERYONE TO WALK, BIKE & BE ACTIVE OUTDOORS.
Key facts about Rails to Trails Conservancy
- EIN
- 52-1437006
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $707,390
- Grants made (2025)
- 35
- Average grant
- $20,211
- Median grant
- $10,290
- Total assets
- $23,044,292
- Primary geography
- New Jersey (25% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Rails to Trails Conservancy funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Rails to Trails Conservancy's 35 itemized 2025 grants were New Jersey (25%), Wisconsin (12%) and Pennsylvania (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Baltimore, MD (3 grants), Milwaukee, WI (2 grants), Philadelphia, PA (2 grants) and Oakland, CA (2 grants). None of its 35 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Trail Development" (19 grants), "Trail Policy Advocacy" (9 grants) and "Community Engagement" (5 grants).
How Rails to Trails Conservancy gives
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Rails to Trails Conservancy
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$23.0M
+1.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$707K
+7.8% YoY
Grant Count
35
+2.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$20K
+4.7% YoY
About Rails to Trails Conservancy
Based on IRS filings
Rails to Trails Conservancy is a nonprofit organization focused on Environment & Animals, based in Washington, DC. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $23.0M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 35 grants totaling $707K. Net investment income was $673K.
Focus Areas
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 35 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $23,044,292 | $22,824,509 | $20,326,477 |
| Revenue | $13,289,625 | $14,740,431 | $11,711,163 |
| Expenses | $14,131,877 | $13,989,120 | $12,950,447 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $673,110 | $915,551 | $310,673 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
141 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include New Jersey Bike Walk Coalition ($180,000), 30TH Street Industrial Corridor Corp ($77,000), Hace ($35,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NEW JERSEY BIKE WALK COALITION Montclair, NJ | TRAIL DEVELOPMENT | $180,000 |
| 30TH STREET INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR CORP Milwaukee, WI | TRAIL DEVELOPMENT | $77,000 |
| HACE Philadelphia, PA | TRAIL DEVELOPMENT | $35,000 |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE SNOWMOBILE ASSOCIATION Tilton, NH | TRAIL DEVELOPMENT | $27,600 |
| EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT Oakland, CA | TRAIL DEVELOPMENT | $25,000 |
| FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS OF SWANNANOA INC Swannanoa, NC | TRAIL DEVELOPMENT | $25,000 |
| FRIENDS OF THE MARKET INC Birmingham, AL | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | $25,000 |
| HARRISON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Cadiz, OH | TRAIL DEVELOPMENT | $20,000 |
| PARK COUNTY MONTANA Livingston, MT | TRAIL DEVELOPMENT | $20,000 |
| WYOMING PATHWAYS Lander, WY | CAPACITY BUILDING | $20,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Chang | Chair | 5 | — |
| Noel Kegel | Vice Chair | 5 | — |
| Ayesha McGowan | Secretary | 5 | — |
| Douglas Monieson | Treasurer | 5 | — |
| Ajoa Abrokwa | Board Member (From 2/2025) | 5 | — |
| Balaji Bondili | Board Member | 5 | — |
| James Brainard | Board Member | 5 | — |
| Jon Cofsky | Board Member | 5 | — |
| Mark Filippell | Board Member | 5 | — |
| John Friedmann | Board Member (Until 2/2025) | 5 | — |
| Vanessa Garrison | Board Member (Until 2/2025) | 5 | — |
| Catherine Sloss Jones | Board Member | 5 | — |
| M Katherine Kraft | Board Member | 5 | — |
| Gail Lipstein | Board Member (Until 2/2025) | 5 | — |
| Elizabeth Lynn | Board Member | 5 | — |
| Andrew McCormick | Board Member (From 2/2025) | 5 | — |
| Tim Petri | Board Member | 5 | — |
| Marvin Plakut | Board Member | 5 | — |
| Juliette Rizzo | Board Member | 5 | — |
| Daniel Rodriguez | Board Member | 5 | — |
| James Sallis | Board Member | 5 | — |
| Ryan Chao | President | 40 | $318,418 |
| Cynthia Dickerson | Chief Operating Officer | 40 | $211,807 |
| Kevin Mills | VP of Policy | 40 | $188,141 |
| Brandi Horton | VP of Communications | 40 | $179,969 |
| Frederick Schaedtler | CTO | 40 | $185,132 |
| Alisa Borland | VP of Development | 40 | $175,164 |
| Elizabeth Thorstensen | VP of Trail Development | 40 | $175,519 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rails to Trails Conservancy?
Rails to Trails Conservancy is a nonprofit organization focused on Environment & Animals, based in Washington, DC. It holds $23.0M in total assets as of 2025.
How large is Rails to Trails Conservancy?
As of 2025, Rails to Trails Conservancy holds $23.0M in total assets with $13.3M in annual revenue. It awarded 35 grants totaling $707K in 2025.
Where does Rails to Trails Conservancy operate?
Rails to Trails Conservancy has awarded grants in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, PR, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming.
What size grants does Rails to Trails Conservancy award?
In 2025, Rails to Trails Conservancy awarded 35 grants totaling $707K — an average of about $20K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Rails to Trails Conservancy's EIN?
Rails to Trails Conservancy's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1437006. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.