The Trails Capacity Program (formerly the "Trail Fund Grant")

_NOTE: The application window is now closed and will reopen in November or December of 2024._**
Vision:**

The Trails Capacity Program invests in nationwide trails community capacity. We will maximize available funding focused on trail maintenance, research, and stewardship training projects. We find the best trail partners from all nonmotorized and motorized trail user groups (including water trails), and we measure our success in terms of visible, on-the-ground maintenance of trails and increased capacity of trail stewards to do the job effectively.

What the program does:

Supports partners to complete trail research, design, planning, stewardship, and maintenance projects that are inclusive, foster improved trail user behavior and connect trail assets to a broader spectrum of users. This program is targeted for non-Forest Service Federal lands, as well as State, local, and private lands. Projects on Forest Service lands should be directed to the Legacy Trails Program.

The Trail Fund will be administered by the Trails Move People Coalition, a diverse coalition of trail user groups, led by American Trails, and will support grants for trail maintenance, research, and stewardship training all across the country, serving all types of trail users. The amount of funding available and number of grants we can offer will vary year by year, pending funding.

The Trail Fund is a collaborative program of American Trails (a private 501(c)(3) charitable organization) launching with a generous gift of $50,000 from the Ford Corporation (plus additional funding in smaller amounts from individuals from the trails community and ongoing support from the Waterford Press and Rhino Marking and Protection Systems).

Our Funding Priorities

Priority #1: Trail Maintenance Backlog on State and Local Lands

• Unfortunately, trails do not receive the ongoing maintenance support that they need through the Federal, State, and local appropriations process, resulting in a huge trail maintenance backlog.
• By current estimates in the US Forest Service alone, if nothing were to change in the current appropriations for trail maintenance, it would take over 1000 years to eliminate the current trail maintenance backlog.
  • And that does not even take into consideration the additional miles of trail that will be added to the backlog in that same time.
• Maintenance is not sexy, or easy to fund, but it is critical in helping our country, our citizens, and our communities maintain their connection to nature and to the enjoyment of our country’s most beautiful landscapes.
• Priority #2: Research:
  • Research and data on trails are critical to show the impact and benefits of trails.
  • The trails community is witnessing unprecedented growth and a shift in leadership away from Federal agencies, toward foundation and private investment driving trail development.
  • This highlights the need to develop the tools that allow a dynamic trail community to come together, professionalize and standardize, document our value and impact, and articulate this value and impact to public leaders, the outdoor industry, and other industries that unwittingly benefit from trails.
  • Our goal is to establish a robust and collaborative industry research capacity with a focus on the development and understanding of how trails and the industry create value and impact at the community, state, and federal level. Utilize the data and knowledge from research initiatives to inform and grow the trails knowledge base that would inform the needs in creating a professional development program.
• Priority #3: Stewardship Training:
  • Research informs us how to effectively engage trail stewards on public lands.
  • The goal of developing high quality, consistent training opportunities is to preserve skills that have been developed over decades as well as teaching the newest technology.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

• Tax-exempt organizations under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(7), including public charities as described in IRC 509(a)(1)-(4) and 170(b)-(c).
• Federal, State, regional, and local government units, school districts, and tribes are also eligible to receive grants from the Fund.
• The Fund will award grants to fiscal sponsors that meets their eligibility criteria on behalf of applicants who are not eligible as 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations.
  • The grant application must be completed by the fiscal sponsor, who will provide all information required, in addition to including supplemental information on the sponsored applicant and the proposed project or program.
• These grants are for work on motorized or nonmotorized trails/project that are open to the public anywhere in the United States.
  • This includes hiking, cycling, mountain biking, trail running, access routes, horseback riding, water trails, ATVs, snowmobiling, and more.
  • We will focus our funding on state and local lands, and Federal lands will be accepted.
  • For trails located on US Forest Service land we suggest you first approach our sister fund, the Trail Partner Funding, which focuses their funding on USFS trails exclusively.
  • Trails on US Forest Service land will likely receive lower priority in this funding program
• Hiring or supplementing staff or contractor payroll is eligible if the funded portion of the staff's duties directly involves maintenance of trails, training of stewards, or research programs.
• Require a cash or in-kind match of at least 20%.

Ineligibility

• Ineligible for funding:
  • New trail projects are not eligible.
  • Funding is only available for trail maintenance, research, and stewardship training, with a portion also set aside for administration of this program.
  • Completed projects.
  • Indirect costs
  • Budget deficits.
  • Debt reduction.
  • General operating expenses.
  • Note: We understand that projects or programs being proposed in a grant, that expand the organization’s capacity to fulfill its mission, may impact operating costs.
  • As such, those operating costs may not be considered ‘general’ in nature, may be eligible for funding, and should be identified in the budget submitted with the grant application so that they may be considered as part of the overall project or program costs.
  • Event sponsorships.
  • Contributions to individuals.
  • Contributions to political or labor organizations, candidates, or causes.
  • Contributions that facilitate religious mission, doctrine, or organization.
  • Proposals that would cause the Fund to be in violation of its Conflict of Interest Policy.