Virginia · Nonprofit
AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY
AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY (Virginia) receives grants from 3 organizations whose IRS filings report $90,356 to it, the largest being VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM ($90,000). 3 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 100% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- Revenue FY2025
- $150k
- Funders on record
- 3
- Grants received
- $90k
- Net assets
- $335k
What American Discovery Trail Society does
Mission
The American Discovery Trail is responsible for the ongoing development and promotion of America's first coast-to-coast non-motorized trail for hiking, biking, running and other recreational purposes. Passing near the homes of more than 40 million people, the trail runs through fifteen states and our nation's capital. It promotes natural, cultural, and historical resources and facilitates tourism and economic development in rural, suburban and large metropolitan areas.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
The Society raises awareness of the American Discovery Trail to educate the public of the opportunities for recreation and the health and enjoyment derived from using a trail that runs across North America through 15 states, making it one of the longest trails in the world. Society members and volunteers provide support to long-distance hikers, and we work with local, state, and federal officials on the installation of signage, such as larger signs at trailhead parking lots as well as small signs at regular intervals in state and national parks and forests and along trails managed by our collaborating nonprofit partners. In 2025, we also completely redesigned our website and our customer relationship management database.
$82,955 spent$95,464 earned by the program66% of program spendingThe Society raises awareness of the American Discovery Trail to educate the members of the public, public officials, business and municipal leaders, and others about the economic and social benefits of a 6,500+ mile trail that runs through urban and rural communities. The Trail Town initiative is a major part of this work, and the first three communities were formally recognized in 2025, one in Maryland and two in Iowa.
$22,199 spent$23,510 earned by the program18% of program spendingThe Society raises awareness of the American Discovery Trail to educate the members of the public, public officials, business and municipal leaders, and others about cultural, historic and ecological attributes associated with natural areas, historic sites, buildings, and communities along America's first coast-to-coast trail. The trail passes through / near multiple state capitals, and many actions in 2025 related to our preparations for the 250th anniversary of America's founding (1776-2026).
$20,021 spent$23,510 earned by the program16% of program spendingOther program services, not described on the e-filed return.
$0 spent0% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $125,175.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2020, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2020, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2020 to 2021, from $234k to $294k (+26%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
64% of AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY’s revenue is contributions — more donation-reliant than the typical peer (18% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 2 of the last 6 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Board chair
J Eric Seaborg
President of the Board
As listed on its FY2025 Form 990.
Who funds it, year by year
2018 → 2023: the base broadened from 1 funder to 2 funders, grant income rose $50 → $25k.
2 of 3 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 100% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY leans on a few funders — its largest provides 100% of grant income and the top three 100%; half comes from just 1 funder.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 1 funder to its left
100% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2018 100% · 2019 100% · 2020 100% · 2021 100% · 2022 100% · 2023 100% — broadly stable.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Where its funders are
100% of AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY's grant income arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors, whose addresses record where the money is held rather than where the donor is. Of the $150 that is directly attributable, 100% of it comes from funders outside Virginia, across 1 state.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $90k arriving through sponsors registered in 2 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY has grown faster than half of the 10,453 recreation & sports nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 10,453 recreation & sports nonprofits $100k–$1M, FY2025
Organizations like AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Virginia
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
69% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
77%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 7 states
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY?
- AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY (Virginia) receives grants from 3 organizations whose IRS filings report $90,356 to it, the largest being VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM ($90,000). 3 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 100% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- How many funders does AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY have?
- IRS filings report 3 organizations giving $90,356 in grants to AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY, 3 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY?
- VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM is the largest funder on record, with $90,000 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Virginia. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds American Discovery Trail Society →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2020–2025), and the filings of 3 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing