The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s mission is to protect, manage, and advocate for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
A $1.34 million purchase-assistance grant to The Conservation Fund stands out in the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s recent giving and points to the scale of its land-focused work. The conservancy funds conservation and land protection alongside trail management, advocacy, outdoor recreation, education, youth engagement, volunteer programs, and heritage documentation. Recent grants also show support for on-the-ground trail staffing and stewardship, including ridgerunner and ranger roles, conservation planning, and infrastructure support tied to the Appalachian Trail corridor. The pattern is practical and place-based. In one stream of grantmaking, the conservancy backed large-landscape protection and conservation planning; in another, it supported regional trail clubs and partner organizations that maintain trail experience and visitor access. It also funded archives work at George Mason University Foundation Inc and museum support for the Appalachian Trail Museum Soc, showing that its interests extend beyond the trail tread itself to the record and history of the A.T. community. Several awards are tied to named programs such as TAG grants, Wild East Action Fund land-protection grants, and ridge-runner support, all consistent with a conservation organization funding project-specific work along the Appalachian Trail landscape.
Land protection is a clear throughline. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy gave $45,000 to Ndponics for a Wild East Action Fund land protection grant, and it also supported The Conservation Fund with $23,000 for a Tennessee TAG grant. Those awards sit alongside other land and landscape efforts, including large-landscape and conservation planning support. Trail stewardship is another major area. The conservancy awarded $31,631 to Potomac Appal Trail Club for Virginia, Maryland, and Michaux ridgerunner positions, and $11,811 to Carolina Mountain Club for Walnut Mountain abatement and relocation and a Hot Springs kiosk. Education and youth engagement appear in the grant record too: Potomac Appal Trail Club received $31,005 for Virginia TAG, ridgerunners, and youth summits. Heritage work also appears through $20,000 to George Mason University Foundation Inc for initial processing of archives.
Typical awards are modest to mid-sized, with a p25 of $10,000, a median of $15,000, and a p75 of $30,502. The record includes both very large land-acquisition support and many smaller operating or project grants tied to trail staffing, stewardship, and planning. Recipients recur across years: Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Potomac Appal Trail Club, Carolina Mountain Club, and Gatc Doug Haas each appear more than once. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Grants in the sample are project-based and often linked to named initiatives such as TAG, ridgerunner, and Wild East Action Fund support.
$2.1M
$46.3M
$19.4M
$14.1M
Most grants fall between $10K and $31K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$31K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NC.
SANDRA MARRA
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Grants land in one country only: the United States. North Carolina is the top state by grant count, and several grants in the sample go to Asheville-based organizations, including Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Carolina Mountain Club, and Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards. Other recurring places include Vienna, Virginia; Alpharetta, Georgia; and Arlington, Virginia. The recipient map is regional rather than national, with awards spread across Appalachian Trail states and neighboring states that host trail clubs, land trusts, and conservation partners.
Recent grants support land protection, trail stewardship, ridgerunner and ranger positions, conservation planning, invasive species education and control, trail infrastructure, education, youth engagement, archives, and museum support. Named grant purposes in the record include purchase assistance, ridgerunner positions, and TAG grants tied to trail and conservation work.
The typical grant size in the record is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $30,502 at the 75th percentile. The sample also includes a much larger $1,337,500 purchase-assistance grant, showing that land-related awards can be far above the usual range.
Yes. Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy appears in both 2023 and 2024, Potomac Appal Trail Club appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025, Carolina Mountain Club appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Gatc Doug Haas appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships with certain trail and conservation partners.
The grant record is entirely U.S.-based, with 35 grants in the United States. North Carolina is the top state by grant count, and several recipients are in Asheville, including Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Carolina Mountain Club, and Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards. Other recipients appear in Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE CONSERVATION FUND | ARLINGTON, VA | $1,337,500 | 2025 | PURCHASE ASSISTANCE |
| GATC DOUG HAAS | ALPHARETTA, GA | $50,499 | 2025 | 2024 GA TAG GRANT FUNDS |
| POTOMAC APPAL TRAIL CLUB | VIENNA, VA | $31,005 | 2025 | 2024 VA TAG, RIDGERUNNERS AND YOUTH SUMMITS |
| CAROLINA MOUNTAIN CLUB | ASHEVILLE, NC | $13,500 | 2025 | 2024 NC TAG GRANTS |
| KEYSTONE TRAILS ASSOCIATION | MECHANICSBURG, PA | $10,800 | 2025 | SOUTH MOUNTAIN CONSERVATION INITIATIVE |
| SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY | ASHEVILLE, NC | $10,500 | 2025 | 2024 TN TAG |
| NANTAHALA HIKING CLUB | FRANKLIN, NC | $7,646 | 2025 | 2024 NC TAG GRANTS |
| TENNESSEE EASTMAN HIKING CLUB | KINGSPORT, TN | $7,172 | 2025 | 2024 TN TAG GRANTS |
| SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY | ASHEVILLE, NC | $84,509 | 2024 | GRASSY BALD MANAGEMENT, FERAL HOG EDUCATION/CONTROL AND RESTORATION ON ROAN HIGHLANDS |
| GATC DOUG HAAS | ALPHARETTA, GA | $55,726 | 2024 | GA TAG GRANT FUNDS |
| POTOMAC APPAL TRAIL CLUB | VIENNA, VA | $31,631 | 2024 | VA, MD AND MICHAUX RIDGERUNNER POSITIONS. |
| CAROLINA MOUNTAIN CLUB | ASHEVILLE, NC | $11,811 | 2024 | WALNUT MTN ABATEMENT AND RELOCATION AND HOT SPRINGS KIOSK |
| AMC - BUSINESS OFFICE | BOSTON, MA | $9,782 | 2024 | NE PA RIDGERUNNER AND FUNDS FOR BEAR BOXES |
| NANTAHALA HIKING CLUB | FRANKLIN, NC | $8,918 | 2024 | A.T. PROMOTION AND NHC OUTREACH |
| TENNESSEE EASTMAN HIKING CLUB | KINGSPORT, TN | $7,010 | 2024 | ROCK DRILL BITS, BOG BRIDGES, PEAK FINDERS, GRAFFITI BOARD AND PICNIC TABLE REPLACEMENTS, CONTRACT MOWING |
| SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY | ASHEVILLE, NC | $82,500 | 2023 | 2022 ATC CONTRIBUTION TO ROAN HIGHLANDS STEWARD, NC TAG GRANT |
| NDPONICS | LEXINGTON, VA | $45,000 | 2023 | 2022 WILD EAST ACTION FUND - LAND PROTECTION GRANT |
| GATC DOUG HAAS | ALPHARETTA, GA | $44,500 | 2023 | 2022-2023 GA TAG GRANT FUNDS |
| US FOREST SERVICE | PORTLAND, OR | $30,000 | 2023 | 2021-2022 GA TAG GRANT - A.T. RANGER, 2022-2023 GA TAG GRANT FUNDS |
| POTOMAC APPAL TRAIL CLUB | VIENNA, VA | $27,942 | 2023 | PATC AGREEMENT FOR PA MICHAUX RIDGERUNNER 2022, VA LICENSE PLATE 2022, PATC AGREEMENT FOR N. VA AND MD RIDGERUNNERS 2022 |
| THE CONSERVATION FUND | ARLINGTON, VA | $23,000 | 2023 | TN TAG GRANT |
| GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION INC | FAIRFAX, VA | $20,000 | 2023 | INITIAL PROCESSING OF ARCHIVES |
| DUTCHES LAND CONSERVANCY | MILLBROOK, NY | $20,000 | 2023 | LARGE LANDSCAPE GRANT |
| SHEFFIELD LAND TRUST | SHEFFIELD, MA | $20,000 | 2023 | LARGE LANDSCAPE GRANT |
| BERKS NATURE | READING, PA | $20,000 | 2023 | LARGE LANDSCAPE GRANT |
| SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FORESTS | CONCORD, NH | $20,000 | 2023 | 2022 WILD EAST ACTION FUND - LAND PROTECTION GRANT |
| BERKSHIRE NATURAL RESOURCE COUNCIL INC | LENOX, MA | $15,000 | 2023 | 2022 WILD EAST ACTION FUND - CONSERVATION PLANNING SUPPORT GRANT |
| APPALACHIAN TRAIL MUSEUM SOC | GARDNERS, PA | $12,000 | 2023 | 2019_MINI GRANT_AT MUSEUM |
| WILLIAMSTOWN RURAL LANDS FOUNDATION INC | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | 2022 WILD EAST ACTION FUND - CONSERVATION PLANNING SUPPORT GRANT |
| HIGH PEAKS ALLIANCE | FARMINGTON, ME | $10,000 | 2023 | 2022 WILD EAST ACTION FUND - CONSERVATION PLANNING SUPPORT GRANT |
| CAROLINA MOUNTAIN CLUB | ASHEVILLE, NC | $10,000 | 2023 | 2022 NC A.T. TAG GRANTS - CMC |
| SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN WILDERNESS STEWARDS | ASHEVILLE, NC | $10,000 | 2023 | 2022-2023 GA TAG GRANT FUNDS |
| SHIPPENSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PA | SHIPPENSBURG, PA | $9,540 | 2023 | 2021-CLUS-MINIGRANT |
| AMC - BUSINESS OFFICE | BOSTON, MA | $8,981 | 2023 | NE PA RIDGERUNNER |
| WORLD TRAILS NETWORK - HUB FOR THE AMERICAS | CAMPTON, NH | $5,100 | 2023 | FRANCONIA RIDGE SUMMIT STEWARD PROGRAM 2022 |
THE CONSERVATION FUND
$1,337,500PURCHASE ASSISTANCE
GATC DOUG HAAS
$50,4992024 GA TAG GRANT FUNDS
POTOMAC APPAL TRAIL CLUB
$31,0052024 VA TAG, RIDGERUNNERS AND YOUTH SUMMITS
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN CLUB
$13,5002024 NC TAG GRANTS
KEYSTONE TRAILS ASSOCIATION
$10,800SOUTH MOUNTAIN CONSERVATION INITIATIVE
SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY
$10,5002024 TN TAG
NANTAHALA HIKING CLUB
$7,6462024 NC TAG GRANTS
TENNESSEE EASTMAN HIKING CLUB
$7,1722024 TN TAG GRANTS
SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY
$84,509GRASSY BALD MANAGEMENT, FERAL HOG EDUCATION/CONTROL AND RESTORATION ON ROAN HIGHLANDS
GATC DOUG HAAS
$55,726GA TAG GRANT FUNDS
POTOMAC APPAL TRAIL CLUB
$31,631VA, MD AND MICHAUX RIDGERUNNER POSITIONS.
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN CLUB
$11,811WALNUT MTN ABATEMENT AND RELOCATION AND HOT SPRINGS KIOSK
AMC - BUSINESS OFFICE
$9,782NE PA RIDGERUNNER AND FUNDS FOR BEAR BOXES
NANTAHALA HIKING CLUB
$8,918A.T. PROMOTION AND NHC OUTREACH
TENNESSEE EASTMAN HIKING CLUB
$7,010ROCK DRILL BITS, BOG BRIDGES, PEAK FINDERS, GRAFFITI BOARD AND PICNIC TABLE REPLACEMENTS, CONTRACT MOWING
SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY
$82,5002022 ATC CONTRIBUTION TO ROAN HIGHLANDS STEWARD, NC TAG GRANT
NDPONICS
$45,0002022 WILD EAST ACTION FUND - LAND PROTECTION GRANT
GATC DOUG HAAS
$44,5002022-2023 GA TAG GRANT FUNDS
US FOREST SERVICE
$30,0002021-2022 GA TAG GRANT - A.T. RANGER, 2022-2023 GA TAG GRANT FUNDS
POTOMAC APPAL TRAIL CLUB
$27,942PATC AGREEMENT FOR PA MICHAUX RIDGERUNNER 2022, VA LICENSE PLATE 2022, PATC AGREEMENT FOR N. VA AND MD RIDGERUNNERS 2022
THE CONSERVATION FUND
$23,000TN TAG GRANT
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION INC
$20,000INITIAL PROCESSING OF ARCHIVES
DUTCHES LAND CONSERVANCY
$20,000LARGE LANDSCAPE GRANT
SHEFFIELD LAND TRUST
$20,000LARGE LANDSCAPE GRANT
BERKS NATURE
$20,000LARGE LANDSCAPE GRANT
SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FORESTS
$20,0002022 WILD EAST ACTION FUND - LAND PROTECTION GRANT
BERKSHIRE NATURAL RESOURCE COUNCIL INC
$15,0002022 WILD EAST ACTION FUND - CONSERVATION PLANNING SUPPORT GRANT
APPALACHIAN TRAIL MUSEUM SOC
$12,0002019_MINI GRANT_AT MUSEUM
WILLIAMSTOWN RURAL LANDS FOUNDATION INC
$10,0002022 WILD EAST ACTION FUND - CONSERVATION PLANNING SUPPORT GRANT
HIGH PEAKS ALLIANCE
$10,0002022 WILD EAST ACTION FUND - CONSERVATION PLANNING SUPPORT GRANT
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN CLUB
$10,0002022 NC A.T. TAG GRANTS - CMC
SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN WILDERNESS STEWARDS
$10,0002022-2023 GA TAG GRANT FUNDS
SHIPPENSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PA
$9,5402021-CLUS-MINIGRANT
AMC - BUSINESS OFFICE
$8,981NE PA RIDGERUNNER
WORLD TRAILS NETWORK - HUB FOR THE AMERICAS
$5,100FRANCONIA RIDGE SUMMIT STEWARD PROGRAM 2022